Darkwood House Gallery is tucked in the lower level of a strip of shops along Winner Rd. in the…read moreEnglewood Arts District. It's hidden from view from the street, but very much worth navigating your way off the beaten path, down the staircase and entering the netherworld. The gallery is a well curated space featuring several local artists works for exhibit and sale. The art is all fascinatingly dark in subject matter - with occult, gothic, necromancer... subject matter. All of the art is interspersed by collections of artifacts some for display most for sale; ranging from medical tools, taxidermy, wet specimens, a mad scientist laboratory, and all the way up to an actual human skull. DHG is not for the faint of heart, the fundamental religious or those that believe that Thomas Kinkade's work is interesting or art. The gallery director Darren is quite welcoming and engaging as was one of the featured artists that was on site - John Kelly. Local artist and "rogue taxidermist" Simone Smith was heavily featured with her wide array of pieces and the model for another featured artist's b/w photography. Check the hours before you go, they are usually open only weekend evenings, but they are well worth the trip to an under rated and emerging neighborhood. The 3rd Friday Englewood Art's Walk is a sure way to visit when they are open and see a multi-block arts fest.

This is a small book shop tucked away inside a co-op art center. The floors creaked upon entering…read more I was greeted by one of the arts who joked how no one can sneak up on them anymore. According to the workers, their shops were new-ish due to half the space being constructed into a microbrewery. Prior to that, they were spread out around the space. Blue & Grey is the only book store within the four walls. The majority of the selection are history books and cookbooks. I found a large copy of the Illustrated History of Jackson County which detailed postal codes, city development, and land ownership in the early years. Other history topics include WWI, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. I also found the Collectors' Guide to Cookie Jars.There are some VCRs on the shelves too. Everything is reasonably priced. Becky, the owner, was bubbly. She talked to me about what's inside the store and showed me the adjacent art gallery featuring 12 local artists. It seemed that she really enjoyed working in this space with the artists. In short, this space is worth a walk through, and if you can support any of the local artists/vendors inside, do it!

From the owner: The Blue & Grey Book Shoppe has an expanded inventory of Civil War, Local History and other…read moreAmerican History books - New, Used, and Rare. Plus a selection of Fiction and Non-Fiction books, Doll Clothes, Maps, Curated Gift Items, Fine Art, and Much More.

Englewood Arts Center is a bright spot in Independence nestled in the neighborhood of Englewood…read morelined with majestic homes and boosts local shops such as Four Corners Framed Art, Englewood Cafe for breakfast n lunch and Vivilore restaurant. The art center sits in a remodeled medical building and founded by a grassroots community initiative that has transformed a vacant building into something very special. The Third Friday Art Walks, a monthly event throughout the Englewood Arts District is a lot of fun as one Friday they were having glassblowing demos. They even offer an entry level 101 class for get started burning glass. How cool! A new addition to the outside are these very tall flowers which was a public community art project where the petals, painted by the community, were welded on and made out of fan blades bought from the restore in Independence plus chandler parts and house items adding to parts of the flower. The arts center is managed by Amie Jacobsen, an artist herself and Ty Peyton Follis Admin coordinator Another gem in one of our Kansas City neighborhoods. Englewoodarts.com

A large multi floor building with public sculpture and murals outside and an interior with spaces…read morefor gallery exhibits, artist studio rental, events space, classes, glass blowing, and a cool little gift shop. I was completely amazed by the selection of artists on display and the scope of the art. On my Saturday afternoon visit, I was able to see two exhibits. The first was "Confluence'; a collaboration of their 8 resident artist using mixed media - a beautiful and varied media exhibit. Upstairs I witnessed "Faces After Suicide" a very powerful exhibit from Lindsey Doolittle featuring drawings from her suicide survivors support group. I was able to chat with her and gain a deeper understanding of all the emotions that a suicide survivor must endure. A conversation that I'll always remember. Thank you Lindsey and Englewood Arts for this exhibit. And of course the gift shop is right on the way out the door and has a great selection with very reasonable prices. I secured a glass heart for my wife's upcoming birthday. I will return for all future exhibits and it will definitely be a place to pick up some local art for Christmas gifts this year.

