I have heard of and driven by this so many times and just never had enough time to stop in and…read morecheck it out. Stopped in on a Friday morning and got a tour with two other guys. There is sooooo much information to take in, I am glad they had a tour guide. Just the hallway walking in had some much history information that I was blown away. I didn't realize how many first in the air transportation industry is owed to TWA. I would definitely go back, I am sure I missed some stuff while I was there.

A fantastic museum about the history of TWA. Lots of great memorabilia and neat gift store selling…read morehistoric items. I bought two TWA wine glasses used in first class on the Constellation. So neat! It was only $8 to enter. Your fee includes a personal tour with a volunteer. My guide was a retired TWA flight attendant and she had lots of stories to share and she even wrote a recent book about her experiences. I recommend visiting this museum if you are an aviation buff, pilot, history fan, etc etc. You'll love it.

A treasure addressing the highlights and not shying away from the ugliness of the time. It's…read moreslightly interactive (the opening film is so worth it, shown at 15 and 45 after the hour every hour) so it's a lot of standing and reading but the timelines of the Negro Leagues and the eventual integration of MLB are really well done. The field of bronze statues are amazing and very well done. There's a LOT of memorabilia and the locker section with almost all of the original uniforms is amazing as well. Probably my favorite medium-sized museum in the country. It's a bargain for the price and there's a ... reverence, I think ... to understanding the pioneers like Jackie Robinson and the sheer grace with which they handled themselves.

I visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum during my trip to Kansas City and was absolutely amazed…read moreby it. The museum provides a wonderful, interactive way to learn about the history of baseball in the early 1900s. It expertly walks you through the nuances of how the league was formed, how it competed with the Major Leagues, and the profound role it played in the larger scheme of American civil rights and social history. The exhibits are incredibly engaging and fun--I especially loved the mock baseball field featuring life-sized statues of the legendary players. It brings the history to life in such a powerful way. This is an absolute must-visit in Kansas City!

Ray county museum is a very beautiful place, rich and interesting history, and the owner is very…read morenice!

"Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car." -E.B. White…read more The Kansas City Automotive Museum is one of those places where the experience shifts every time you walk through the door, because the cars on display rotate in and out and each one is a "gift" from an owner who decided to share their automotive "sculpture" with the rest of us. The vehicles are packed in ticket and nearly every one comes with a caption that gives you a little history lesson about the manufacturer, the model and often the personal story of how it ended up in the owner's hands. Most of the displays include QR codes with translations, which is a thoughtful touch especially if English isn't your primary language and you want to dig deeper into the details. On my visit, the standouts were the 1925 Jordan Seven Passenger Sedan, the 1929 Packard Roadster, and the 1959 Chevy El Camino, each one rare, beautiful, and full of character. There were at least a dozen other rare cars plus a great display about the former Leeds factory, complete with memorabilia and artifacts that add a layer of Kansas City history to the experience. If you're a real fan like me, expect to spend two hours, wandering, reading, admiring and appreciating what these owners have chosen to share. Don't miss the posters on the wall with other interesting details and history. It's a tremendous time. [Review 842 of 2026 - 149 in Kansas - 26023 overall]

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.

We attended the one day a year Strawberry Festival this year and really enjoyed it. There were many…read morelocal vendors and delicious strawberry treats to be had, and house tours for $10. The house tour was nice. The house doesn't have much original furniture, but it is period appropriate and the guides are very knowledgeable about the furniture and the house as a whole. I'm sure the normal tours are better than the festival ones, as there were so many people and not much time. It is definitely worth the time and small admission fee to tour this house and property.

What a perfect, first visit to the Vaile mansion. The champagne and chandelier, holiday event…read moreshowed the mansion in its most festive light. Each room was decked in its Holiday finery. The home was originally built by Colonel and Mrs. Harvey Vail in 1881. The 31 room mansion includes nine marble fireplaces and hand-painted ceilings along with flushing toilets and a built-in, 6000 gallon water tank along with a 48,000 gallon wine cellar. Christmas is the perfect time to visit Vail mansion.

This is a great activity for young children. My wife came here as a kid and we've enjoyed taking…read moreour son here. It's priced well at $1 per ride per person. I can't wait until the additions are finished.

