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.

How lucky KC is to have such a treasure and amazing museum that is phenomenal. History is hard and…read morewar is even harder to convey the breadth but still message it is a deliverable way for all ages. Our last visit was years ago and the changes & additions are just impressive! Blessed to also see the Freedom Plane exhibit that is only going to 8 cities! Well done !

Words fall short to describe how amazing this museum is. First of all the exterior, surrounded by…read morewhole lot of green fields and a huge tower in the middle. An elevator inside takes visitors all the way to the top of the tower that has incredible 360 view of KC. Inside the museum it's even more fascinating. First of all there are multiple floor displays of WWI's weapons, armies, dugout, timeline and a separate section dedicated to America's involvement. A widescreen theater runs a 10 minute movie on loop about the war. There are multiple galleries, auditorium, a cafe and a museum store. On the upper level there's a beautiful memorial courtyard hall. All the employees were so friendly and helpful. Most of them seemed senior veterans. They were guiding a lot of the guests and also telling them stories of the war time. The parking is free here but ticket is required to enter the museum and to go to the top of the tower. It is absolutely one of the must visit spot in KC.

The Glore Psychiatric Museum is located 51miles NW of Kansas City in St. Joseph Missouri. It has…read morebeen called one of the fifty most unusual museums in the United States. The museum illustrates how the treatment of mental illness has progressed through time which was first located in a ward of the original "State Lunatic Asylum No. 2" Besides the artifacts of the instruments used for lobotomies, hydrotherapy and Bath of Surprise floors two and three have art work of the patients. Besides this museum St Jo was established in 1821 and became a principal channel of distribution for the building of the west also the Pony Express started here in 1860; visit Pony Express Museum which is a must see. The massive mansions reflect the prosperity of the 1880s. It's a fun day trip.

!!SIMULTANEOUSLY SERIOUS, FASCINATING AND SCARY!!…read more Provides a look WAY back at how mental and emotional issues were treated. Progress has fortunately been dramatic. Don't miss it. I've been through it twice and will likely do it again.

Thank you for this piece of history! My kids were fascinated by everything. I appreciate the work…read morein keeping it all up.

This is a lovely location and it was completely empty and deserted so I had the spot to myself on a…read moreTuesday morning. It's not staffed, at least not that I can see. There are no amenities, so be sure to bring your own beverages or snacks if you will need them. There is something on their website that suggests that this spot is accessible, implying handicap accessible. This is probably an optimistic assessment. From the parking lot to get to the long driveway to get to the buildings, you have to navigate a curb immediately. The driveway is all rough gravel, so it's maybe 150 meters to get from the parking lot to the buildings, and then the walkway between all the buildings is also gravel covered. So it may accommodate a rugged wheelchair, but I tried to push a wheelchair with smaller wheels and it was completely impossible, so I had to abandon the trip. I returned on my own a few days later. The buildings are lovely and quaint, and I can see it being a very interesting visit on a day when the buildings are open and there are people in period dress. It's free on the empty days and I seem to remember there is something like a $5 charge on the event days.

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 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.

The outlaw Jesse James is sewn into the fabric of American history. Whether you learned about his…read moreexploits in school or by watching The Brady Bunch you'll you'll feel a closer connection to his story as you stand there looking at the bullet hole in the wall where Robert Ford shot Tom Howard (fake name Jesse James was using) in 1882. (Technically it's no longer exactly THE bullet hole since over the years, before becoming a museum, people have picked at it taking pieces as souvenirs. It's still more or less the hole though.) Moved from its original location it now sits beside the Patee House Museum . . . . which is also worth seeing. There's also an interesting (macabre) exhibit detailing the exhumation of Jesse's grave to once and for all lay to rest (see what I did there?) the rumors that this wasn't Jesse James and he lived for many more years eventually dying of old age. I love traveling America stoping at places like this.

Neat museum, but it could be so much better! I first visited the Jesse James Home Museum more than…read more20 years ago when passing through St. Joseph. It's just like I remember it - small and touristy. They've got several artifacts from the era, and you can see the hole in the wall where Jesse James was shot. That part's neat. In my opinion, they could do better to restore the house to how it looked at the time and move the articles, artifacts, pictures, clutter, etc. off the walls and place them in a separate facility (if they had one available). I think that would make it a little more authentic. For $4, though, it's not a bad place to stop and link in to a small part of St. Joseph and U.S. history.

So many exhibits and history! Definitely a must visit if in St. Joe!…read more It was full of history and antiques. I learned a lot of new things and was able to teach my 7 year old a few things as well. I took a bunch of photos-wish I could post them all. I would definitely go back on my own, take some more time exploring. Make sure to ride the carousel! Parking was great. It was affordable, and not too busy. Stroller accessible.

We visited the Patee House, but the museum turned off all lights on us well before closing, (20+…read moreminutes before closing) and left us in a very dangerous circumstance on an upper floor in pitch black darkness. They were very well aware we were there in the museum, we spoke to them at the 30 minute and 20 minute mark when they told us they would be closing in 30, then 20 minutes and cheerfully responded that was no problem and we would ensure we were done and headed out on time. But they had zero regard for safety or patron enjoyment or experience. It is a beautiful museum but certainly do not get there within a few hours of closing. My children were scared and left having not enjoyed or learned about the experience as intended.