Page 8 of 11

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:31 pm
by FangKC
SingleMalt12 wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:46 pm Hi,

My 17 year old son is a huge history nut. His junior year in high school last year he did 2 semesters of AP History and he'll do 2 more his senior year. Anyway, he and I have talked about going to KC to the Liberty Memorial for a weekend or a couple of days during the week this fall. When I showed him the web site he was all about it.

So my questions are:
Nearby hotels? Best suggestions?

Restaurants nearby, the Plaza, Crown Center, downtown?

Since he's 17 I don't think we'll hit any bars but maybe KCLive? It will be a quick trip & most of the time we'll be at the museum, but when it closes for the day how about some tips? As I say we're probably going to come in in Sept or Oct.

By the way, he's on the Autism Spectrum. He has Asperger's Syndrome, high functioning, so he can deal with most issues that life throws at him. He doesn't do particularly great with noise but can deal. He's been to Tigers games (yeah, I know, Why?), Lions games (same), and recently a Lansing Lugnut game.

We've been to KC numerous times but it's been a few years. I was just wondering about food & other sightseeing options nearby.

Thanks

P.S. Recently Spirit has been having $25 each way $9 fare club tickets between Detroit & KC. A warning. If you come it expecting to pay a lot for Tigers tickets, you'll be disappointed. Stubhub has them cheap & if you wait til Sept they might pay you to go to a game. Just saying.
The Truman Presidential Library is closing July 23 for a year-long renovation. The Truman Home is still open for tours.

https://www.nps.gov/hstr/index.htm

You son might enjoy the Arabia Steamboat Museum in the River Market neighborhood. You can take the streetcar there from the Westin at Crown Center. There is also a Sheraton at Crown Center.

Arabia Steamboat Museum website:

https://www.1856.com/

Union Station (across the street) has a railroad museum, and there is a special Stonehenge exhibit running until Sept. 29. The Stonehenge artifacts exhibit has never been seen in North or South America. It's the second largest train station in the USA (after NYC's Grand Central), and it's renovated.


https://www.unionstation.org/


https://fox4kc.com/2019/05/24/new-union ... s-weekend/

Crown Center also has the SeaLife Aquarium which anyone would enjoy.

https://www.visitsealife.com/kansas-city/

Within walking distance is the Federal Reserve Bank's Money Museum.

https://www.kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum

If you and you son enjoy collections, then you might enjoy The National Toys and Miniatures Museum. It's further south near the Country Club Plaza. You can take a Main Street MAX bus to E. 52nd and Brookside Boulevard, and it's just a block and a half from there.

https://toyandminiaturemuseum.org/

Outside of the Power & Light District, there are several good restaurants in the area around Union Station.

Pierpont's is inside Union Station.

https://www.pierponts.com/

Jack Stack Barbeque, Lydia's, and Grünauer are accessible from Union Station using the bridge connecting to the Freighthouse District. Manny's Mexican restaurant is another couple of blocks, and Lulu's Thai Noodles, Boulevard Tavern, Farina, and Extra Virgin are also close. The Rockhill Grille and Affare are within walking distance of the Westin and Sheraton. Anton's on Main is a streetcar ride away.

https://www.jackstackbbq.com/freight-ho ... ght-house/

https://lidias-kc.com/

http://grunauerkc.com/

https://www.mannyskc.com/

https://www.lulusnoodles.com/

https://www.blvdtavernkc.com/

https://farinakc.com/

http://www.extravirginkc.com/

https://therockhillgrille.com/

https://antonskc.com/

https://www.affarekc.com/

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 7:00 am
by chaglang
Great list. The Steamboat Arabia museum is always on our list when we have guests in town. Nobody has ever been disappointed.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:42 am
by flyingember
Add to the list if you want to go a little further out.

