Would be nice if this was passed down within the family of those that would take care of this…read moreplace. Being part of Sauer, sadly most of my mom's side of the family is still racist. Wasn't able to take part of both my grandparents funerals due to my race. Mostly the men in the family but regardless of the facts. This castle isn't being taken care of and up for sale with an ridiculous price. We also have a Castle located in Germany, along with family crest. Kind of unique to be apart of a family history but not really accepted.

Sauer Castle is in the National Register of Historic Places, it's a Kansas City must-see if you've…read morenever taken the haunting trip to the top of the bluff where this mansion sits undisturbed for decades. In high school, from Miege to St. Teresa's Academy, crossing state lines, the rumors about Sauer were EPIC and very popular to tell around Halloween. Sauer castle is haunted, according to the ghostly experts and as the story goes... During the Civil War a man leaves his wife to go fight. She waits for him for years, longing for his return and reading his infrequent letters home. Towards wars end, she receives his final letter stating that he is coming home on a certain day on a certain ferry and requesting that she wait for him. When he never arrived, she believed he was dead and frenzied, she hung herself in the infamous bell tower. Her husband, alive, missed his ferry home and later arrived to find his wife dead. It is said that in the front yard he shot himself. Sauer Castle was built by the German immigrant Anton Sauer and has remained in the family for 5 generations - in which the castle has seen many more deaths of natural and unnatural causes. Legend has it that treasure is buried here (however sources say this rumor began from the original fact that the house was built over an antique storage of wine.) Other legends include there is a secret tunnel leading to the Kaw River (others distort this rumor to make it a slave tunnel), or that the ghost of Mary Sauer stands in the windows of the fourth floor looking out onto her property at night. There was a man who died of tuberculosis here, a baby died as well within these walls, and a child was drown. Perhaps what solidified its eerie persona is the foreboding sign in the front that reads: PRIVATE PROPERTY, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED! BEWARE OF DOGS! Here's where I come into the story: I was young and stupid, it was a boring Friday night and my friends and I thought it would be something to talk about on Monday if we somehow got into Sauer Castle and checked out if it were haunted for ourselves. With my two other good friends, we set out on the property while two other friends waited in the car for our return. What we weren't aware of was that three guard dogs that could have well ripped me apart were stationed around the house. I was only cognizant of one, chained to a large radius of land towards the front of the house, but in truth there were two more. We steered clear of this one dog and kept to the side of the house until we came upon the old slave quarters behind the property. It was here we saw a small window opening to the basement of Sauer Castle...STUPID, STUPID me...I went in (after my two friends.) And what we saw was no different than the last scene of the Blair Witch Project, an empty stone basement with nothing in it but AN ACTUAL STONE WELL in the very center...creepy as all hell. That's when we saw the caretaker with a flashlight and rifle coming towards us. My two dear 'friends' climbed out of there first leaving me with no cell phone light, no knee to climb on. I had to scratch my way up with them pulling on my arms as I had been entirely alone in Sauer Castle. Finally, the three of us hauled ass to the car and sped off before we were caught as trespassers and prosecuted!!! Oh, what a night...something I will NEVER do again and a story I will NEVER forget. Is Sauer Castle haunted? From the fright of feeling trapped in the stone basement with nothing beside me but an old well...I would say yes.

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.

It is my mission to visit all twelve of these MOTT statues across the United States. I always find…read morethe history of these very fascinating, especially with August Leimbach, the sculptor of all of them, being from my home city of St. Louis. This is the one that represents the Show-Me State. The statue is located in a small park on MO highway 224, and the intersection of Commerce and Highland. There are some historical markers on the site, including one about the Potawatomi Trail of Death. It is not widely known that Harry S Truman (who would become POTUS) helped dedicate the statue, even though the statue had moved from its original location elsewhere in the town. Some have questioned why it is in Lexington, but it is possibly because of its related history with the Santa Fe Trail. For parking, park on one of the side streets.

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.

The jail cell where Mormon, Joseph Smith, was held for 4 months. Learn the story of why from the…read morehosts of the museum! It had to be mighty cold in there during the winter. And dark with only a few tiny windows.

A must stop when going to Liberty. Free admission and guided tours that start about every 15…read moreminutes. I am not a member of the LDS church but I found the history of Joseph Smith and the other Mormons of the early church in Missouri interesting. This building and museum is really well done and maintained. I would argue that it would rival any Smithsonian exhibit.

