There is no end of things to do in the Kansas City area. Parks and outdoor activities abound, as well as music, theater, attractions, entertainment and sports. This region is also rich in opportunities for children?lots of fun and educational ?stuff?! Just take a look below!
ALL THE DIFFERENT PARKS IN JOHNSON COUNTY, KS
Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department: 913-831-3355 or check out the web site link in the link section of this page.
Kansas Wildlife and Parks, KC District Office: 14639 W. 95th St., 913-894-9113.
Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam, 913-831-3355; 44 acres with two fishing lakes, arboretum and rose garden, Old Dodge Town wheelchair-accessible playground, shelters, picnic areas and restrooms, tennis and basketball courts.
Ernie Miller Park, 909 N. 7 Highway, Olathe, 913-764-7759; 114 acres of bottomland forest, meadows and tall grass prairie, outdoor amphitheater, Ernie Miller Nature Center and wheelchair-accessible nature trails.
Heritage Park, 159th and Pflumm Road, Olathe 913-831-3355; 1,160 acres with 45-acre lake, marina for paddleboat and sailboard rentals 913-764-4037, walking and hiking trails, shelters, playgrounds, softball, soccer and football fields, golf course and driving range.
Kill Creek Park under development, 127th Street and Homestead Road, south of K-10 near DeSoto; 870 acres to include boating, fishing, marina, trails, picnic areas, shelters, camping, refreshments and restrooms.
Mid-America Sports Complex, 20000 Johnson Drive, Shawnee 913-441-2244; 70 acres with lighted softball and baseball fields, batting cage, play areas, concessions, pro shop and clubhouse.
Mill Creek Streamway, paved 14-mile trail link between Nelson Island on the Kansas River on the north, through Shawnee Mission Park to Olathe; for walking, biking, strolling or skateboarding. Other paved trails line creeks in Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and Leawood; call the cities for information.)
Overland Park Community Park, 138th and Switzer Road, Overland Park 913-895-6000; 129 acres including Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead 913-897-2360), ball diamonds, tennis courts, football and soccer fields for league play, ecological preserve, three picnic shelters, shelter house and restrooms.
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park 913-685-3604; 300 acres including wood-chip trails, themed gardens such as the Erickson Water Garden, forest, prairie, limestone bluffs and visitors' center.
Prairie Center, 26325 W. 135th St., Olathe 913-856-7669; 300 acres of native tall grass prairie and woodlands, trails, lake and picnic areas; Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Roe Park, 104th and Roe Avenue, Overland Park 913-895-6300; 43 acres including swimming pool and concession stand, soccer and softball fields for league play, tennis courts, bicycle trail, wheelchair-accessible nature trail, picnicking and shelter house.
Shawnee Mission Park, 79th Street and Renner Road, Lenexa 913-888-4713; 1,250 acres including 150-acre lake with public beach and marina, concessions and boating, horseback trails, organized camping, outdoor theater, nature trails, tennis courts, softball diamonds, archery range, wheelchair-accessible fishing pier and trail, observation tower, model airplane field, picnic shelters and restrooms.
Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park, 12500 W. 119th St., Overland Park 913-831-3355; 80 acres with small fishing lake, soccer and softball fields, playground and jogging trail.
Sunflower Nature Park, 103rd and Edgerton Road near DeSoto 913-831-3355; 60 acres of naturalized park with wheelchair-accessible nature trails, picnic shelter, fishing pond and game fields.
Tomahawk Recreation Complex, 17501 Midland Drive, Shawnee 913-631-7050; golf course and driving range with pro shop and snack bar, swimming pool and meeting rooms. Tomahawk Dome is used for year-round athletic activities.
ACTIVITIES & THEME PARKS
Boat Cruises on Brush Creek, Brush Creek at Wyandotte, 816-756-1331. 30-minute narrated cruise on the canal along the Country Club Plaza. Seasonal.
Kansas City Trolley Tours, regularly scheduled to Kansas City's top attractions. Narrated. 816-221-3399 or 1-888-471-6050.
Crown Center Ice Terrace, 816-274-8412, Crown Center complex. 25th and Grand in the heart of Kansas City. The city's only public outdoor ice-skating rink is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., November through March.
Pepsi Ice Midwest-Overland Park, 913-851-1600, 12140 W 135 St Overland Park, KS. Public indoor ice rinks with set skating times. Hockey, figure skating and group classes & more!
Worlds of Fun, 816-454-4545, I-435 and Parvin Road exit #54-northeast of downtown Kansas City. Over 170 rides, shows and attractions on 175 acres--open from mid-April through October, in an internationally themed park. Includes the Timber Wolf, one of the world's top-ranked wooden roller coasters, and the Mamba, one of the world's tallest and fastest steel coasters. Newest addition in 2001 was Camp Snoopy. Closing times vary. Season passes and single-day passports available
Oceans of Fun, 816-454-4545, Next to Worlds of Fun, off I-435 and Parvin Road, the Midwest's largest tropically themed water park featuring surf, sun and sand activities on more than 60 acres. Among more than 35 attractions are the million-gallon Surf City wave pool, adults-only pool with swim-up refreshment cabana, children's water playgrounds and seven giant water slides. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day with varying closing times. Season passports and single-day tickets available
Woodlands Race Track, 913-299-9797, Located off I-435 at the Leavenworth Road exit in Kansas City, Kan. Nation's first dual racetrack for greyhounds and horses; simulcast greyhound and horse races year-round. Enclosed grandstands. Races five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, and great brunch buffet.
