With more fountains than Rome, more boulevards than Paris, a cornucopia of award-winning chefs, and two million of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, Kansas City should definitely be on your travel bucket list! Here are ten things you can do for free when you visit.
Long dismissed as a “flyover state,” Kansas City is finally getting the credit it deserves as a lively, cosmopolitan city with plenty to do, see, and taste.
Here are 10 of my favorite things to do for free in Kansas City:
Have You Visited Kansas City?
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1 - Ride the Streetcar
Debuting in May 2016, the RideKC Streetcar runs for about two miles along Main Street. Use it to travel between the City Market, Central Library, Power & Light District, and Union Station. If you’d like to continue exploring the city on two wheels, three of the streetcar’s 16 stops offer bike share stations.
Sage Advice: Download RideKC‘s streetcar scavenger hunt before you go! When you’re done, check your answers.
2 - Step Back in Time at Union Station
Step back in time by visiting the permanent Union Station Stories exhibit that starts at the staircase in the southwest elevator vestibule and continues through mezzanine levels two and three. Return to when train travel trumped air or automobile travel and hundreds of thousands of people traveled through Union Station each year, eating at the Harvey House and getting their shoes shined. This upper-level is also a better spot for photos with the iconic Union Station clock.
Because this post is focused on free activities, I won’t mention Science City, the Planetarium, the Escape Room, the Extreme Screen movie theatre, or the special exhibits that are also part of Union Station. But they’re awfully fun to do when you visit Union Station, as well!
Sage Advice: Download this free app for your visit to Union Station.
3 - Survey Kansas City Like The Scout
One sculpture that gets its own shout-out is The Scout, a 10-foot statue of a Sioux Indian on horseback that provides one of the best views of the city. The work of Cyrus Dallin, The Scout won a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. After the exposition, it was temporarily erected in Penn Valley Park where it was so loved that local school children launched “The Kids of Kansas City” campaign to raise $15,000 to purchase the sculpture as a permanent part of the city.
Sage Advice: Even with GPS, tracking down The Scout statue can be tricky. Navigate to the corner of W. 31st St and Pennsylvania Ave at the corner of Penn Valley Park. Go north on Pennsylvania Avenue, past a skate park and some tennis courts, until the road ends. Safely park and lock your car, then continue walking north on the gravel path for another 100 yards, or so.
4 - Tour Kansas City’s Fountains (and Sculptures and Murals)
Originally built to provide horses, dogs, and birds with water, there are 200 officially registered fountains in Kansas City. Get a complete list of fountains here or follow this self-guided fountain tour to visit 32 of the more popular fountains. My favorite fountain isn’t in the brochure, so be sure to include Pomona on your list of Country Club Plaza fountains. Mix in some of Kansas City’s sculptures, cool walls, and murals for even more fun!
Related Article: Read why I think Kansas City is a great place to visit with your family in the spring.
Sage Advice: If you love sculpture gardens, then don’t miss the Harris Sculpture Gardens when your travels take you further north to Michigan.
5 – Stroll the Country Club Plaza
Because I travel to learn and explore, not shop, I debated whether or not the country’s first suburban shopping district should make the list. However, the beautiful Spanish architecture, JC Nichols Fountain, 30+ statues and murals, and free parking put this site on the list.
Sage Advice: Explore more of Kansas City and surrounding areas by leaving the beaten path.
Related Article: How to Experience Kansas City Like the Fab Five from Queer Eye
6 - Enjoy Green Space Galore
With more than 200 urban parks plus many gardens, arboretums, and walking trails, Kansas City has green space galore. You can find a full list of parks here, but I’ll focus on just a few of my favorites.
Swope Park
Encompassing more than 1,800 acres, Swope Park is twice as big as Central Park. Take that, New York City! A visit to Swope Park could include the Lakeside Nature Center, Kansas City Community Gardens, a picnic, or a walk along the Swope Park Trail. Because this post is focused on free things to do, I won’t mention Starlight Theatre or the Kansas City Zoo, but they both happen to be located at Swope Park.
Loose Park
History and beauty collide at Loose Park, just a few blocks south of the Country Club Plaza. The site was once the location of the Battle of Westport during the Civil War, and a Civil War cannon sits at the south end of the park near 55th & Pennsylvania. More notable is the park’s phenomenal rose garden featuring 3,000 roses of more than 150 varieties. You can also walk the Loose Park Trail which will take you past the Loose Park Pond.