My first visit to the Englewood Row Gallery came on the Englewood Art District's Third Friday Arts…read moreWalk. The gallery space was hosting a juried arts exhibit with appetizers and adult beverages as well as live music and spoken word. On the west side of the space there are about a dozen studio spaces for rent to artists to create and exhibit their work. My highlight was getting to getting to met and chat with K. E. Griffin a local artist, playright, actress...my favorite Fringe Fest artist. I was able to purchase a small drawing of her from her "Ida's Journey in America" and she also gifted a small print of one of the textiles used in that performance. Thank you Englewood Row for providing space to nurture local artists and share their work with the public.

From the owner: Creative Spark Gallery at Englewood Row is a vibrant new art gallery and studio hub in the heart of…read moreIndependence’s Englewood Arts District. Featuring monthly juried art exhibits, weekly art and yoga classes, private art lessons, and a lively Third Friday Art Walk with live music and vendors. The space supports eight rentable studios for new and emerging artists working in fine art, writing, fashion, and jewelry. The Spark is all about community-focused programming with classes and events in yoga, meditation, healing art, oil painting, storytelling, poetry, and artist entrepreneurship. Creative Spark’s vision is to reignite artistic energy and connect the creative community among Independence and KC area creatives.

Enjoyed the art during one of the 3rd Friday events. I really enjoyed the studio area. They take…read morethe artists-in-residence phase literally and make you feel like they are inviting you into their own homes.

My dad and I went here for the Raku event and it was wonderfully paced and reasonably priced for…read morethe firing! The staff that they had supporting the event were very helpful and knowledgeable, as well.

Amazing place, good class. Great teacher. The whole experience was wholesome. Been there twice now…read more Second time I brought my mom and sisters for a fun time together. Did not dissapoint.

This is a very cool hidden store in the Englewood neighborhood of Independence. Not sure why they…read morecan't put a sign up to advertise, but they don't so you have to know where you are going. They specialize it scouting stuff which does not interest me, but enough art that I love looking around and finding gifts for others and decorating my home. I have taken home ceramic masks, glass work and jewelry. It's a must stop for me when I'm in that area. Support local artists.

I love going into Three Trails Trading Post to shop. There is a wide selection of items to meet…read moreeveryone's interest. For Scouts in Mic-o-Say she has all kids of regalia needed for camp. Kara, the owner is very knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to getting the Scouts ready for I discover something new every time I go into the store.

This museum has relocated to inside of the Truman Memorial building a few blocks west of the…read moreIndependence square - it was originally a few blocks south of the square. Admission is free with donations accepted. It starts with a 20 minute video that i recommend to get you acclimated to the importance that the frontier trails played in shaping this nation's history and growth. The museum is broken into sections on the California, Sante Fe, Oregon, and Mormon Trails and also showcases the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the fur trade. There's lots to read and lots of artifacts. It was personally intriguing since I have recently discovered that ancestors of mine trekked both the California and Mormon trails. There are certainly more interesting and larger museums in the region but i would recommend this one highly to show why our metropolitan area was critical to westward expansion.

My interest in the Oregon trail starts here in Independence, Missouri, since I know that the…read moremajority of the westward expansion movement in America started here in Independence in the mid 1800's. I know on the Oregon Trail since my youth playing the video games and that sparked my interest in seeing the real stuff in person. So once the opportunity came to see artifacts and exhibits pertaining to the Oregon Trail was made available, I jumped at the chance to see it before leaving the area. It was nice to come to this museum after searching on TripAdvisor and Yelp to find a good museum that caters to the Oregon Trail. I arrived here around 3:30pm on a brisk and casual Monday in October 2017 after picking up my rental car in Overland Park, KS. I had about an hour to browse through everything before leaving the museum at 4:30pm. The museum itself isn't large but had quite a bit of exhibits and information about the Oregon trail and its associated historic significance in the independence Missouri area. For the most part though, it was nice to see more of the artifacts and historical stories that made the travel from Independence mo to Oregon, California, and even Utah way back before the invention of the car. Those were rough times on the frontier and these brace souls risk their lives for the betterment of themselves and the growing country. The overall experience here at the National Frontier Trail museum was very fascinating, good, positive, and educational. I learned more about some of the pioneers' stories and the incredible hardships they had to endure throughout their journey: diseases, dehydration, starvation, weather, and the hostile Native American people were basically the main contributors to what they had to put up with on their long haul to the Pacific Ocean. This place does charge admission fee, but I lucked out, since I came in late, I got charged the senior rate, so I saved a couple of $$. Admission fee is get nominal though, so it is always good to support museums that support your need for knowledge and curiosity. They accept major credit cards, as well as cash. I was here when they had construction equipment here nearby, but I chose to park around the corner. They have parking spaces here for people visiting. Just didn't know how that would work, but I had a nice walk to and from the car regardless. For the most part though, my experience really wanted me to solidify my knowledge base of the Oregon trail and how the American pioneers risked death to achieve their dreams of living on the edge of the western fringes of America. The museum building itself was one story, but large enough to accommodate the exhibits, its artifacts, and collections of items that relates to the Oregon trail and its associated westward expansion of American civilization past the Mississippi River. The place was very much kid friendly and clean. It's quiet and casual like a library, so do yourselves favor by keeping your concerns and conversations to a dull roar. Be respectful that they kind of frown upon loud people and obnoxious individuals. If you are interested in this part of American history and near Independence, Missouri, consider coming and spending some time here. You will be enlightened by the hardship and sacrifices needed to undertake and understand what they did to survive and to build a nation. Hard work and dedication to what you do makes waves. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. You might want to have lunch first before coming here. It can be worth it if you stay long and soak up the knowledge and be amazed. I wish I could have been there earlier but had a time crunch. Support local! A+

