I've passed by the "Memorial Arch" sign a billion times while visiting my dad at KU Medical for the…read morelast 6 months. I finally decided to stop for a visit and boy is it ever worth it! Gorgeous war memorial in a most unexpected location. What I didn't like was the lack of directions to once you turn off Southwest or Rainbow. I had to do a turnaround to find the park entrance.

This is a nice little monument in a quiet spot. It seems to be a hidden place, mostly known to the…read morelocals, but the secret seems to be slowly leaking out. It's small and it's simple. It also provides a nice view of downtown depending on the year. I wish the area was kept up a little better. The monument itself is okay, but I've never not seen trash and broken glass in the parking lot and the walkway up to the arch. There are a couple of small trails close by. They're not well kept or marked, so I recommend hiking at your own risk.

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.

There is not a lot to see here, and it is in one of the most blighted neighborhoods in KCK, but…read morethere is a lot to absorb here if you do some research prior to visiting or at least read the plaques. You can not actually see the ruins of the old town of Quindaro, they are off limit except for prearranged guided tours. The outlook pavilion allows a magnificent view of the Missouri River and into Platte County, MO. The ruins of the town are down the steep hillside in the river basin. A block south of the pavilion is a very well preserved statue of the abolitionist John Brown that sat at the entrance to Western University; which is now also abandoned and decaying. With the recent national recognition of Quindaro as a historical site, hopefully the area can become more of a destination for learning about the sad chapter of human enslavement and the journey across the river to freedom. As of now, Quindaro is probably only a site that hard core history buffs would travel to see.

It's hard not to love the Brookside Neighborhood as it blends an urban feel into some beautiful…read moreolder homes. While technically it's suburban, the vibe is anything but. I fell in love with this neighborhood at a very young age as we lived here for a handful of years and frequented the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, the Dime Store, and every other family friendly thing that this hood has to offer. Flash forward to adulthood and you'll find me working on a sunny morning at The Roasterie, jogging the epic Trolley Track Trail, and generally admiring the beauty of the neighborhood during all four seasons. If I had to find a knock, I'd have to say it's that I'm not head over heels in love with the restaurants in the heart of Brookside. I do like Bella Napoli, and the convenience of Panera, but otherwise I've struck out on some of the core ones there. The value of this neighborhood is always high, but at the time of this writing it's sky high with houses going generally going for $300K and up, depending on what exact block. For me it can be a tough sell longterm as the surrounding public schools aren't amazing for the kiddos, however there are loads of private and even charter schools around that are appealing. I wish that the original structure of suburban sprawl had followed Brookside with an organic walkability. You won't really find that in Lenexa, OP, and other Missouri suburbs. Instead we're seeing mixed use developments retroactively trying to catch up by creating a destination space, but it doesn't have the same feel that the wonderfully settled in Brookside Neighborhood boasts.

It's hard to believe there has been no entry on Yelp for Brookside. Maybe the reason is in what…read moredefines Brookside. Brookside is two things. First, it is a shopping and commercial area centered around Brookside Boulevard and 63rd Street. Second, it is the collection of neighborhoods located around that area. If you ask those native to Kansas City "What is Brookside," the vast majority will tell you it is "a neighborhood." So... let's treat it like that, even though it is technically a collection of neighborhoods. :-) So, from 51st south to Gregory. And from Holmes west to Wornall. Some would restrict this geography a little, but this is basically it. Notably, to the south of Gregory is the Waldo area. The commercial districts are literally 2 minutes apart, and easily accessible without a car via the Trolley Trail. Many people say Brookside/Waldo when describing the area. So what does Brookside have? Just about everything but an amusement park, and much of it privately owned. Unique restaurants abound. I can only think of four chain restaurants/cafes in the entire area. Some of the restaurants are notable... Julian, Bella Napoli, Osteria Il Centro, Aixois, and Cafe Europa are probably my top five of the area. Watering holes are plentiful. The Peanut, Charlie Hoopers, and the Bier Station are my top three for beer. Great cafes include Bella Napoli and the Roasterie. There are even notable ice cream places such as Glace and Foos. Outside of dining and entertainment, just about every service you could want is here. Tailors, spas/salon, shopping, grocery, gas/auto, pet services, churches, etc. Again, the area is linked to Waldo (south) and Country Club Plaza (north) via the Trolley Trail. This greenway is enhanced by small parks sprinkled about the neighborhoods such as Brookside Triangle Park, Brookside Park, Arbor Villa Park, and the crown jewel just outside the area (Wornall@51st to 55th... Jacob L. Loose Park. Annual events like the Art Fair, the St Patricks Day Parade, and the Trolley Run are all fun to go out and see. Are there drawbacks? Sure. Real Estate is more expensive here. Public schools here are not well thought of. And access to major highways is a pain in any direction. But two of the three don't matter too much. First of all it's worth it to live here. I have moved around a lot in my life and the quality of living in Brookside is the best I have experienced. Second, access to highways matters for a few minutes a day... IF you need to go somewhere. But if you come home to Brookside you really don't need to travel too far for anything. You do not need to drive if you are an active person. The schools are an issue, but only if you have kids. And as good as Brookside is, the surrounding neighborhoods are beautiful as well! I can't think of a better place to visit or live.

