America’s city of jazz and fountains is a large Midwestern metropolis situated at the borders with Missouri and Kansas states. Although the city and its suburban area have a population of more than two million, Kansas City maintains a small town, neighborly feel and is noted for its great shopping, mouth-watering barbecue and fine steaks to rival those found elsewhere in the US.
Fans of classic jazz consider Kansas City to be almost sacred: you can appreciate live music nightly in the city’s historic jazz neighborhood at any one of the one-time smoky bars and clubs which were notorious during the prohibition. During the daytime, you might want to head over to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where you can revisit the days of segregated baseball, or search for something special at one of the country’s largest outdoor markets.
Kansas City is known as the ‘City of Fountains’ and boasts dozens of fountains thoughtfully placed throughout its neighborhoods - second only to Rome in number. Most of the fountains are works of art, with some created simply for beauty, while others were specially commissioned to commemorate events or act as memorials to those who figure prominently in the city’s history.
Kansas City attractions
American Jazz Museum: while jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker hailed from St Louis, this museum honors the formidable sounds of jazz that emerged from the local area.
River Market: the oldest buildings in Kansas City are a backdrop to the state’s largest open-air farmers’ market, home to loads of eateries, galleries and antique shops. The
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: chronicles the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues through multimedia presentations and memorabilia, highlighting stars of the past such as Buck and Paige.
The Kansas City Zoo: was cleverly designed to resemble the native habitats of a vast number of species from Africa, Australia and the plains of America, in an award-winning complex.
Nelson Atkins Museum of Art: features superb collections of American, Asian and European art, most notably works by Caravaggio, de Kooning, Gauguin, Picasso, Titian, van Gogh and Warhol.
Eighteenth and Vine Historic Jazz district: booming in the 1930s, the now safe and revitalized district allows visitors to enjoy where the likes of Charlie Parker rose to fame.