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum cost only $12 for adults, $8 for college students and kids (age…read more13- 18 years old) cost $5. Harry S. Truman was our 33rd president from 1945- 1953. Former President Truman was Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) vice president. FDR died of a stroke during his 4th term (fun fact- FDR is the only president who served as president in his 4th term and since then, US presidents can only serve up to two terms), 82 days into his 4th term, he passed away. On April 12, 1945, Former President Truman was sworn in as president. Because former President Truman served during WWI, you will see some information about the war, see his uniform and other items from his time during serving. He often had said that during his wartime command experience, it had shaped his leadership style and how he made decisions during his political career. And the same with WWII, as former President Truman had served as president during that time period. But you will also read a lot of information about other wars during his terms (Korean War, Cold War, etc). With the famous photo of former President Truman of held up the Dewey Defeats Truman newspaper after he found out that he had been reelected. The actual newspaper that he held up is also in a display case that you can see. For those of you that are not familiar with this story, The Chicago Daily Tribune (along with most newspaper companies) was assumed that Thomas Dewey, governor of New York, was going to win by a landside because he was the favorite one to win. He easily defeated Thoman Dewey in the Electoral College, by a 303 to 189 margin. Truman also won by a 50-45 percent popular vote. From this visit, I did learn that there was an attempted assassination at the Blair House in Washington DC. Former President Truman and his wife lived there while the White House was being renovated (and you will see some pieces that was saved from the White House before it was renovated). Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, who members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party tried to assassinate the former president on November 1, 1950. They came to the home around 2 pm and opened fire on the guards. Leslie Coffelt, who was an officer of the White House, shot and killed Griselio Torresola and ended up dying after he was shot by Griselio Torresola (he is the only officer who was killed while protecting a US president). Oscar Collazo survived but was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. However, years later, former President Jimmy Carter pardoned him because Oscar Collazo was not seen as a threat to the US and was sent back to Puerto Rico. From this in the museum, you can see the two semi-automatic handguns used by the attackers, a German Luger and a .38 caliber pistol, in a display case. There are also photos of the two attackers and a photo of the scene. This presidential library in general is very text heavy with a lot of reading that is very informative but can be easy to glaze over and get a bit overwhelmed. Outside in the courtyard, you can visit former President Truman's grave and his wife Bess. There is also an eternal flame burning outside. This flame is meant to honor the former president on the 72nd anniversary of the American Legion. The American Legion is the largest wartime veterans service organization in the US. Overall, it is a very informative visit and you can learn a lot about our former president. And would recommend a visit if you are into presidential history like myself.

The Harry S. Truman Library is exceptionally well done and definitely worth a visit. The exhibits…read moreare excellent, and I enjoyed seeing history come to life through the displays and stories. The library is currently undergoing construction, so I wasn't able to see Truman's on-site office or the graves. Even so, there was still plenty to see and explore, and the experience was well worth the admission fee. It's also easy to reach from downtown Kansas City, with plenty of parking in a large on-site lot. There's a nice gift shop as well. If you enjoy history, especially seeing the people and events you've read about come to life, I highly recommend making the trip.