Snow Creek Ski Area, 816-640-2200, north of Weston, Mo. Snow-skiing facility fully equipped with snowmaking capability. Includes nine intermediate and two beginner runs, two triple chair lifts and three rope tows. Average season is 87 days. Rentals available. On the Web and
The Kansas City Zoological Park, 816-513-5701, in Swope Park, Kansas City, Mo. East entrance off I-435 at Gregory Boulevard; west entrance at Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway. Hundreds of animals from around the globe in natural habitats. Open daily year-round except Christmas and New Year's Day. IMAX Theatre, 816-513-4629.
Powell Gardens, 20 miles east of Lee's Summit on U.S. Highway 50, 816-697-2600. 915 acres of ever-changing gardens, nature trails, café and gift shop and year-round events and classes.
KID'S STUFF
The Deanna Rose Memorial Children's Farmstead at 138th and Switzer in the Overland Park Community Park is an ideal place for children to get a taste of life on the farm firsthand. The Farmstead provides a close-up look at a variety of typical farm animals, including ducks, horses, goats, chickens, pigs and rabbits and some not-so-typical farm animals, such as a peacock and buffalo. Demonstration vegetable gardens, perennial beds and displays of farm artifacts are also part of the farmstead. Two-hour tour packages for 10-40 persons include lunch, a wagon ride and animal feeding and must be scheduled in advance. Call 913-897-2360.
The Creative Arts Center at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak in Kansas City, offers classes year-round in early childhood, parent-child drawing, painting and sculpture. School groups schedule classes during the school year and individuals can sign up for Saturday classes at 816-751-1236.
Kaleidoscope, Crown Center, at 2501 McGee, Kansas City, is Hallmark Cards' creative art experience where children ages 5-12 are invited to explore, create and enjoy. Kaleidoscope, outside the third level of Hall's next to the Hallmark Visitors Center, offers four 55-minute public sessions beginning at 10:45 a.m., noon, 1:15 and 2:30 p.m., and it's always free. Tickets are distributed in the lobby on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10 a.m. until maximum capacity for each session is reached. Reservations are needed for groups of six or more. During the school year, reservations are required at weekday sessions. For summer schedule and up-to-date information, call 816-274-8300.
Lyric Opera Summer Camp is open to youngsters 8-18. The two-week camp, 816-471-4933, offers such activities as singing and movement, dramatizing and listening to music from an upcoming opera, field trips and visits from the Lyric Opera artistic staff and singers.
Wonderscope Children's Museum is 13 rooms--each with a different theme of hands-on, interactive exhibits in arts, science and technology for children from toddlers to 10. It is located at 5705 Flint in Shawnee. For admission price and schedule call 913-268-8130.
Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., 816-513-8960. Wildlife education/interpretive programs with live animals, trails and exhibits.
The Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure, in Fleming Park in Jackson County, is open to the public with no admission fee from sunrise to sunset. A safari tour through the enclosure on a hay-filled truck with a close-up look at bison and elk can be arranged by calling 816-229-8980 for admission price and schedule.
Missouri Town 1855, on the east side of Fleming Park at Lake Jacomo near Blue Springs, is a living history museum composed of over 35 buildings depicting the lifestyles of the mid-19th century. Interpreters are dressed in period costumes. 816-795-8200, Ext. 1260. Many special events.
Old Shawnee Town at 57th and Cody in Shawnee is a recreated frontier town that includes a log cabin, sod house, blacksmith shop, barbershop, undertaker shop and the first jail in Kansas, built in 1843. Call 913-248-2360.
Weston Historical Museum, 601 Main St. in Weston, Mo. A preservation of Weston and Platte County history, including prehistoric Indian artifacts, Civil War objects and an exhibit of items focusing on Ben Holladay, the "Stagecoach King." Call 816-386-2977.
CUBE, 104 W. 9th, in American Institute of Architects, 913-262-8222, Center for Understanding the Built Environment for kids, includes walking tour. Story reading happens on a regular basis at many area libraries, which are also good sources for activity brochures from around the metro.
SPORTS
The Royals, 816-921-8000, The Kansas City Royals are part of the American League's Western Division and the 1985 World Series Champions. Home games are played at 40,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, one of the most beautiful ballparks in Major League Baseball, Truman Sports Complex off I-70.
The Kansas City Knights, 816-471-4222, a founding franchise of the ABA basketball major league. Home games in Kemper Arena, from mid-November through mid-April.
The Chiefs, 816-920-9300, The Kansas City Chiefs are in the Western Division of the National Football League's American Conference. Home games are played at the 78,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium, Truman Sports Complex off I-70.
The Comets, 816-474-2255, The Comets compete in the Major Indoor Soccer League October through March at Kemper Arena.
The Wizards, 816-920-9300, The Wizards compete in Major League Soccer and play home games April through September at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Explorers, 913-362-9944, The Kansas City Explorers are part of the World Team Tennis League and host home matches July through September at Hale Arena, south of Kemper Arena.
Kansas Speedway, I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, KS--913-328-7723; tickets, 913-328-RACE. Greater Kansas City's newest opened in 2001-sports attraction brings NASCAR racing to town.
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