Growing up in Kansas City, I felt a personal connection to America's 33rd president - Harry S…read moreTruman, he was "our" president. My father worked as a Red Cap at the Union Station from 1947- 1979 and had personal stories from carrying the former president's luggage when Harry traveled. He once asked my father, "How many children do you have", so he could tip my father with a shiny half-dollar for each child. I remember when his death was announced and as a nine-year-old I stood in a long line on a cold day to walk past his casket at the Truman Library. I have toured the library, the farmhouse in Grandview and the birth-home in Lamar, MO, but for some odd reason, I had never toured he and Bess's Independence home. Part of that reason, is that you just can't show up at the house and go in. You must go to the Harry S Truman National Historic Site Visitor Center about 10 blocks east to secure your free tickets. They only allow 8 people on each 1/2-hour tour, getting there early to secure a spot for later that day is critical. The tour itself in short, but you are only allowed to actually enter the porches, kitchen, dining room and foyer. From these 3 areas you may look into the living room, music room, library and up the staircase. The basement and upper two floors are off-limits. An 8-person tour may seem small, but it's actually a bit too large to accommodate, and not feel as you need to move-on to allow another person your viewing space. The home is exactly how it was left when Bess passed in 1982 as our longest living first lady. The house was built by her grandfather and Harry moved in when he married Bess and lived there with in-laws for 30 years before moving into the White House. They then moved back and spent their remaining time here living frugally and out of the spotlight. The hanging portraits, basic midcentury kitchen. piano and the blue couch that 6 presidents have sat on were highlights for me. Our tour guide was friendly and polished with her memorized lines and kept the tour moving to meet the deadline for the next group arriving. A must stop for anyone with a bit of historical interest. Photos inside the home are not allowed.

Nothing fancy about it. It's literally just a house. I can literally walk up to it in 5 minutes.read more

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.

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.

Very quiet at this time of year…read more Cute little park located right across from restaurants like Rye.. a lap is about a mile or you can just enjoy the fountain

Beautiful park to walk through, and plenty of shade if you just want to rest and people watch…read more This park is adjacent to the Country Club Plaza shopping area, which puts you well within walking distance for food and drink options when you're done soaking in the vitamin free (*D). At the southern end of the park is the J.C. Nichol's Memorial Fountain. Folks were walking, running, and biking on the paved trail around and through the park. I didn't expect to find this beautiful fountain here, but it was a beautiful surprise. The walkways of the park put you less than a block away from Country Club Plaza, but I was well within walking distance of the Kemper Contemporary Museum of Art and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Great green space.

This house always gets attention from people who drive by. I grew up across the street from it and…read morepeople would always drive by really slowly when they caught sight of it. This ultra mod house doesn't really fit into our turn of the century neighborhood...but it defiantly adds interest. The view from Valentine is not so spectacular. It stands out because of its Yellow color and bubble dome. (The dome area is awesome containing nothing but a circular couch and build-in speakers...this is such a party house.) The really shocking view is from the park, 30 or 40 feet below. Anyway, its an interesting house in an interesting neighborhood. One could spend a day checking out this whole midtown area with the Frank Lloyd wright house and Thomas Hart Benton home down the street and 39th street shops and restaurants close by too.

Sauer Castle has been a part of my life since I was a kid…read more My dad used to take me and my siblings up to the castle at night on family drives and tell us great ghostly stories. Once me and my school buddies could drive, we would make many journeys up to this area, drink and freak ourselves out. I've taken many friends on the drive through Argentine in KCK up the steep incline of a road to the castle to gaze. There are many stories about this place, so many that I have no idea which are true and which are not. I should do the research to find out, but there is something inside of me that wishes to keep *all* the stories I have heard alive and well. But the few that I can think of at this time include: There was an underground railroad tunnel to the Kaw River from this residence. The wife hanged herself on the second story balcony from the bell tower rope.....her ghost could be seen on the balcony in a flowing white gown. There is an outline of an old pond (fountain) on the grounds that two children had drown in. The stories talk about the husband's ghost walking the house and grounds protecting his property. I've been told that the stones and woodwork in the house was imported from Germany. He chose this site because it sat on top of bluff of the Kaw River and he could see the entire city. That's what I've been told through the years, again, I don't know what is and isn't true. When I was a teenager there was a caretaker that lived in the house. He supposedly had guns and dogs to help him take care of all of the curious people making the pilgrimage up to look at the castle from afar or up on the *private property* itself. Since then, the caretake has passed, the house had a huge auction and the house in now surrounded by a chain link fence. I don't know who owns it, but I hope something great happens with this legend of a castle. I'm sure I gave myself crows feet from all of the squinting I've done at this location hoping to see a ghostly figure. (and at times sure that I did see things) I'm sure I've given myself some anxiety disorder from the tricks my imagination has played on me because of this place. I wouldn't change a thing because I love every memory I have of this place. Not only Sauer Castle, but much of the neighborhood itself, stories run rampant in this *interesting* part of town. Now.....go! Go check it out for yourself and I hope you don't get lost in trying to find this mysterious, fantastic piece of local flavor!

