Talk about a fabulous way to repurpose an iconic building in JoCo! The site of the old King Louie…read morebowling alley has given way to the Arts & Heritage Center containing an exhibit better known as the Johnson County Museum. Instead of erecting another concrete monstrosity, JoCo took a piece of its expansion and history to house that very same dynamic. The Arts & Heritage Center itself is a wonderful facility, blending local & regional art, classes, and community space. It also doubles as an election polling location particularly focused on early voting opportunities (exercise your right!). Taking that classic 1960s suburban architecture, complete with stone walls & beams in a pseudo-flying buttress, and turning it into a new piece of the community is a *chef's kiss* of civic planning. Where you once may have tried to pick up a 7-10 split, you now can tour decades of people & progress. The museum itself costs $6 for adults with discounted admission for seniors, veterans, & children. It doesn't take long to get immersed in the interactivity and to get mesmerized by JoCo's storied past. Take in the public art displays or stop into the gift shop for keepsakes of the visit. Virtually every event has been well-documented, notable people are memorialized, and the chronology only keeps moving forward. Northeast Kansas continues to grow and find new ways to reinvent progress, so be sure to grasp the spirit of expansion that has occurred in this beautiful metro area.

The Johnson County Museum is a great example of a thoughtful use of space. I was pretty young when…read morethe King Louie building was in its prime but I know it held importance for many in the community so it's wonderful to see it repurposed as an arts and heritage space. To start with, the museum itself is great, it's super well thought out, and tells the story of the region and of Johnson County, and the growth of the KC suburbs. This story is complex, and filled with some less savory history, so I am especially proud of this museum for not shying away from the truth of this history and having sections of the museum dedicated to redlining, and moments of inequality here. My favorite part of the museum is the electric house, which was moved into the space to preserve a unique time in Johnson County history when the burbs expanded and became modernized. It's honestly worth the price just to see that house preserved as well as it is. If you are a parent, this place gets even better as your admission includes Kidscape which is a great indoor play area for kiddos between the ages of 18 months and 7 I'd say. They do a good job of keeping this space clean and for the price, it's one of the better deals for places to take kids on a cold day in KC. Finally, this space also houses a theatre and we go here for ballet classes which is great. All in all it's a wonderful asset to the community and I'm glad it's here.

Beautiful building. The main hall is free and open to anyone. Lots of cool info on dinosaurs,…read morespace, and an interactive section where you take a quiz, make a dinosaur and see it on a big screen next to you. Upstairs is a discovery room that I want to like so much but it's just so poorly run. It seems to me that there's not enough staff or funding maybe to keep everything organized and neat so a lot of it is disheveled or there's stuff missing. Worth a visit on a free day or with a pogo pass but I wouldn't pay for it.

It's a cute small museum. I was honestly expecting a lot more especially for the price. There were…read moreonly two exhibits open. My two year old was also a little fussy and I felt a bit judged by the staff. They kept running over to me to "make sure" he was supervised. I was already a bit stressed trying to calm him and this wasn't helpful. It didn't always feel very welcoming, but it is a beautiful space.

What a curious creation. This place is an amalgam of the collections of the donors, as most cars in…read morethis facility are temporarily donated by benefactors, supportive of the idea of a collection of vehicle history in one place. The cars were beautiful, though if I'm being honest plainly beautiful. There also weren't too many options to choose from, to catch the wandering eye. It feels like it's less a museum, and more of a person dedicating their life to a car club of sorts. This place is a gussied up garage of shorts. There's a couple of notable pieces in here that capture the mind for a short moment or two, and some displays, thematic in nature, are of interest. But, I could take this or leave it mostly. Maybe I'm not that in the cars is the problem. The most interesting part I think is that the vehicles are all donated on loan from benefactors, and the collection changes all the time. The community of this seems most interesting. I felt almost like I was in the cleanest garage of all time, and not ever like I was in a museum filled with pieces of wonderful human innovation. If you're in the vehicles, you probably would like it more than I did. I thought I did, but in my old age it just seems to be metal and glass not long for this side of the scrap heap.

