Before there were airplanes or interstates, there were the trails. Starting not too far from here…read morein Independence, Missouri, the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails passed through Olathe before splitting toward their own routes west. Some of those trails later became paved roads and perhaps super highways, but the Independence Trails marker and artwork in Olathe bring you back to the era when families traveled by wagon, following paths carved by emigrants, merchants and soldiers between the 1830s and 1860s. The sculpture here depicts a family heading west with their wagon pulled by animals, a visual reminder of the thousands who passed through Johnson County in search of opportunity. Brown trail signs across the county mark these historic routes, and the marker ties directly into that broader story of westward movement described by Johnson County's historic trail documentation. The artwork sits just a short distance from the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop, a major waypoint where travelers once rested and resupplied before continuing along the Westport Route, though I didn't stop there today. The marker and sculpture together make the history feel immediate. You're standing in a place where the Oregon, California and Santa Fe Trails once converged before splitting at Gardner Junction, and where countless travelers camped at nearby Lone Elm Park on their first night west of the Missouri River. It's a compact stop, but a meaningful one, especially if you enjoy seeing how modern cities preserve the memory of the trails that shaped them. [Review 843 of 2026 - 150 in Kansas - 26024 overall]

Excellent opportunity awaits those who want to get more involved in the business community. The…read morestaff here work hard to provide several activities per month including a Wednesday morning wake up that is very well attended, lunch and learns, legislative updates, economic development and young professionals. The member support for ribbon cuttings and member events is great too. Stacey is your go to person if you want to know more! Our business has benefitted from the new relationships and grown our sales. It's worth checking out even if you wouldn't describe yourself as an extrovert!

I joined a bunch of chambers when I first started my business, not just to meet and network with…read morenew friends, but in the hopes that the chamber would help me grow my business. The Chamber helped me meet some of my nearest and dearest friends, who I got to know first at networking events, and then developed great friendships. But, if you think the Chamber is going to step in and help you grow your business, even if you serve on the Diplomats or on committees, it won't happen. The Chamber's purpose is to propose for and fight for legislation, and to be a forum for networking. Don't come here expecting anything else and you'll be fine. The OP Chamber is one of the best in KC. A great program that a friend of mine went through was "Leadership Overland Park" - an 8-week course that introduces participants to a panoramic view of living, working, and governing in our fair city.

Crossing the Woodswether Bridge at about 4pm made for an easy eastbound trip into Missouri with…read morelight traffic and no delays. This span carries I-70 directly over the Kansas River and sits close to the point where the Kansas River meets the Missouri River at Kaw Point. Even with the interstate traffic, the bridge feels straightforward and functional, a practical piece of infrastructure that has lasted from 1915 and is still doing its job. Four lanes crossing the river this way and don't miss the "Welcome to Missouri" sign. It goes by quickly! [Review 813 of 2026 - 148 in Kansas - 25993 overall]

As a frequent traveler around the South, I've seen plenty of Civil War markers and battlefields,…read morefrom Antietam to Sharpsburg to Gettysburg and more, but I'm not a Civil War expert. I know the conflict reached into Western Missouri, but I had honestly forgotten the specifics, so finding this marker in Independence snapped that history back into focus. The sign lays out the 1864 skirmish where Union forces under General Alfred Pleasanton clashed with Confederate troops led by General James Fagan. It reads, "On the 22nd Fagan's Division of Price's Army was defending against the advance of Union Gen. Pleasonton from the east. Two of Fagan's Brigades were driven from the Little Blue River to the eastern edge of town. The Union attack was made first from the NE with Philips' Brigade and the 2nd Arkansas (Union) both on foot. McNeil's Brigade then charged through town mounted. Cabell's Brigade came up to stop the Union advance. He was driven back and many of his men were surrounded. Near this spot two of his guns were captured and he barely escaped." The marker is Tour Stop E and it was erected by the City of Independence. It provides directions to Stop F, West on Lexington to Crysler. [Review 828 of 2026 - 546 in Missouri - 26009 overall]

Giving a five star review for an abandoned building seems out of place, but my visit today has been…read moredecades in the making and is an afternoon that i can't wait to tell friends about and share photos. Built in 1897 as Kansas City's workhouse jail and later served as a storage facility, marine training center and an animal euthanasia center until being abandoned in 1972. With it's dark history, graffiti, collapsed roofs, dark stairwells, debris, and remnants of homelessness everywhere, my solo visit was slightly macabre and a bit scary not knowing if I was alone when turning each corner. I did run into two other explorers and one homeless person in my self guided tour of the darkside. There was talk about a decade ago of renovating the property into a venue for weddings and concerts but that failed to materialize. My advise to you is put on your big-boy pants (or girl) grab a friend and go explore an iconic architectural piece of history before it's too late.

Really neat place to wander around BUT there are a lot of dangers here and you shouldn't bring your…read morekids. You need to wear closed, thick shoes, too. There's a lot of needles and broken bottles, etc. because the property is actively used. Graffiti is outstanding.

