Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:3218 Gladstone Blvd.
Kansas city, Missouri
Tel:
(816) 460-2020
The Kansas City Museum is composed of Corinthian Hall, which is the main building, and several smaller outbuildings, which all serve to display local area history, including natural history. The Corinthian building is named for its Corinthian-style columns, and was once known as the "Palace on Gladstone Boulevard," for its majestic style. The museum was once the home of the Long Family, built by Robert Long in 1908, and designed by Henry Hoit.
Even while it was being lived in by the Long family, the mansion took on the appearance of a museum, with breathtaking tapestries, classic paintings, and antique furniture, so it was a relatively small step when they converted it into an actual museum in the 1940s. Once the conversion was made, however, the museum quickly began accumulating hundreds of stuffed local wildlife and housed them in display dioramas. Many of these have since been dismantled or handed over to other museums, but several notable ones still remain.
In the museum's "Story-tarium," there are always exciting educational films showing that the whole family can enjoy, such as "Bad Blood," a film about the Civil War. Check out the Colonel Daniel Dyer Collection of Native American artifacts for some interesting examples of life in pre-American America, a beautiful quilt collection, with over 100 of the finest quilts ever assembled under one roof, and the Warner Untersee photograph collection, with over 200,000 photographs. And best of all, enjoy the authentic 1910-style soda fountain, still serving delicious phosphates and ice cream!
The Kansas City Museum can be found on the corner of Gladstone and Benton Boulevards, next to the main entrance for the Cliff Drive State Scenic Byway.
From Kansas City Museum - Missouri:
Step into a time machine – one that just happens to be located inside a fabulous mansion. With regional history displays, a 50-seat planetarium and natural history dioramas, the Kansas City Museum is an experience for all ages.