Great people who run the museum. Very knowledgeable on what they have. it's definitely a must see.read more

My first time to this contemporary museum but not for lack of trying. This museum has wonderful and…read morediverse programming for the family. And it's free. The museum's current exhibit is KC native Jeremy Scott (Moschino) & Katherine Bernhardt show thru aug. 3, 2025. This museum is a Johnson County treasure.

It's a charming museum! We had a great, quick visit for the rotating exhibit. The permanent…read morecollection was also really beautiful. Free, with easy parking - just a bonus. Next time we'll plan to grab a snack in the cafe on the first floor

Anyone who looks at my reviews know that a 5 is rare! This exceeded any expectation I had and I was…read moresmiling so Much my cheeks hurt. What an Immersive experience! Books were SO much a part of our parenting I was transported to such deep memories. The attention to detail! The places to sit and read incorporated throughout! We went to an Adults only event just to check It out and we have already bought tickets to take our adult kids next month!!!

This museum is exceptional! I felt like a kid again seeing my favorite storybooks come to life!…read moreEvery single nook and cranny of this space was well thought out and artistically crafted. It was nice to have places for the kids to climb and explore. And there were also spaces to rest and be quiet. I like that each book was unique on display so it wasn't the same old thing over and over again. What I really loved was that they have multiple copies of each book represented in said section. So the ones we hadn't read and were interested in, we were able to discover like The Funny Thing and The Fire Cat. And ones we were aware if were fun to read while exploring like Goodnight Moon (my absolute favorite part), Babar, Frog and Toad, and No, David! The bus ride is a must; so creative and heart warming. We didn't purchase tickets for The Three Robbers experience, but peeking inside I wish we had, it looks great. The docents and volunteers were all knowledgeable of the books. And they were very kind when needing to remind kids of the museum rules. If I lived here I would by an annual membership for sure. And would have gladly paid more than the current $16 admission as I think this experience is worth much more.

I'm so glad this place was preserved! The entire farm is delightful to tour and it's great to just…read morewander and imagine what it was like during the height of migration.

I've been here three times by now, and I can't say enough good things about this place. There's a…read morefull farm with a active stagecoach and driver, and for a nominal fee you can actually ride in a real stagecoach which is an experience that everyone should experience to appreciate modernity. The house is fully restored and owned by the city of Olathe, marked as a national landmark. There's a functional blacksmith and lessons on particulars of blacksmithing. There is a wash station, and goats and chickens and sheep and horses and all the accompanying accoutrement. The house particularly is wonderful. The stagecoach stop was essentially like a gas station of the old world, and one would get off the stagecoach, which was like a bus, and go down into the cellar of that stagecoach house to have supper at this massive table with functioning 1850s kitchen that they use to this day to make samples in the wood fire. It's really something to see, and they even have an ice house that they tried to make functional but couldn't figure it out. Essentially a massive building where you put huge blocks of ice packed with sawdust that keep the ice Frozen for a year nearly. It's such a neat place, and the dedicated staff really commit. I would recommend anybody that lives in Kansas to go here and check it out, because it truly is living history.

Over priced and over rated…read more Too small. Things looked old and touched too much. Wack! Don't waste your time or money.

Unfortunately, this location didn't live up to expectations. Having visited the St. Louis Museum of…read moreIllusions, I found this one to be significantly smaller and lacking the same variety of exhibits. Given the price point, the experience felt a bit underwhelming and short. If you've been to their larger locations, this one might leave you disappointed.

The Nelson-Atkins is synonymous with Kansas City and an absolute must-visit for visitors and locals…read morealike. Where to even start? This encyclopedic museum was built in the 1930s in a traditional beaux arts style. The original 1930s building is just as stunning today as it was 90 years ago. The original courtyard has been modified and transformed into a restaurant, but aside from that it remains largely untouched. In the 2000s the museum expanded with the Bloch building - an architectural marvel all it's own. Drive by at night to see each lens lit up. Currently they are working on another expansion, that will bring the museum into the modern era. I've spent so much time here it's ridiculous. From exploring as a child with my grandmother, to my time as a student, to exploring now as an adult there is really something here for just about anyone. Being an encyclopedic museum it features art from across the world and spanning the timeline of humanity. You can use the Nelson as a launching pad for discussing nearly any moment in time through the lens of art, which is really an impressive feat for a midsize city like KC. Some of my favorite pieces include a relic with the "finger bone" of st. John the Baptist (it's likely a chicken bone), "Woman IV" by Willem de Kooning, "Boulevard des Capucines" by Claude Monet, and "Persephone" by Thomas Hart Benton. This is the place I take all of my guests, and the place I come to when I need to reset or recharge myself. It's always beautiful, always therapeutic, and always FREE. I'm not sure folks really understand the incredible gift we have as a community to have access to this incredible place. My top KC treasure, and I hope every person gets a chance to visit someday.

