Thomas Hart
Benton Home
3616
Belleview, Kansas City.
Phone
816-931-5722.
This magnificent structure was home to artist Thomas Hart Benton from 1939 until
his death in 1975. The studio exhibits Benton's paintings, lithographs and
sculptures as well as many of his tools. Self-guided tours only. Monday-Saturday
10 am-4 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm (summer) or 11 am-4 pm (winter).
Toy & Miniature Museum
5235 Oak St.,
Kansas City.
Phone
816-333-2055.
Located in a restored 1911 mansion, this museum's extensive collection of
miniatures spans the early 1800s to the present. It includes toys, dolls,
dollhouses, model cars and more. Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm.
Harry S.
Truman Presidential Library and Museum
500 W. U.S.
Highway 24 (at Delaware Street, about 10 miles from downtown Kansas City),
Independence.
Toll-free
800-833-1225
One of the permanent exhibits reproduces Truman's Oval Office, including a
Dumont television (Truman was the first president to have a TV in the White
House). Truman's original "The Buck Stops Here" sign, given to him in 1945, is
also on display. The library contains some 10 million papers, books and other
historical documents relating to his life and administration. Monday-Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday 9 am-5 pm, Thursday 9 am-9 pm..
Kansas City Museum
3218 Gladstone
Blvd., Kansas City.
Phone
816-483-8300.
Located in a beaux-arts mansion from the early 1900s, the museum focuses on
regional and natural history, including hands-on exhibits and dioramas about the
city's history and climate. There's also a 1910 soda fountain and a planetarium.
Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 am-4:30 pm, Sunday noon-4:30 pm. Sky shows Friday at 1:30
pm, Saturday every 45 minutes 1-3:15 pm, Sunday at 2:30 pm.
Worlds of
Fun/Oceans of Fun
4545 Worlds of
Fun Ave. (take Exit 54 off I-435), Kansas City.
Phone
816-454-4545.
These adjacent
amusement parks contain several roller coasters, including the Boomerang, which
corkscrews forward and backward, and the Mamba, which is tall, long and fast.
The water park has slides and a wave pool. Paradise Falls, an interactive water
funhouse, debuted in 2003. The parks open at 10 am, but closing time ranges from
6 pm to midnight, depending on the day of the week and the time of year. Closed
on weekdays Labor Day-Memorial Day.
Kansas City
Zoo
6700 Zoo Drive
(just west of I-435 and Gregory Boulevard, in Swope Park), Kansas City.
Phone
816-513-5700.
Exotic animals
in natural environments. Don't miss the free-roaming kangaroos and the African
exhibit with lions, gorillas, giraffes, chimpanzees and other animals. In early
2004, the zoo welcomed the birth of a female black rhino. March-October daily
9:30 am-5 pm, November-February daily 10 am-4:00 pm. An extra fee applies for
the IMAX theater.
Weston Bend State Park
Off Highway 45
(near Weston and Fort Leavenworth), Kansas City.
Phone
816-640-5443.
Perched on a hillside overlooking the Missouri River, this beautiful park has
trails that are well marked, easily accessible and equipped with parking, water
and restrooms at the trailhead. There are also a few undeveloped trails that let
you feel as if you're alone in the woods. Offers camping and fishing, too. Daily
7 am to sunset. Admission to the park is free.
Kansas City
