Here is the short answer: if you are bringing kids to Kansas City, start with Crown Center and Union Station. They face each other, so you can fill a whole day without moving the car, or without a car at all. After that, choose by age and by weather. The museums, the animals and the thrill rides each get their own section below, followed by a rainy-day list and a one-day plan for young kids. This is the guide I would hand to a friend, because it comes from years of taking my own grandkids around town.
Crown Center and Union Station
This is where I send every first-time family, and it is where I take my own grandkids. Everything below sits within easy reach of one another, so you spend the day playing instead of driving.
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is a free hands-on art studio from Hallmark at 2500 Grand. It is first come, first served and aimed at ages 5 to 12. My grandkids beg to go, and because it costs nothing it is the easiest yes on this whole list. Go early in your Crown Center day so nobody is tired when it is their turn to create.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center
LEGOLAND Discovery Center is at 2475 Grand Blvd. and has a 30,000-square-foot play area, rides and a 4-D cinema. It is the one that builders and brick fans will talk about for weeks afterward.
SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium
SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium shares the 2475 Grand Blvd. address, so it pairs naturally with LEGOLAND. It has more than 5,000 creatures, an underwater tunnel and a rock pool. If your kids like to get close to the animals, this is a good first stop.
Science City at Union Station
Science City is at 30 W. Pershing Rd. inside Union Station, and it has a dino dig, a planetarium and a test kitchen. It is the stop I would save for the kids who want to touch everything and ask why.
KC Rail Experience and the planetarium
Union Station also has the KC Rail Experience and a planetarium. Even if you do not buy a ticket for anything, the building itself is worth a walk with children, and you can see it from the Crown Center side without crossing a busy street first.
Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant
Lunch at Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant in Crown Center is half the fun, because your food is delivered by model train. Kids remember it long after they forget what they ordered.
Museums kids like
Kansas City does museums well, and most of them work for children if you keep the visit short and pick one or two things to look for.
- National Museum of Toys and Miniatures: home to the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection. I am as fascinated by it as the kids are, and it is a favorite when I want a calm indoor hour.
- Wonderscope Children’s Museum: STEAM play for ages 10 and under. It is one of my family’s favorites, and it is the best fit on this list for the youngest children.
- Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank: a free one-hour tour, with the region’s largest cash vault. Older kids love the vault.
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum: both are at 1616 E. 18th St., so you can see two museums in one stop.
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: art-inspired mini golf and the sculpture park.
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art: a good option when you want modern art in a smaller setting.
If you want to string several museums into one day, here is how I would plan a family museum day downtown.
Animals and outdoors
When the weather is good, get the kids outside. These are the places I would choose for animals, trails and space to run.
- Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium: more than 200 acres and more than 1,700 animals. I have been going since I was a little girl, and I still bring comfortable shoes.
- Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park: a farm for little ones. My family held an annual membership for years.
- Lakeside Nature Center: at 4701 E. Gregory Blvd.
- Swope Park: more than 1,800 acres of park.
- Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Olathe: a farm and stagecoach stop that gives kids a look at the past.
- Yaya’s Alpaca Farm: a chance to meet alpacas.
Thrills and big days out
For a bigger day out, these are the places that feel like an event.
- Worlds of Fun’s Planet Snoopy: more than 20 rides and shows for young kids.
- Zip KC: for kids who want to fly.
- iFly: indoor skydiving.
- Great Wolf Lodge: an indoor water park at 10401 Cabela Dr., Kansas City, Kansas.
- BRKTHROUGH in Overland Park: more than 35 game rooms.
- Royals games: the Outfield Experience gives kids a place to play during the game.
Rainy or cold days
Kansas City weather changes fast, so keep a few indoor plans in your pocket. The Crown Center cluster is the easiest, because Science City, LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE are all indoors. Beyond that, try the College Basketball Experience downtown (closed most Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan around that), Sky Zone trampoline park, laser tag or indoor ice skating.
One day with young kids
If I had one day with young kids, this is the order I would follow. For a slower version built around nap time, see my toddler morning before nap plan.
- Donutology in the morning.
- National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
- The Plaza fountains.
- Lunch at Fritz’s or SPIN! Pizza at Crown Center.
- Kaleidoscope.
- LEGOLAND or SEA LIFE.
- Science City.
- Ice cream.
- Nelson-Atkins sculpture park, if energy remains.
I would drop a stop before I rushed one. Children remember the places where they had time to play.
Tours that work with kids
A guided tour can break up a long day. The Chiefs stadium tour is one that works for families: public tours last 90 minutes, ages 5 to 12 get $5 off, and ages 4 and under are free and need no ticket. You will also find bookable Kansas City tours and experiences in the tour widget on this page.
Frequently asked questions about Kansas City with kids
What is free to do with kids in Kansas City?
Two free picks stand out. Kaleidoscope at Crown Center is a free hands-on art studio from Hallmark, first come, first served and aimed at ages 5 to 12, and the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank offers a free one-hour tour with the region’s largest cash vault.
What can toddlers do?
Wonderscope Children’s Museum is built for ages 10 and under with STEAM play, and Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park is a farm made for little ones. For a gentle schedule, follow my toddler morning before nap plan.
What is there to do with kids when it rains?
Science City, LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE are the easiest indoor picks, and they sit in the Crown Center and Union Station cluster. The College Basketball Experience, Sky Zone, laser tag and indoor ice skating also work on a wet day.
Where should families stay?
Crown Center and Union Station face each other, so staying near them puts many of the attractions above close together. See our guide to where to stay in Kansas City, and use the hotel map on this page to compare areas.
Sources: Visit KC, fun things to do with kids in Kansas City, family-friendly indoor attractions and an itinerary for young kids.