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.

We made a trip this past weekend to KC and had a blast. This was our first stop! I had seen clips…read moreon social media and knew my little book worms would love it. We bought our tickets ahead of time, so we could secure our time slot. However, it looked like you can get tickets there the day of. Tickets are fairly priced, $16/person. This place is a lot bigger than I thought. Once you go down the rabbit hole, there are little burrows to crawl through, stop by and check out the rabbits little house before making your way through. It took us about 2 hours to go through, my kids loved all the interactive pieces to it. They could climb in nearly everything, there was a slide, a fire pole, etc. If you aren't familiar with the books, don't worry, they keep them stocked at each section so you can read it! Once we were done, we made our way to the bookstore. They had a wonderful large staircase that people could just relax and read books which I thought was wonderful little touch. They had a great selection of books and had a section of all the books from the displays. They have a coffee shop but unfortunately it was closed when we were there. The staff was wonderful, the volunteers are all scattered throughout to help customers. The volunteers and staff truly love books and children. We will absolutely be back again!

Well put together museum where all the books you grew up comes alive…read more Brought my kids and their cousins here. They loved it. Got to sit on a story time and caught the bus. Make reading great again!

This was really fun! More than I was expecting. Check in was easy, they are doing contact tracing…read morewe had to fill out info. we ordered tickets from Groupon. We avoided touching much, so there were some illusions we didn't do, but were able to do most of them. There are tips and explanations with each illusion. It doesn't take real long to go through maybe 30 minutes or so, but it was fun and enjoyable. Highly recommend for adults or kids!

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

The staff was full of knowledge. We were the only patrons inside the water bar area. I read each of…read morethe more than 20 information boards posted around the perimeter of the water bar area. It was beautifully decorated in one of my favorite architectural eras, art deco. The information boards gave great explanations of the founding of the town, the springs, how the Hall of Waters operated, the water bar, famous people who visited, founding of hotels and the history of the people who operated them, and lots more! Be prepared to read A LoT. Which I enjoy learning that way and at my own pace. The treatment area was interesting to see the devices and apparatus they used when this place was humming in the early 1900's. I was disappointed the pool area and the bottling area are closed off to the public. Wish I knew someone on the inside. Haha. And they would show them to me. I love exploring safely and respectfully. A definite must see for someone who loves history like I do!

When visiting excelsior springs make sure to visit Hall of waters! It's a staple to this small…read moretown and a great little museum with an old bathhouse and great facts of how this town was founded. Thank you to Ronda for being so sweet to us during our quick visit!

*Missing Review(s)?…read more In my opinion this is one of the best museums in the world. No doubt,pound for pound I would put the Nelson Akins up against any museum anywhere. I love art so, traveling to Kansas City regularly in the early to mid 2000s,I naturally visited the Nelson Adkins. Walking into the building was not particularly interesting as the entrance had been modernized and different from the exterior. However,once you walk into the galleries,you are stunned. The overall building design,galleries and quality of art seems almost out of place in Kansas City. Not that they don't deserve it,every city should be so lucky,it just seems a surprise. One special thing they had, that is just wonderful, is the cafeteria style cafe in a significantly beautiful atrium. I took many pictures and posted them of the entire facility including the marvelous food over several years. I have been trying to come up with a good excuse to go to KC for a Nelson-Adkins fix! Seriously,maybe an UYE! Now for "The"truly significant impact this museum had on my life.On the second floor you could walk out doors, taking you into the large atrium that holds the cafe. Around this walkway were many Rodin sculpture. I must have past these sculpture a dozen times on my walk to the descending stairs in order to eat During one visit as I exited the doors,passed the sculptures,I noticed a large photographic presentation. Stopping to look closer,I learned it was regarding details of Rodin's Hell Gates. If you have the slightest interest in art,look it up, amazing. After lunch,I returned to this exhibit reading all about the Hells Gates. Finding out there are only two bronze cast of this magnificent sculpture,I felt I just had to see one if not both. One is at the Rodin museum in Paris. If I needed a reason to go to Paris( you don't) this was as good as any. I'm proud to report a few months later I was standing in front of the Gates Of Hell at the Rodin museum Paris. All because of a visual display at Nelson Atkins... Go!

