Kansas City

We would tell you how great this lively Midwestern jazz town is, but we can’t, because our mouth is filled with the best barbecue of our life.

You aren’t in Kansas anymore. Seriously. Kansas City, Missouri is a distinct town from Kansas City, Kansas—its neighbor over the border. It’s kind of a big deal to residents. Speaking of location, don’t make assumptions about KC just because Missouri may be discounted as part of “flyover America.” You won’t find any cows chewing cud in sleepy farmsteads here. Kansas City is very much alive and awake with music, food, oddball museums, and lots of great art.

Let’s start with the oddball museums. Notice a giant pair of shuttlecocks hanging out in front of a big building? You’re at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Wander inside to find the museum’s treasured Caravaggio. Okay, let’s get a little weirder. Get out your scavenger card and see if you can find the National Museum of Toys & Miniatures or the Arabia Steamboat Museum. When it’s time to get serious, pay homage at the National WWI Museum. The amazing exhibits and chatty guides will make sure you never forget the sacrifice so many made in the “Forgotten War.”

After your museum tour is over, there are still plenty of things to do in Kansas City. Correct that, plenty of things to eat in Kansas City. You, friend, are in the heart of barbecue country, and if there’s one thing KC knows how to do, it’s slap meat on a grill and slather it in sauce. You might as well just toss your scale before you buy one of our Kansas City vacation packages, because this dripping, meat-falling-off-the-bone barbecue can’t be missed!

Anyone who wonders what to do in Kansas City just isn’t looking hard enough. With its trendy neighborhoods and jamming jazz clubs, this town will keep you dancing all night long.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kansas City

Why is Kansas City in two states?

Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, are officially two different municipalities whose borders have grown together over time. KC, Missouri was the first to be founded and quickly became an important trading post. In an attempt to attract more settlers, residents of the community across the river in Kansas also named themselves "Kansas City." At one time, Kansas tried to annex the Missouri city, but those efforts failed.

What food is Kansas City known for?

Like many places in that part of the United States, Kansas City is known for its own take on barbeque. Most barbeque chefs would throw away the burnt ends of meats, but the innovative cooks in Kansas City began creating these crunchy bits on purpose and selling them as a specialty item.

Who founded Kansas City?

Francois Chouteau built the first non-native settlement in what is now Kansas City in 1821, the year Missouri joined the Union. John Calvin McCoy is credited with helping the city (which he actually named Westport) thrive and outpace Independence, Missouri, in growth and importance.