My kids are hooked! This volunteer-run miniature train station has the sweetest volunteers and…read moreeveryone is happy to be there. If you sit on the back, they might ask the kids to be the ones to yell "all aboard." The train is clean and very well kept. It can seat me and my toddler side by side but it's a little tighter for my husband. A single dollar will give you two loops around. If you are lucky, you might see a deer hanging around. My kids love entering the tunnel and searching for Train Buddy, a dog toy that moves around every time we visit. There is a small climbing train for the kids to play on between rides and a picnic table for snacks. One suggestion is to use the bathroom before you visit unless you want to use the porta potty. Oh, lastly...The main street to access the location is currently closed on the north end so make sure to check your map before you visit.

I'm at work and I casually reference Jesse James to a co-worker and he asks - "Who is Jesse…read moreJames?". I couldn't believe that anyone didn't know about JJ, but growing up in Samoa without a TV left my friend out of the loop. I immediately told him - "Saturday we are educating you on a local legend that became internationally renown". My friend, his wife and I arrived at noon on a Saturday and paid $6 each for the bank museum tour. The guide was very friendly and laid a deep explanation of what Clay County and the James family were experiencing during and right after the Civil War. The weather the day of the robbery, the layout of the Liberty square, the medical and mental state of Jesse, who the bankers were and their reactions and actions all told while you see the clock set to the exact time and date of the event, hear the old wooden floor creak beneath you and are surrounded by artifacts or replica's of the items originally inside the bank; the description makes you feel that you are a witness to America's 1st daylight bank robbery. My friend and his wife are now sold on the legend of The James Family and want to see the house museums in Kearney and St. Joe now. A great inexpensive way to spend an hour or so and relive some of the areas infamous past. They also have a backroom with family and area artifacts. The gift shop is free to enter and shouldn't be missed by anyone traveling thru even if you don't have time for the tour.

The Jesse James Bank Museum is pretty darn cool. It was the site of the first daytime bank…read morerobbery, which was executed by members of the James gang. I had read about this robbery in a book, I believe, and now I was able to stand in the old bank building itself, which was really cool. They have restored it to the way it would have looked back in those days, and it's a great little stop to soak in some history of the area in and around Liberty. The woman who gave the tour was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about answering questions and talking about the history of the place. It made us want to further explore the James sites in the area, in Kearney and around Clay County. Having read about Jesse James and his terrorist gangs and how he came of age participating in the hatred, violence and strife during the Civil War and the period following, it's really interesting to physically be in the area and see some of these landmarks with your own eyes. Jesse James was not a hero, even though he's now somewhat romanticized as such. There is a lot of information in the back room of the museum, which displays some really great photos, documents and trinkets from the era. Up front is a gift shop and then there is the main bank room, with its vault open. You can really get a sense of place when you're here, and it's easy to imagine two bushwackers coming in and threatening the lives of the unarmed bankers. Bank robberies are a dime a dozen in movies, but when you see something like this in person it's very arresting. It's a cool experience. I would recommend the Jesse James Bank Museum to anyone with an interest in Missouri or American history. It's very affordable ($6 for adults, $3.50 for kids) and a pleasant and informative way to spend an hour or two. This location is a nationally registered historic place, so pitch in and help keep it going.

As a person who has actually been to see Stonehenge I can't say I was overly impressed. They did a…read moregood job with short interactive video's and my companion who had not been there seemed to enjoy it a lot. So I believe it is fully on prospective. I felt like it was similar to watching a documentary. Only exciting thing was a few of the relics at the end. But, being Stonehenge you can't expect them to move a monolith for you to see. That said... I cannot wait till the next thing I get to see.

This was an extremely well done exhibit at Union Station. One of the best I've seen there. Don't…read moremiss it!! There's A LOT to read, but there's a lot of great videos (all helpfully closed-captioned) too. This is a go-at-your-own-pace tour, as there is no audio rental guide. I spent about 2 hours walking around, but you could easily spend more or less, depending on your schedule or interest. I love how it explained the timeline of Stonehenge (I had no idea how old it was!,) and showed everything they've learned about it as well as all that it has taught the world- about ancient people and their traditions, lifestyles, etc. So interesting! There were people of all ages there when I was touring, and it is indeed great for all ages. Everyone will learn something and get something out of it. It's not cramped at all. They stagger people through every few minutes so there's plenty of room to walk around, read if you like, & I never felt like I was waiting on someone or standing too annoyingly close haha! They have a little place where you can take souvenir pics at the end but it wasn't working so we just stood in the green screen & took our own pic.