Located right along the border between the state of Kansas and the state of Missouri is Kansas City Missouri. First settled as an official city in 1821, Kansas City Missouri was originally a trading post. Today, it has emerged as one of the premier cities to visit in the Midwest, and Kansas City Missouri offers many reasons to visit. From world-class steaks to an interesting place in the history of westward expansion in the United States, Kansas City Missouri continues to draw visitors year after year.

One reason to join in Kansas City tourism is for a view of some of the historic sites in the city. One of the more popular attractions for Kansas City tourism is a trip to the National Frontier Trails Center, where you can learn all about the history of this city. At one point in the history of Missouri, Kansas City was the starting point for pioneers and wagon trains preparing to head west. Commemorative memorials can still be viewed today.

Kansas City tourism also centers on the two most popular museums in the town. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum are both found in Kansas City and are major Kansas City tourist attractions. Although the museums tell very different stories, they are both found in the same large building. A tour of the Jazz Museum ends with a video showing the surrounding Kansas City neighborhood in the 1930’s, when there were more than 60 jazz clubs lining the streets.

Missouri Map

Another of the great Kansas City tourist attractions can be found by visiting the nightlife of Kansas City. Downtown Kansas City, as well as the neighborhood known as Westport has multiple jazz clubs, dance clubs and bars to keep the evening interesting. For a more subdued evening, check out the Lyric Theater, where you can see both the Opera and the Symphony. The Kansas City Ballet also performs at the Lyric Theater.

Shopping is yet another of the best of Kansas City tourist attractions. The Country Club Plaza is the well-known shopping center in Kansas City that was actually the first of the suburban shopping centers to take up residence in the United States. Country Club Plaza is an area with more than 14 blocks of shopping; more than enough for even the most enthusiastic shoppers. Nearby, Crown Center will round out the shopping experience. The Crown Center shopping area is owned exclusively by the greeting card company Hallmark, and features multiple specialty shops and shops that showcase special Hallmark products.

These Kansas City Missouri attractions are just a few of the great options when deciding what to do on your vacation in Kansas City. You can also visit the Thomas Hart Benton Home, the Toy and Miniature Museum, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum.