KCRag Forum

In other threads about Union Station I have read about the distaste of the Science City exhibit in the depot. I have gone through this exhibit about seven years ago and I thourogly enjoyed it. Even though it was designed to the childrens set it was educational for me also. I do agree to a point that this exhibit should have been placed somewhere else like right next door to the Halmark Visiters Center but I also know that the railroad is a science in of itself. Todays railroads are becoming more and more of a relic as air transportation and cars and buses carry people to places that the railroads can not. The freight business is the only thing keeping the railroads intact. Keeping todays youth educated about trains is the only way to keep the railroads around. I am pleased that Amtrack placed their depot in union station, keeping it a true railroad depot but now it is up to other entities to pony up to the bar and place other passenger rail services into this great facility. The restoration in my eyes made this building is as good or better than it was when it was new.

I agree with you Annie.  Science City is a great educational experience. I've taken my kids there.  More importantly,  Union Station should serve as the hub for all regional AND local rail transit, includung light rail.  Personally, I think that KCATA should re-locate their layover point and have all buses congregate at Union Station instead of 10th and main. Just imagine workers from all over the metro coming through Union Station on a daily basis. Once Kansas City has the visionary leadership in place along with adaquate funding, we will have the complete mass transit system we deserve. This is why I will be voting YES on November 9!

ddw334umkc wrote: I agree with you Annie.  Science City is a great educational experience. I've taken my kids there.  More importantly,  Union Station should serve as the hub for all regional AND local rail transit, includung light rail.  Personally, I think that KCATA should re-locate their layover point and have all buses congregate at Union Station instead of 10th and main. Just imagine workers from all over the metro coming through Union Station on a daily basis. Once Kansas City has the visionary leadership in place along with adaquate funding, we will have the complete mass transit system we deserve. This is why I will be voting YES on November 9!

If you vote YES on November 9, you'll be two days too late!!!!

Oops! Typo. I meant one week from Tuesday.

The Auschwitz Exhibit has been hugely successful.. if you were not aware, KC is the second of two cities in the US to host the exhibit before it returns to Europe.

This is the legacy of the bistate tax, a location hosting international caliber events.


The Star did a piece 5 days before opening. The exhibit had sold 56,000 tickets to people from 46 states at that point. Now five months later it’s the single most successful exhibit for the station in 20 years. They expect to reach 300,000 visitors before it leaves. This is what Kansas City needs more of, to show a strong moral stance in the type of events we use to draw people to the city.

We had tickets for back in summer and it was an outstanding exhibition. Respectful, educational and highly relevant. It could not have been a better visit.

There was just an agreement to stay in KC an additional 7 weeks until March 20. If you haven’t gone it’s well worth the visit. Don’t wait until a week before if you don’t have the right membership, book immediately. At one point weekend tickets were gone 4 months out.

If you have not seen the Auschwitz Exhibit. please do so. It is very powerful, and educational. They do a very deep dive into history that brought Germany to this dark hour in their history and how Europe in general was leading up to it. Very detailed account of seeing how it all unfolded. If you are a history buff this is a can't miss. Impressive that this is one of the only cities in the US to score it

I wonder how much spinoff attendance there is for the World War I Museum from people traveling from outside Kansas City?

FangKC wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:18 pm I wonder how much spinoff attendance there is for the World War I Museum from people traveling from outside Kansas City?

Anecdotal, but driving Uber pax in Austin I bring up KC to everyone, and all the people I’ve encountered who have been to KC since the exhibit opened mentioned going through the exhibit and then following it up with the WW1 museum, or vice versa. While it’s only been a handful of people (I think 4-5) it’s a good snapshot of outside perspective of it.

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:02 pm

FangKC wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:18 pm I wonder how much spinoff attendance there is for the World War I Museum from people traveling from outside Kansas City?

Anecdotal, but driving Uber pax in Austin I bring up KC to everyone, and all the people I’ve encountered who have been to KC since the exhibit opened mentioned going through the exhibit and then following it up with the WW1 museum, or vice versa. While it’s only been a handful of people (I think 4-5) it’s a good snapshot of outside perspective of it.

In 2017 the then record WW1 museum attendance was 300,000. So even 1% of visitors (3000 people) shared between the two would be a notable benefit for one vs the other. Places live and die on 1% increases in ticket sales.

4-5 coming from Austin, 1/3% of the country, isn't too far off of a 1% rate if it holds true across the country.

flyingember wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:15 pm

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:02 pm

FangKC wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:18 pm I wonder how much spinoff attendance there is for the World War I Museum from people traveling from outside Kansas City?

Anecdotal, but driving Uber pax in Austin I bring up KC to everyone, and all the people I’ve encountered who have been to KC since the exhibit opened mentioned going through the exhibit and then following it up with the WW1 museum, or vice versa. While it’s only been a handful of people (I think 4-5) it’s a good snapshot of outside perspective of it.

In 2017 the then record WW1 museum attendance was 300,000. So even 1% of visitors (3000 people) shared between the two would be a notable benefit for one vs the other. Places live and die on 1% increases in ticket sales.

4-5 coming from Austin, 1/3% of the country, isn't too far off of a 1% rate if it holds true across the country.

Is there any type of shared pass between the two? Say a science city & WW1 visit, or WW1 and whatever the traveling exhibit is. That would be an incredibly easy way to track this, and help to tie together some attractions

That would be useful.

FangKC wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 3:40 pm That would be useful.

Not to mention profitable for both parties

Skywalk HVAC to get renovated

normalthings wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:39 pm Skywalk HVAC to get renovated

Do we have the leverage yet to start telling building developers to make ground floor plans?

^This particular pedestrian tube connects Union Station to the Crown Center hotel (Westin) -- the A/C has not worked well for years, although I do recall the heaters working last winter.

It's actually super useful for Crown Center visitors to get to/ from Union Station or the streetcar and onward, over the tracks, to the freight house district. Opens up additional restaurant options within walking distance that otherwise would probably rely on car traffic.

Union Station to unveil new high tech exterior lighting on Saturday night (7/30).

This is really cool. But I also hope they just light up the station is a classy way most of the time. You know, just simple lights that show off the architecture of the building, but well done. Or at least give it a break ever 30 minutes or so so the building can be just naturally there and not have graphics or other lighting.

I'm just saying do this fancy stuff and have some fun with it, but just light the building "normally" most of the time. It's just a more classy look IMO.

Put similar lighting on the LM and some speakers somewhere and there could be sound& light show on certain evenings.

Interested to see this. The technology they discuss isn’t new at all really so I’m curious what exactly is going to be new about this.

Agree also that it’s default setting should be classy and showcase the start of the show, the building itself.

New lighting is on and you can see it live on EarthCam.

https://www.earthcam.com/usa/missouri/k ... kansascity