My wife and I were visiting from New York for a conference in Kansas City, and several people told…read moreus that the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was a must-visit. We decided to check it out on a Friday afternoon. We had a wonderful time exploring the various exhibits and galleries. We also stopped at the café for a pastry and coffee, and everyone we interacted with was friendly and welcoming. Because we enjoyed it so much, my wife suggested we return on Saturday to spend more time exploring some of the other exhibitions. While we were there, I was taking a few photos of my wife on the second floor above the café with my iPhone when a staff member approached us in a very rude and abrupt manner. She told us that we were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum--only selfies. She then stood nearby watching us, which made the situation very uncomfortable. Because of this interaction, we decided to leave the museum right away, which was disappointing and left us with an unpleasant feeling about the visit. When we returned to our hotel, I looked up the museum's photography policy online. It states: "The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art allows personal, non-flash photography inside the galleries, but strictly prohibits professional portrait, wedding, or engagement photo shoots inside the building." The photos I was taking were simply personal pictures of my wife and were non-commercial. It seems that this staff member was not properly informed about the museum's photography policy. As a result the low rating of our visit.

This is one of KCs gems - and thankfully not so hidden. This museum was founded by 2 women - 1 with…read morea love of toys and 1 with a love of miniatures. I've visited several times and am always amazed at the popular toys from each decade and the incredible to scale miniatures. During this visit we were one of the first to attend the grand opening of the Native American miniatures exhibit. It's so cool. I recommend everyone check it out. This museum is a must visit for all ages.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, despite being one of the bigger museums in KC, is…read morehonestly kind of a hidden gem in town. I never went before they renovated, but once they did I made my way here and immediately wondered what had taken me so long. You might think to yourself that this is for kids or on the flip side you might think that it's just for collectors - both couldn't be more untrue. The first fun thing is just the massive historic building that this place is in - if you like architecture and exploring old buildings you'll enjoy that part of it. The next thing you'll notice is that there is a ton to see here, from the ornate details of dollhouses, to miniatures that will blow your mind, to nostalgic barbies, there really is something for just about anyone. I like how you can come here to be reminded that everyone once was a kid and that toys tell a unique story about humanity in their own way. If you haven't been this is a great thing to do on a rainy day in KC. I would recommend it for older kids - maybe 10+ and for anyone who enjoys history or museums.

This was a fun place to spend an hour or two with my toddlers before starting a long car drive! We…read moregot in for about 50% off using our Children's museum pass from another state. Loved the outdoor space to explore with little trikes and a playhouse, wheelbarrows, etc. There were several reading books set areas set up with books to read to your kids, a large overhead climbing area, lots of busy boards, tables set up with smaller building toys for older kids, and more!

My visit and I was impressed! Things for all kids 2 years and up. I I am looking into buying a…read moremembership because I could see going back several times as my granddaughter gross. There is real life activities, such as a kitchen, a grocery store, a train, that has additional things for kids to do that mock real life, which includes a cooking apron, a train engineer, coat, etc. They have an outdoor area and when we were there, it was cooler and rainy, but I could see that this is a wonderful extension to additional play areas suggest a treehouse, a farm silo and a farmers market. Now the treehouse was a little bit dirty, but I think it's probably the time of the year and that it was really damp and wet during our visit. There's a place for you to have lunch. There are organized activities in the afternoon, which we did not participate in, but that goes additional things to do in the afternoon if you're there for a long period of time. The employees there were more than helpful and friendly . Facility was very clean and well organized.