During a staycation week, I tried to knock off a few local attractions that I had never visited…read more The 1855 Harris-Kearney house is a great introduction to Kansas City / Westport history. Col. John Harris was one of the early settlers of Westport and made his fortune selling provisions to settlers traveling westward on the trails from 1845 - 1855. His son-in law Col. Charles Kearney; who was instrumental in getting the railroad bridge built and owned railroads was the homes second owner. The house also serves as a museum for the battle of Westport - "The Gettysburg of the West". Our tour guide Margarite was encyclopedic in her knowledge and tailored her speil to what seemed the most interesting to my wife and I. A great approach for a docent that never left us less than captivated. Great artifacts from the family and period pieces fill the Greek Revival home. An original George Caleb Bingham painting still resides, as does a functioning 1880's music box. A must see for anyone that has a love of Kansas City or Civil War history, architecture or cultural artifacts from the 19th century. A $10 fee seemed a bit steep, but it is the lifeblood that keeps the doors open for such a historical piece of this city's important past.

Catty-cornered across the street from the Truman home, this is the home of Harry's close cousins…read more In fact, so many Truman and Wallace (Bess, Truman's wife) lived around here, it was known as a "compound." This spot was full of rarely seen photos of Truman, his family, and early life. One of the photos of he and his cousins read, "this is us," and I found that touching. It's discusses Truman's early life, his courtship/engagement/marriage, and his business ventures and failures. I felt like this was a great accompaniment to the Truman home and primer for the Presidential Library and museum. Free and open, worthwhile.

Nothing but an old house that had slaves. Independence wants to hide their past. Don't let this…read moretown fool you. I can see this house from my house.

A fantastic lookout point over the Kansas City skyline. Easy access to the park with a clear…read morewalking trail to reach the statue. Some nice tennis courts in the park too. Plenty of parking within about 50 yds of the statue itself.

Gorgeous statue overlooking the Kansas City skyline. Approach to the site is walkable, trees all…read morearound, and the view is fantastic!

If you have not made a full walking tour of the River Market area, you need to! One of the many…read moretreasures you will find is this mural, located on the West facade of the River Market Antique Mall. Most Kansas Citians have seen it, but I feel that not too many have actually really looked at it. I personally think it is just grand. I mean, am I a history nerd? Yes! Am I a sucker for public art? Yes! Ergo, I think historical public art is just tops! Many, if not all, know that our area was one of many stops along Lewis and Clarks long journey to the Pacific Northwest. They used our own Quality Hill to survey the river, and I'm sure at some point our own river to relieve themselves. How historically amazing! This very grand mural commemorates the launching of that journey. These two fair men launching an expedition into the wilds of the American West. In the mural you can see how the landscape may have looked along the river before the Army Corps of Engineers set the Mighty Mo to its current course in the early twentieth century, doing away its meandering through our fertile flood plains. Sacajawea and her famous wrapped baby are in the foreground along with her French-Canadian husband, both not looking very historical at all. Weren't they the guides or at least helped with such matters? It seems our artist thought they mostly stared at the ground, pondering as to why in a god's name they were helping these white dudes bring on an onslaught of Western explores who would systematically destroy the world as they new it.....but I digress. My favorite part of this piece, with out a doubt, is our fearless explorer giving the largest thumbs-up sign he possibly could. He was one excited man, full of vigor and childish quandary as to what lay in front of him. History my friend...History!

Nice place to come for a bit of history! I love walking along the trail and watch the activities…read morein the Kaw River!