Home of the Kansas City Royals. Great atmosphere (and fireworks) even when the team's in the AL Central's basement.
Gorgeous new soccer park for Sporting Kansas City. Cheap tickets, great views and a lot of promotions. It's usually at or near capacity for every home game.
Arguably the best barbecue in the country, loved by presidents and plebs alike. I recommend the burnt ends with fries, served wrapped in butcher paper. Like pickles? Good, you'll get a bunch of them.
Outdoor shopping center filled with flowers and fountains. Lots of new shops, from H&M to Burberry. Home to numerous restaurants, Halls department store, shops and bars. Spanish-inspired architecture.
A must-visit museum for any baseball enthusiasts. Doubles as a sports museum and a social history museum. You can visit the jazz museum at the same time.
Sprawling farmers market on weekend mornings, with a great selection of produces, crafts and baked goods. Also check out the restaurants and cafes, including Bloom Bakery and Blue Nile.
The only dedicated World War I monument in the United States. The new museum is full of informative displays and information. President Obama gave a stump speech at Liberty Memorial in 2008.
Jazz, jazz and more jazz. Live music, food and museums. Think outside New Orleans.
It's still a working train station with a lot of rotating exhibits, Science City, restaurants and the city's largest cinema screen. It was the site of a shootout between officers and mobsters in 1933.
The city's playground for grownups. Featuring an AMC 6 with cinema suites, a huge variety of restaurants, live music, bars and an outdoor pavilion (where soccer fans gather to watch World Cup games).
Known for its collection of Egyption, Asian and Native American art. It also has a Caravaggio, Impressionist works, giant shuttlecocks on the law and the new Bloch Building, an "architectural marvel."
They serve a pizza here with a mountain of chili and tater tots in the middle of it. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Brand new arts center and an architectural treasure. The lead architect for it has designed buildings in Jerusalem and Singapore. Seats 1,800 and 1,600 in two halls and has a custom-built organ.
The place in the city to see sporting events (including the Big 12 basketball tournament) and big concerts. Right down the street from Power & Light, so you can grab food before or after.
Good luck finding it, but it has the best coffee in the city and some of the best food. Menu changes every day and depends on what's on hand. Eclectic clientele and it's open late.
Go on a brewery tour and stock up on samples. Delicious, locally produced beer that you won't be able to find if you stray too far from the midwest.
Come see Nikita, the new polar bear. Located in Swope Park, the zoo features a number of large exhibits and an IMAX theater. A lot has been invested in it and the city gets excited about new animals.
A small (and free!) gem of a modern art gallery. It has pieces from big names (Warhol and O'Keefe), excellent photography and sculpture collections and a very good on-site cafe.
From the time a server yells, "HI MAY I HELP YOU?!" to the second you finish your sammich, Gates is an experience. An essential pit stop on a KC barbecue tour.
A temple to agriculture, livestock and rodeos. There are horse shows, educational tours, barbecue contests and numerous other events that pay homage to the city's livestock history.
Perhaps the best restaurant in Kansas City. Numerous chefs have gotten their starts or experience here. The menu is frequently changing and priced to be a special event.
Jack Stack is barbecue for sit-down types, but it's still barbecue. Known for its ribs, cheesy corn bake, classy atmosphere and beans. Priced a little higher than other places, but it will impress.
Located in the 18th and Vine jazz district, this is a must-see live-music venue for jazz fans. Located with the city's jazz museum.
Home of the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans. These are the loudest (seriously, I think this was proved), craziest, loyalest and at the same time most fatalist fans in football. Go for the food, too.
Small, intimate place to see great live shows in the Westport district. Draws fairly big-name alt-rock acts in a more manageable setting.
Flagship restaurant of Michael Smith, a James Beard award-winning chef. If you're into tapas or want a more casual experience, you can eat at Extra Virgin, his "side" project.
Ground zero for holiday-season shopping. Full of specialty shops and restaurants, an ice-skating rink, rotating exhibits and the delightful Coterie children's theater.
The epitome of a dive bar in the epitome of dive-bar central, Old Westport. Embrace it. Housed in supposedly the oldest building in Kansas City, built in 1850.