Okay so it kind of cracks me up that Sauer Castle is on Yelp. It is on the National Register, and…read morehas a sort of local legend charm to it here in the metro area. I found out about Sauer Castle back when I was dating my now husband. We went on a ghost tour around the city and this was one of the stops. I won't bore everyone here with Sauer Castle lore but it's well worth the wikipedia read. Every once in a while if I'm in the area I'll drive by and see how the renovations are going on this place. It's kind of remarkable to see and take in, even just from the road, as it's in a very modest neighborhood and all of a sudden there is this massive victorian mansion. The ghost stories only make the place all the more interesting. I believe it's currently been purchased and is being restored so who knows, maybe one day this will be a landmark folks can explore - I'd love to go inside. Until then it will just be one of my favorite little off the beaten path KC landmarks.

I finally made it to Union Station in Kansas City today. I knew it was one of those places you're…read moresupposed to see here, but I honestly didn't know much about it besides being a beautiful old train station. And yeah... I could probably spend a while here just looking at the building itself. I walked around the Grand Hall, checked out the architecture, the trains and all the little details. Then I realized how much stuff is actually inside. Science City, a planetarium, exhibitions, restaurants, model trains... I wasn't expecting all of that. But strangely, my favorite part was just being there. This place has been around for more than 100 years, and somehow it still feels alive. People everywhere, things going on, trains still coming through. It doesn't feel like an old station that was preserved just so people could look at it. I really enjoyed walking around today. I came mostly to finally see Union Station, and left understanding a little better why this place is such a big part of Kansas City.

Just stepping foot in the building is a cool experience. The architecture is beautiful. I love…read moreanything historical and going here is a treat. I attended an exhibit on the Berlin Wall. It was very informative and interesting. I'd say very thought provoking considering the times we live in. A great reminder of why love and unity should always win. Fear, ignorance, and division are the tools of authoritarians. I left a message on the wall on the way out which is in one my photos. The station has some fun places. I stopped by the slime factory and grabbed myself a new tub of slime just because! I had left the exhibition and wanted some pure fun! Parisi coffee was busy. I stopped in at made in KC and Rally House. I'd consider both of these very sports related but they have some MO and KS trinkets as well. I did get a kick out of the signs for the private event for the KC fashion week. As someone who loves fashion, I'd be very curious to see what makes it into the KC fashion week lineup! There's definitely a practical, midwestern theme to dressing for many here. A lot does seem to close early even on a Saturday. Most things were closing between 5-6pm. You have to pay to park. Anywhere from $7 for 4 hours and then up from there. Still fun and I highly recommend.

I had no idea this museum existed until recently. This small complex contains the jail, marshall's…read morehome, an old one room schoolhouse and a modern building containing historical artifacts related to the jail and the Independence area in general. Priced at $6 for admission, it is well worth a visit. The 2 story stone jail presents a bare-bones authenticity of what crime and punishment meant during the civil war era and late 19th century. Placards featuring a variety of prisoners tell their stories as you wander through the thick walled cells. The focal point of the museum is Frank James cell that he spent several months "locked up" in. Quite an elaborate set-up compared to the others. Any history lover will find this place a great way to spend an hour. I'd love to see this place promoted more in Kansas City tourism information.

I love how the square hasn't really changed but the atmosphere has changed. Certain people are here…read morenow and they're messing things up even though they're not from around here but it's still a great place to live except for the pleasant heights tower.

Omg! This is a small quaint place that have a lot of history here. Love just going and walking…read morearound this spot. Great places to eat. Lots of stores to shop! There's even a local movie theater here that shows the latest movie up to date. The farmers market is great to see and a fav. When there's like special events like Santa-Cali-Gon, Island Festival, etc, it's nice to see the community here showing out and supporting.

After visiting the Truman home at 219 Delaware I have a newfound respect for the Truman family…read more This is mostly due to the fact that the Truman family stole the original copy of the painting of the first lady from the Whitehouse, and they did nothing about it. Also the inference that the Whitehouse is the "white jail" is highly amusing and speaks to the isolation of world leaders and their people. Once you become the leader of an Empire, there is no return to normal life. Also, the fact that other world leaders and other celebrities sat on that hideous blue couch is also highly amusing. 5/5 Would accidently set off buzzers to nonpermitted areas again.

Quick snapshot of the man from Independence, MO…read more If you're interested in visiting the Truman house at 219 Delaware, you will need to stop here for tickets and a time slot. This site on Main will put you in touch with the NPS Rangers who will have you watch a short film about the 33rd President, his rise to the Presidency, and his rise attempt to normalize after leaving office. After the film you will have the opportunity to head over to Delaware and visit the Noland House (which belonged to his aunt and uncle), which houses a small assortment of Truman artifacts, or you can stroll from Independence Square (5 blocks to the house), along the same streets that President Truman walked before, during, and after his presidency. The house itself is as it was when Bess Truman passed away in the 1980s. Inside you will find a very unassuming life that her husband attempted to keep. He tried his best to not let his role as leader of the free world get to his head. Despite that, the former president was a point of interest for folks passing through Kansas City and Independence, Missouri. During the 30-ish minutes, Ranger led tour, you can't take photos, but you can certainly understand the Trumans did their best to live a peaceful and "normal" life and that's the way they lived the entire time. It's surprising how many generations of Trumans lived in that tiny little home, but they made the most of it. This site adds another touch to the life of the 33rd POTUS, and adds another layer to the exhibits you can see at the Truman Library and Museum down the road.