Sage Advice: You’re not supposed to feed the ducks, geese, and other waterfowl in the Loose Park Pond because processed food like crackers and bread are harmful to them. Additionally, feeding them increases their dependency on people and reduces their ability to survive on their own. If you ever do feed the ducks at any point, be sure to reference this list of food items that aren’t harmful to them.
Shawnee Mission Park
Over on the Kansas side of the metro area, in the suburb of Shawnee, is the 1,600 acre Shawnee Mission Park. It features a 120-acre lake, endless walking trails, and a 53-acre off-leash dog park with lake access. Deer and other woodland creatures are often seen at the park.
Related Article: See the USA – Visit Kansas, the Sunflower State
Kauffman Memorial Garden
Associated with the amazing, but not free, Powell Gardens, the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden is a small, immaculately maintained garden oasis in an otherwise bustling area of town.
7 - Appreciate Amazing Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum
While the museum is most widely known for its extensive collection of Asian Art, my favorites are the Native American galleries, the Hallmark Photographic Collection, and the Bloch Galleries. The exterior of the museum is equally spectacular featuring approximately 35 sculptures including four over-sized badminton shuttlecocks and a glass labyrinth maze.
Sage Advice: While admission to the museum is always free, parking can be a bit pricey. Depending on the day and time of your visit, you can usually park on the street in the adjacent neighborhoods at no cost.
Fun Fact: TIME listed the Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum as the #1 new architectural marvel in 2007 shortly after it opened.
8 - Brave a Big Spider and Enter the Kemper Museum
For a more contemporary art experience, check out the Kemper Museum. You’ll recognize it by the gigantic spider sculpture out front. Unlike the Nelson-Atkins Museum which does charge for special exhibits from time-to-time, the Kemper is always free. The non-permanent collection usually changes about every three months, so there is something new to see several times throughout the year.
Sage Advice: If you really enjoy art and are able to travel to the Overland Park suburb of Kansas City, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College is also free.
9 - Fly through The Roasterie
Identified by the DC-3 plane suspended above, The Roasterie is a homegrown favorite. Complimentary, 45-minute tours are offered several times a day. Space is limited, so be sure to plan ahead and schedule your tour in advance.
Related Article: The Best Food Gifts from Kansas City
10 - Tour the Boulevard Brewing Company
Another local favorite is Belgian-inspired Boulevard Brewing Company. The 60-minute tour concludes with samples in the tasting room, and similar to The Roasterie you’ll want to plan ahead since all available tour tickets are issued on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10:00 am each day.
Free Things to Do in Kansas City
What about you? Have you enjoyed a free activity in Kansas City? Anything that I should add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Ready to Go?
Use These Helpful Links to Book Your Trip!
- Find low fares with airfarewatchdog and Skyscanner
- Book your plane ticket with Expedia or Kayak
- Or take the scenic route on an epic road trip in a rental car or an RV from Outdoorsy
- From hotels to private homes, find the perfect accommodation with Hotels.com or Vrbo
- Travel in style with a suitcase, carry-on, backpack, or handbag from eBags
- Save on tickets to attractions, sightseeing tours, and more with CityPASS, Tiqets, and Viator
- Don’t leave home without travel insurance from AXA
- Discover the sights, history, and culture of your destination with an interactive scavenger hunt
- Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit my travel resources page for more trusted partners. Happy wandering!
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Great suggestions of things to do! The fountains look pretty cool and crazy that there’s 200 of them in the city. I really like the look of the Kansas City’s Children’s Fountain.
Our fountains are amazing! I cannot WAIT for winter to end and have all of the fountains up and running again! 🙂
Love the Pomona Fountain! Will have to check out some of these places next time I’m in KC!
Isn’t she fabulous! Drop me a line if you’re headed this way and need any additional tips or recommendations!
These all sound like great ideas to add into a trip to Kansas City. I love guides if fun free things to do in New places. Sometimes the trip costs enough and there are so many wonderful things to do without spending any more! This was great. Pinning for later.
Thanks for stopping by! If you get a chance to visit Kansas City, let me know what you thought!
Great blog post! I’ll be flying to Kansas City and I’ve already pinned this to look back at it ❤️
Thanks! Have a fantastic time here, and I’d love to hear how it goes! P.S. Don’t judge our entire city via our outdated 1970s airport! 🙂
We would love to try riding in a street car some day! KC has so much for children to do! 🙂
It’s been a great place to raise my four! 🙂