My visit to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was extremely disappointing. While the museum itself…read morewas beautiful the behavior of several staff members completely ruined the experience. Throughout our visit we were repeatedly followed and monitored. At one point, as we were leaving through a doorway a staff member who was entering saw us exiting and immediately turned around after looking directly at us. Another staff member approached us in a very confrontational manner under the guise of "guiding" us and even laughed after I responded with "yikes." The micro-aggressions were impossible to ignore. They didn't even seem "micro." The behavior from staff was excessive, unwelcoming, and deeply uncomfortable. It's unfortunate that such a culturally significant and visually appealing place is staffed by people who ruin the experience. I genuinely hope the museum addresses and provides better training on how staff members interact with guests.

If you are looking for an underrated gem, this unassuming museum is an absolute must-visit. Our…read moregroup spent about 1.5 hours exploring, and it was worth every minute. Tip: Start on the 2nd floor as the museum is split across two floors. The 2nd floor is Toys and a complete walk down memory lane. It's packed with nostalgia, featuring games and classic items from the last century--everything from vintage Mouse Trap to Chinese Checkers. The 1st floor is Fine Miniatures. Do yourself a favor and save this for last. The first floor houses fine scale miniatures that are plain mind-blowing. The level of craftsmanship and architectural detail in these tiny masterpieces is unbelievable. Before you leave, make sure to pop into the nifty little gift shop. They have some super fun items, including mini tabletop versions of games like Mini Monopoly. Highly recommended!

A group of us spent part of our weekend exploring this incredible museum in the heart of Kansas…read moreCity, and it was pure magic from start to finish. ​The fine-scale miniatures are an absolute marvel of patience, precision, and artistry. Having recently visited the Truman Library, seeing a miniature replica of Truman's Oval Office shrunk down with microscopic accuracy--right down to the tiniest nitty-gritty details on the desk--was amazing to see up close. There are far too many highlights to squeeze into one miniature review, but the massive 1,000-pound dollhouse from the late 1800s completely stopped us in our tracks. ​On the toy side of the aisle, wandering through generations of playthings was a blast--even if realizing I'm officially old enough to be part of vintage museum nostalgia was a funny, slightly bittersweet pill to swallow. They also have three hypnotic rolling-ball kinetic sculptures where you just zone out watching the spheres navigate intricate winding tracks. It's oddly calming, very zen, and almost impossible to pull your eyes away from. ​To top off the visit, I nearly committed accidental petty crime on the way out. I picked up an adorable tiny Monopoly game in the gift shop, got distracted, and walked right out the front door before realizing I hadn't paid. When I hurried back inside to confess, the cashier laughed and pointed out the irony of accidentally playing a real-life Get Out of Jail Free card with Monopoly. ​Definitely check this place out, whether you appreciate mind-boggling micro-craftsmanship or just want to let your inner kid run loose for an afternoon.

This is such a well done museum. It's engaging and interactive. I loved seeing the trench examples…read moreand the dough boys walking in front of the big screen in the middle of the museum. All of the staff we spoke to were friendly and helpful. Our tour guide did a wonderful job leading us around. I highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area.

Still a 5 star experience here night or day. Came here for the light installation exhibit on the…read moretower and it was pretty neat. I'm not sure just coming for the light show makes it worthwhile, but just seeing the tower and the city at night along with the show definitely does.

Awesome place for the kiddos to do art and keep their art work :). Careful with scissors , I…read morehelped my toddler for the first time and she cut me haha my fault ‍. But it's a big area very nice for kids !

This is a super fun activity center for kids. It is free to enter. They have a session every 45…read moreminutes which allows smaller group of kids to enjoy the activities. The area is full of different types of hands on activities like glueing shapes, painting, coloring, solving puzzles, arts and crafts. Each table had its own accessories like stickers, papers, accessories for kids to use their imagination to create different things. The passageway goes to a separate room where kids can act out puppet shows and interact with movie making process. Lots of associates constantly walk around the floor refilling the tables and making sure kids are enjoying their time. When the session is about to end, they notify all the parents to head toward the exit.