A hidden gem that incorporates the Lewis and Clark and Santa Fe Trail, all wrapped up into one site…read moreas well as the factory Ford system that George Washington established. Staff and volunteers are always helpful and kind. I frequent this place because it is just a lovely place to go visit.

Very cool place to visit. The employees were very knowledgeable and passionate about their jobs and…read morethe history of the fort. It's not huge and would take 1.5 - 2 hours to visit and definitely worth a stop.

The Truman House is a great demonstration of how a T33 lived his life during and after his…read morepresidency. Short and sweet. You'll want to go to Independence Square's Main Street to get tickets to visit the house first. There you'll watch a video about President Truman and his family. You'll find out about how he was a family man, humble with a sense of humor. Tours are available every 15min until 4pm, Wednesdays thru Sundays. You can park across the street from the Truman house, in front of the Noland house... but there is also parking on the off streets. The tour size per group is limited to eight (8) folks per group, first come first serve... so, planning ahead is best, but if you're a small group, you can drop in - like I did. No pictures of the inside. The tour is limited to the porch, where the former President and his family hung out most; the kitchen, the dining room, and the first floor living areas. Considering the amount of wealth presidents have access to, the home is a great demonstration of a long lost value - dedication and service. Truman believed he could go back to a simple life in his own hometown... and he did his very best to keep it so. The tour also gives a time warp feel as the home is shown as it was back in 1982, when Bess Truman passed away. Ranger Jeff was friendly and super knowledgeable, he posited all kinds of questions to us. We were in an out within 30min. Afterwards, I was able to look at the Noland House across the street. It had additional artifacts from the Truman family. It's small, and is paired well with the Truman Library and Museum to get the totality of Truman and his life.

Here's a suggestion: If you have the time; if you're going to visit the Harry S Truman Presidential…read moreLibrary & Museum, try to visit the "Truman Home" as well. But plan ahead. This venue is closed on Monday and Tuesday. I suggest you first secure your tickets for the house tour, and then go tour the Presidential Library. To tour the house, you have to go into town and "get tickets". The park visitor center is located at 223 N. Main St. Tours are limited in size to no more than eight, and tickets are issued on a first come, first serve basis. Tours are available Wednesday through Sundays. The website says the tour is about 30 minutes--but my tour took an hour, and I have heard from others that an hour is really the norm. At the appointed time of your tour, you meet the park ranger in front of the house. Margaret Truman didn't want the house to look or feel like a museum. So the house is basically the way it was at the death of Bess Truman. For this reason, tour groups are small, so the ranger can more easily supervise. The ranger who led my tour was really informative. The house is really a time capsule.

Great guides and info the place looks over the river glad we stopped in.................read more

A state park historic site that is a few blocks from downtown Lexington and situated near the…read moreMissouri River. The Battle of Lexington was a major morale boosting victory for the slave owning confederate supporters that lived in the area; 47% of the counties residents were "owned",and the land upon where the battle was its on Oliver Andersons hemp farm. Not only a slave owner, but a vocal critic of the abolitionists, declaring that owning slaves was correct and biblically driven. His beautiful slave built house is open for tours at $6, but I did not participate. The museum tries to give equal perspective to both sides with some great artifacts, photos, displays, maps... but still feels like a small shrine to the evil Anderson family and and merchants of human trafficking. Go support the Missouri State Park system and educate yourself before, during and after your visit.

This historical building is a central hub of transportation, connecting different train lines and…read morestreet car. The building has so much architectural designs etched into its walls and ceiling. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas with a huge Christmas tree inside. The parking around the station is hefty, up to $15/hour. The building is connected to Westin and Crown Center with Skywalk. There are activities like Science city, cafe, restaurant, bakery and gift shops inside the building. The passage walkaway also has lots of historical portraits, highlighting the timeline of development of the station. We spent almost half day exploring the station. The bakery, cafe and gift shops were nice. Science city is great for children. Overall the was clean and a popular place for tourists.

A historic landmark and transit hub for Kansas City MO. The building is grand and magnificent…read more Holiday decorations are very holly jolly. Shops, restaurants and museums inside the station. Wonderful idea for visitors. It's very busy all the time. Bathroom is clean. Not many public seats or benches at the main hall. We went to the science museum and shops around a bit. Highly recommend for visiting.