Quick snapshot of the man from Independence, MO…read more If you're interested in visiting the Truman house at 219 Delaware, you will need to stop here for tickets and a time slot. This site on Main will put you in touch with the NPS Rangers who will have you watch a short film about the 33rd President, his rise to the Presidency, and his rise attempt to normalize after leaving office. After the film you will have the opportunity to head over to Delaware and visit the Noland House (which belonged to his aunt and uncle), which houses a small assortment of Truman artifacts, or you can stroll from Independence Square (5 blocks to the house), along the same streets that President Truman walked before, during, and after his presidency. The house itself is as it was when Bess Truman passed away in the 1980s. Inside you will find a very unassuming life that her husband attempted to keep. He tried his best to not let his role as leader of the free world get to his head. Despite that, the former president was a point of interest for folks passing through Kansas City and Independence, Missouri. During the 30-ish minutes, Ranger led tour, you can't take photos, but you can certainly understand the Trumans did their best to live a peaceful and "normal" life and that's the way they lived the entire time. It's surprising how many generations of Trumans lived in that tiny little home, but they made the most of it. This site adds another touch to the life of the 33rd POTUS, and adds another layer to the exhibits you can see at the Truman Library and Museum down the road.

The people who work here are super helpful and knowledgeable about Truman. They know the sites…read more They saved me lots of time with their tips. They were great in giving you the necessary information you needed to explore this area that is rich with the history of the 33rd President. I highly recommend them.

My husband and I moved to downtown Kansas City from the suburbs a few years ago, and I was…read moreinitially nervous about safety. Those concerns quickly disappeared, largely thanks to the Bumblebees who are consistently present in the area. The Rivermarket is clean, welcoming, and truly feels like a neighborhood. On the few occasions I've called to request assistance with distressed homeless neighbors, they've responded promptly and with genuine kindness. Simply having them around makes me feel safer and more at ease living downtown.

I communicated our community's concerns about litter in our Downtown KCMO neighborhood between 7th…read more(Admiral Boulevard) & 8th Street between Cherry & Charlotte Streets to ambassadors Brian & Sheila in person & by telephone, and to Downtown Community Improvement District's CEO, Mr. Santos Ramirez, by email. They responded to my requests for their heavy metal trash receptacles for our neighborhood by placing one at the corner of 8th & Chatlotte, and another at Cherry & 7th. There are well over 500 families living in three residential condominiums in our Downtown KCMO neighborhood, and many more residing in adjacent areas including workers, which need trash receptacles to dispose of litter & trash. This is a great beginning. Eventually, we hope that Downtown Community Improvement District (CID) will be able to place one if their heavy duty trash cans on each & every street corner throughout Downtown. We cooperate by picking up litter & placing it in their trash cans. The more accessible these trash containers are, the cleaner Downtown KCMO will be. Let's keep Downtown beautiful!

"Is Kansas City in Kansas or Missouri?"…read more "Both," he answered. I'm still unsure but from the amount of going In and out of Kansas and Missouri I'm convinced he's correct. I turned up my nose on the thought of going to Missouri / Kansas as my initial visit from years ago was a bit too country-ish and small for my taste. This time around we opted to stay in the city with the main purpose of watching the Kansas City Royals play at Kaufman Stadium. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY!!! KC is clean, with well thought out communities and well manicured public parks and roads! The people have been very friendly with just a very few unpleasant encounters but overall the diversity is growing and I don't feel like such an outsider. Perhaps it's because we were in the city but the overall vibe is super cool with a mix of fit, professionals, young families and 30-40-ish singles. I love the mix of brick warehouses turned loft space apartments with the growing number of luxury apartment high rises. This is a city embracing the past and cohesively integrating it into its future. The outskirts of the city surrounded by historic landmarks (West Bottoms, the Jazz District & Union Station) as well as a growing suburban areas like Overland Park and Lee's Summit (also home to the Country Club District). Speaking of districts, KC is considered amongst the top 10 cities for creatives and top 20 amongst the most cultured KC is home to some of the coolest districts: Crossroads, Westport, River Market, West 39th Street and West Bottoms. I just can't get over how clean this city is!! All the preconceived ideas I had about Kansas/Missouri are just that - preconceived! A visit to Kansas City will reveal that this isn't just a "City of Fountains" (it indeed is with its registered 200 fountains in the metropolitan area alone) but a city with its share of museums (World War I, National Negro Baseball Museum, Nielson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Vine Jazz Museum), award winning Kansas City barbeque haunts as a growing culinary list of places that eat at. Did I mention how clean this city is? That's what won me over - all the lawns and parks are so neatly manicured and zero trash anywhere. Seriously!! Also, the racial diversity is evidenced by the different people I've encountered. Perhaps because it's a city versus a small town like say, Parsons, KS the novelty of seeing a minority is not as high. Who'da thunk that I'd be singing the praises of Kansas City?

Talk about a bunch of crooks. I used $14 in water and yet my bill was over $90 because of their…read morefees. Someone needs to audit them.