1. Jesse James Bank Museum
https://www.visitclaymo.com/business/je ... ank-museum
"the site of the nation's first successful daylight peacetime bank robbery"

2. National Frontier Trails Museum
http://www.ci.independence.mo.us/nftm/

These next three will be super tranquil if you want to mix in a quiet park environment with city noise

3. Watkins Woolen Mill
https://mostateparks.com/park/watkins-w ... toric-site

There's two sites where they moved a bunch of historic buildings into one place. #4 below would be roughly on your way back to downtown from #1 and 3
4. https://www.shoalcreeklivinghistorymuseum.com/
5. https://www.makeyourdayhere.com/213/Missouri-Town-1855

Back to downtown
6. Case park on the corner of downtown. There's a Lewis and Clark info board and statue

7. There's multiple Battle of Westport sites. If you go to #2 you can follow the driving route to the area around the toy and miniature museum

8. The Nelson-Atkins. Even if you go for only an hour there's a ton of great history pieces on display, everything from an Egyptian sarcophagi to paintings that show recent American history

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:33 pm
by FangKC
The Nelson-Atkins also has John the Baptist's finger bone.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hol ... ansas-city

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:16 am
by herrfrank
FangKC wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:33 pm The Nelson-Atkins also has John the Baptist's finger bone.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hol ... ansas-city
Relics are fascinating, often simply for the circuitous route the alleged artifacts took to arrive at their modern home. I was in Istanbul last month and gazed upon Moses' staff (parted the Red Sea) and David's sword (slew Goliath). Who knows how much contained within these reliquaries is true and how much apocryphal?

https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/tur ... -go-see-it

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:14 pm
by moderne
Most of the christian relics in the world were originally in Istanbul when it was Constantinople. Then the catholics of the 4th crusade sacked the orthodox city.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:51 am
by SingleMalt12
Great ideas so far. Thanks.

We're definitely coming and in all likelihood this fall. I keep seeing Spirit flights for about $25 each way. I grew up in Omaha so I've been to KC a lot. I don't need to do a whole tourist thing as this trip is more to see the Liberty Memorial than the whole town. I'm thinking we'll stay on the Plaza, Crown Center or somewhere else downtown. With time constraints & the most likely destinations around those areas that seems like the most prudent place. He seems to be interested in the money museum.

Now on to more important things:
Is Arthur Bryants still open on Brooklyn? In college & a few years after I went there at least a dozen times a year. How about Gates? I don't mind Jack Stack either. Any other BBQ near where we'll be?

It's going to be a relatively short trip & with Spirit it's going to be easy to come back for more visits. This one is for just me & my son. Maybe next year we'll come back with my wife & daughter. The daughter is an artist & I want to show her the Nelson-Atkins & other museums.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:14 am
by langosta
SingleMalt12 wrote: Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:51 am Great ideas so far. Thanks.

We're definitely coming and in all likelihood this fall. I keep seeing Spirit flights for about $25 each way. I grew up in Omaha so I've been to KC a lot. I don't need to do a whole tourist thing as this trip is more to see the Liberty Memorial than the whole town. I'm thinking we'll stay on the Plaza, Crown Center or somewhere else downtown. With time constraints & the most likely destinations around those areas that seems like the most prudent place. He seems to be interested in the money museum.

Now on to more important things:
Is Arthur Bryants still open on Brooklyn? In college & a few years after I went there at least a dozen times a year. How about Gates? I don't mind Jack Stack either. Any other BBQ near where we'll be?

It's going to be a relatively short trip & with Spirit it's going to be easy to come back for more visits. This one is for just me & my son. Maybe next year we'll come back with my wife & daughter. The daughter is an artist & I want to show her the Nelson-Atkins & other museums.
I would recommend Crown Center hotel over Plaza as it’s along the free streetcar and across the street from Liberty Memorial. Q39 is a new player on the KCBBQ scene but certainly a favorite. Scott’s BBQ by the airport is in my top 3.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:24 am
by flyingember
Closest to the Liberty Memorial is Jack Stack.
Plowboys downtown is a newer name, you can hop on the train at Union Station and hop off outside their front door.

Consentinos downtown sells all the local brands of BBQ sauce as I recall so if you want to take any sauce home to try more kinds (checked baggage, wrap well and pad with clothing) it's easy access from the train.

For hotels, the Hyatt is much closer to the Liberty Memorial than the Sheraton. It's on the skyway to the train stop or you can come out at street level and it's ~3 city blocks walking distance.

