Whether you call it the BBQ Capital of the World, the City of Fountains, or Paris of the Plains, see the sights with a Kansas City scavenger hunt.
Dating back to the 1930s, scavenger hunts started as party games. Playing by the original rules, individuals or small groups search for and collect a specific list of items.
In the past few decades, scavengering teams might snap photographs as part of the hunt. When I was a kid, that would have been done with a Polaroid camera or a disposable camera. Today, scavenger hunt photos are snapped and shared instantly on mobile phones. And interactive scavenger hunts can inject tidbits about a location’s history and culture into the experience.
While scavenger hunts are often conducted outdoors, there are also online scavenger hunts. And in Kansas City, art museums and historical sites use scavenger hunts to engage visiting children.
If you’re looking for a fun way to explore in the heart of America, check out one of these fun Kansas City scavenger hunts.
Have You Visited Kansas City?
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Cost: Starts at $11.00
See why Missouri’s largest city is known as the City of Fountains with this Kansas City scavenger hunt that focuses on gushing fountains, amazing sculptures, and historic buildings. Start your adventure at the clamshell-shaped Kauffman Center for Performing Arts.
Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts was added to the Kansas City skyline at the end of 2011. The dramatic concrete and glass building was literally sketched on a napkin by the architect over dinner. This Kansas City scavenger hunt will also take you to the historic Webster House and on to several other fabulous finds in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District.
Related Article: 7 Reasons You Should Explore via a Scavenger Hunt
2. Hunt through History at the National World War I Museum
Cost: Free with Paid Admission
When you visit the World War I Museum at the base of the Liberty Memorial, your admission includes several scavenger hunts. Use these free Kansas City scavenger hunts to learn more about The Great War. Discover what red poppies represent, what’s inside a Princess Mary box, and how Scottish Highlanders protect their kilts from mud.
3. Scout from Your Seat with Ride KC’s Scavenger Hunts
Cost: No Fee to Ride the KC Streetcar, Small Fee to Ride the Main Street MAX
What about a free Kansas City scavenger hunt that lets you explore from the streetcar? Jump on the KC Streetcar and Main Street MAX to complete these scavenger hunts starring Kansas City landmarks including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Country Club Plaza, and Union Station.
4. Explore Kansas City's Country Club Plaza
Cost: Starts at $11.00
Inspired by the architecture of Seville, Spain the Country Club Plaza was the nation’s first shopping center designed for patrons arriving by car. With shops ranging from Barnes & Noble to Tiffany’s and sprinkled with Kansas City’s amazing sculptures and fountains, it’s no wonder Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza is so popular.
Start your Country Club Plaza scavenger hunt at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Set on acres of green manicured lawns, you can’t miss its four, over-sized badminton shuttlecocks. This scavenger hunt also explores the nearby Country Club Plaza set along Brush Creek and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
5. Nose Around the Nelson-Atkins
Cost: Free
Inspired by the annual scavenger hunt at Kansas City’s largest art museum, Richard Pund created this free Kansas City scavenger hunt through the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Explore the works of art that caught his eye during a visit to the Kansas City institution via his online scavenger hunt.
Fun Fact: Did you know that each of the Nelson-Atkins Museum’s iconic shuttlecocks weighs over 5,000 pounds?
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6. Scavenger Saturday at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Cost: Free
If you love art, you definitely won’t want to miss this scavenger hunt! On the third Saturday of each month, the Kemper Museum offers a free self-guided scavenger hunt from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm to help you explore Kansas City’s contemporary art museum.
Because the museum’s permanent collection is small and its current exhibits change regularly, the experience is unique each month. And once visitors finish the scavenger hunt, they can pick up a take-home activity kit.
Related Article: How to Experience Kansas City Like the Fab Five from Queer Eye
7. Investigate the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Cost: Free
Visit the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to explore the free exhibits, view the cash processing and vault area, and complete an interactive iPad scavenger hunt.
Fun Fact: With 2,079 participants, the town of Provo, Utah currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest scavenger hunt.
Have You Explored the City of Fountains via a KC Scavenger Hunt?
Which Kansas City scavenger hunt did you enjoy most? Are there any missing from this list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Ready to Go? Use These Helpful Links to Book Your Trip
- Find low fares and book your plane ticket with Skyscanner and Expedia. Or take the scenic route in an RV from Outdoorsy.
- From hotels to private homes, find the perfect accommodation with Hotels.com or Vrbo.
- Don’t leave home without travel insurance from AXA.
- Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit my travel resources page for more trusted partners. Happy wandering!
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Love your idea of a scavenger hunt, but you’ve also inspired me to visit KC sometime. The fountain at Country Club Plaza looks exquisite.
I’m not going to lie, I *LOVE* this town! <3
I love the huge badminton birdies, I have not seen these on display! How fun!
They are so fun! My oldest daughter (an artist) took her high school senior photos with them when she graduated a few years ago!
I want a bag of the shredded money! That’s cool!
Come down to KC for a weekend, and we’ll go! It’s not snowing here right now, either. Win/win! 🙂
I love scavenger hunts. This is a great list of options. I worked with Urban Adventure Quest on a couple of their hunts in Phoenix and Minneapolis. They don’t currently have one for Kansas City, but they are worth looking up when you are visiting other cities.
These sound so fun! I have never been to WWI Museum or the Money Museum but my kid would love them!
I really love #3! I’m not big on museums, so I think a scavenger hunt is a really awesome idea! I learn about art/history/ANYthing better when it’s more hands on and active; what a unique idea!
We haven’t yet tried a city scavenger hunt, but these look fun! Plus, we love Kansas City. When we get back, we’ll definitely try one of these!
I haven’t done a scavenger hunt in Kansas city, but I have done one in Bath, UK and Torquay! I did not know they dated back to the 1930s!
What a great one to keep kids entertained….especially at museums!
Or adults who aren’t into said museum… LOL!
I love scavenger hunts. These look like so much fuN!
They are all such a blast! (And a great way to get kids of all ages excited about a destination, museum, etc.)