Stop by Billy Goat Gruff Yard at the KC Zoo to hand-feed the hungry residents.
If you are a parent, you’ve likely watched the opening scenes of “Home Alone,” remembered some of your family vacations involving planes, trains or automobiles and thought: “Why do we do this to ourselves?”
Why, indeed, when Kansas City is rich with family adventures that don’t require packing lists, multiple forms of ID, copious amounts of overpriced gas or, gasp, the possibility of being stuck in an airport with your restless kiddos? Can we get an “amen,” parents?
For the summer of 2022, we’re hearing from many families who are opting for a “staycation” and exploring what Kansas City has to offer.
Here are a few ideas to get those local adventures started.
Kansas City Zoo
Address: 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, Mo. 64132
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday; 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday – Sunday
Tickets: $17-$20 (discount available for advance purchase)
Lions, tigers, bears … and more! The Kansas City Zoo gives animal lovers a chance to see creatures from across the world up close. Pet a stingray, feel snake scales, feed a lorikeet, cheer for the sea lions or learn about animal care from the zookeepers. We recommend taking along sketch pads and encouraging your little artists/adventurers to draw some of their favorite creatures and habitats.
Upcoming Events: Visit kansascityzoo.org to explore upcoming events, camps, animal experiences and zoo keeper chats. You’ll even find some events for mom and dad, like Wine Walk for Wildlife (June 3) and Locked Zoo (June 25).
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
Address: 5235 Oak Street,
Kansas City, Mo. 64112
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.,
Wednesday through Monday
(closed Tuesday)
Tickets: $8 (adult), $7 (senior), $5 (students), free for T/m Members
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures educates, inspires and delights adults and children through the museum’s collection and preservation of more than 86,000 toys and miniatures. People of all ages will enjoy exploring the 33,000 square feet of exhibits, encountering both familiar and unusual pieces.
Upcoming Exhibits/Events: Visit toyandminiaturemuseum.org/programs-events to find out about special happenings at T/m. A new featured exhibition, “America’s Monsters, Superheroes and Villains: Our Culture at Play,” is on view May 21-Oct. 3, 2022.
Address: 433 E Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64131
Hours: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Tuesday – Friday; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday; 12-5 p.m., Sunday
Tickets: $9 (adult), $12 (ages 2-15)
Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City
Wonderscope provides experiential STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) exhibits and programs that are designed to spark a lifelong love of learning through the power of play. Outdoor adventurers will love Kansas City’s first Adaptive Treehouse. Indoors, learning continues with games, art, water play and active, imaginative play in spaces such as Wonder Climber, a two-story aerobic odyssey through caves, up ramps, across a rope bridge and leading to a school bus wedged partially outside the building.
Upcoming Events: Visit wonderscope.org/events to find information about special events. Parents looking for a night out might be interested in Eat Drink Play, an adult-only event on July 16.