With the train you could pick any of the hotels within a couple blocks of the train and have easy access up and down the line. There's multiple good breakfast places like Banksia within easy reach that way too.

If you pick a hotel with a free airport shuttle you could do you whole trip without renting a car. The Money Museum is a bit of a walk from the train but it's very doable direct from the Liberty Memorial as a paired trip.

There's also rental scooters and bikes downtown, in case you don't follow that thread, that can help cut distances.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:54 am
by herrfrank
flyingember wrote: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:24 am For hotels, the Hyatt is much closer to the Liberty Memorial than the Sheraton. It's on the skyway to the train stop or you can come out at street level and it's ~3 city blocks walking distance.
I believe you mean the Westin Crown Center is much closer -- the original hotel. The Hyatt Regency was the 45-floor hotel between McGee and Gillham added to Crown Center in 1980, infamous for the skywalk tragedy, and now flagged as a Sheraton.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:56 am
by flyingember
herrfrank wrote: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:54 am
flyingember wrote: Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:24 am For hotels, the Hyatt is much closer to the Liberty Memorial than the Sheraton. It's on the skyway to the train stop or you can come out at street level and it's ~3 city blocks walking distance.
I believe you mean the Westin Crown Center is much closer -- the original hotel. The Hyatt Regency was the 45-floor hotel between McGee and Gillham added to Crown Center in 1980, infamous for the skywalk tragedy, and now flagged as a Sheraton.
You are correct

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:00 am
by FangKC
SingleMalt12 wrote: Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:51 am Great ideas so far. Thanks.

We're definitely coming and in all likelihood this fall. I keep seeing Spirit flights for about $25 each way. I grew up in Omaha so I've been to KC a lot. I don't need to do a whole tourist thing as this trip is more to see the Liberty Memorial than the whole town. I'm thinking we'll stay on the Plaza, Crown Center or somewhere else downtown. With time constraints & the most likely destinations around those areas that seems like the most prudent place. He seems to be interested in the money museum.

Now on to more important things:
Is Arthur Bryants still open on Brooklyn? In college & a few years after I went there at least a dozen times a year. How about Gates? I don't mind Jack Stack either. Any other BBQ near where we'll be?

It's going to be a relatively short trip & with Spirit it's going to be easy to come back for more visits. This one is for just me & my son. Maybe next year we'll come back with my wife & daughter. The daughter is an artist & I want to show her the Nelson-Atkins & other museums.
Yes, Arthur Bryant's BBQ is still at E. 18th Street and Brooklyn Avenue. There is a Gates BBQ restaurant on Main Street at Linwood Boulevard (which is 32nd Street). The streetcar doesn't take you to either. You will need to walk, rent a car, or take the bus or a cab. Gates is about five blocks south of the Federal Reserve Bank (Money Museum), and 10 blocks from the Westin Crown Center Hotel.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 12:42 pm
by moderne

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 1:24 pm
by missingkc
Really enjoyed that article. Thanks for posting.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:26 pm
by TheLastGentleman
Cool shot posted on r/kansascity. Looks like they're doing something to the Liberty Memorial fountain/reflecting pool

Image

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:41 pm
by missingkc
What is r/kansascity, please?

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:43 pm
by missingkc
Oh, and gorgeous panorama of downtown and the river.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:50 pm
by normalthings
missingkc wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:41 pm What is r/kansascity, please?
It’s a subreddit on Reddit for Kansas City. It’s mostly a place to talk about local news - very rarely a place for cool photos.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 10:41 am
by scooterj
TheLastGentleman wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:26 pm Looks like they're doing something to the Liberty Memorial fountain/reflecting pool
It would be nice if they could actually get the water features working again next year.

Re: Liberty Memorial Musuem and Penn Valley Park

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:15 am
by empires228
TheLastGentleman wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:26 pm Cool shot posted on r/kansascity. Looks like they're doing something to the Liberty Memorial fountain/reflecting pool

Image
It’s been out of service since at least last spring. I have no idea when the last time the fountains on the north side were functioning.