BBQ, Street Art and Beers, Oh My! Kansas City Has It All and More!

I recently got back from not one, but 2 long weekends in Kansas City and had such an amazing time! There is so much you can pack into just one weekend from eating BBQ, bar hopping, strolling through museums, and checking out the seemingly never-ending supply of amazing street art. Kansas City is one amazing city!

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite things we did and how you can make the most of your trip to KC too!

Disclaimer: Please continue to observe CDC and WHO guidelines and follow safety protocols to not put yourself or others at risk during the COVID-19 Pandemic. There was a strict mask mandate when we visited Kansas City, and certain places have reduced hours or may be closed during your visit.

Eat Kansas City BBQ!

You can’t go to Kansas city without eating BBQ at least once on your trip. There are so many options to choose from you really can’t go wrong!

I had the great pleasure of eating at both Arthur Bryant’s and Char Bar during my recent visits and they were both delicious and had very different vibes.

Arthur Bryant’s is a no-frills, counter service joint with fast service and huge serving sizes. The restaurant is inside a historic brick building, extremely common in KC, with really not much else around it. Trust me when I say it’s worth going a little bit out of your way to try this place! The line is usually out the door, but it moves pretty quickly.

Char Bar is a trendy spot located in a hip part of town known as Westport. The outdoor patio is a great place to hang out with bags, bocce and fire pits to sit around. I highly recommend making a reservation in advance, especially if you plan to eat here on a weekend.

Need more options? There are over 100 barbecue restaurants in Kansas City to choose from and Visit KC launched their own app to help you decide where to go with their handy KC BBQ Experience app

Visit a Museum

Kansas City is rich in the arts and has dozens of museums all over the city, but it’s most known and widely celebrated is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Home to over 35,000 pieces of art, you could easily spend an entire day here - for free!

The National Museum of Toys + Miniatures is such a unique museum you won’t likely find the treasures there anywhere else. Get up close and marvel at just how tiny these miniature pieces really are! Then make your way to the 2nd floor and take a walk down memory lane with collections of toys from every era.

National WW1 Museum + Momument is America’s official WW1 Museum and it’s located right in the heart of Kansas City! Unfortunately while I was there we got to the museum after they had already closed for the day, but the monument is free to visit and has amazing views of downtown.

Need more ideas? Check out all the other museums you can visit in Kansas City here!

Tour Union Station

Like much of the midwest, Kansas City once had a bustling train station and everything centered around trains from delivering mail to travel.

Union Station is Kansas City’s grand, historic train station that has permanent & temporary exhibits, and even a planetarium, science center and movie theater! It’s really a one-stop shop if you want to pack a bunch of activities into a single place.

The building has been beautifully restored to it’s glory from 1914 and is the second-largest working train station in the country. You can catch an Amtrak train to just about anywhere, or hop on Kansas City’s Street Car (for free!) and head Downtown.

Bar Hopping + Breakfast in Westport

Westport is the oldest part of Kansas city with tons of cool bars and restaurants to choose from. While there, check out Kelly’s - the oldest bar in Kansas City!

If you’re looking for a sports bar with a good rooftop patio, head down to the Ale House.

In the morning after a night out, make a reservation for brunch at Snooze AM, where you can cure your hangover with bloodies, beermosas and a flight of pancakes.

Shopping in the Plaza

The Country Club Plaza is a beautiful part of Kansas City with amazing architecture and over 15 blocks of upscale shopping. You could easily spend an entire afternoon here shopping til you drop!

Drink Local at Boulevard Brewing

I love checking out breweries when visiting a new city, so a visit to Boulevard Brewing was a must for me.

Take a tour, grab some food and enjoy their extensive beer menu. You can also reserve a spot to play shuffle board on the rec deck! Make sure to check out the shop and grab some goodies to remember your trip to KC!

Pretend You’re in Hawaii at HiTides Coffee

I found out about HiTides Coffee by accident when I was looking for art alley Downtown.

The laid back vibes and Hawaiian themed menu was appealing to me in it’s own right, but when I saw they also had Dole Whip, I was sold! It was so good I made sure to visit again on my return trip to KC just a couple weeks later.

See some Street Art in Art Alley

Just a few steps from HiTides, you’ll find yourself surrounded by street art in a tucked away alley, known simply as Art Alley. Located in the Crossroads district of Downtown, between 17th and 18th Streets near Locust and Cherry, Art Alley serves as a canvas for artists in the city.

Want to see even more (free) art? Check out the lobby of the 21c Museum + Hotel Savoy for a contemporary collection of art open 7 days a week.

Patty Carroll: Flora and Fauxna exhibit at 21c

Take Photos and Drink like Pirates in West Bottoms

The West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas City is a little rough around the edges, but has some really amazing hidden gems beneath a layer of broken glass, seemingly abandoned buildings and tons of graffiti.

It’s a popular part of town for artists looking to take some cool photos. We passed many others like us who were there simply to take some street photos.

As we wandered around we stumbled upon a pirate-themed bar called The Ship. With a full drink and food menu, The Ship has something for everyone!

Also in the West Bottoms neighborhood are plenty of antique shops, a winery and Hammerpress and Normal Human, two screen-print innovators that share a retail space full of unique accessories, gifts, cards, T-shirts and more.

Taste Cuisine From All over the World at the Kansas City River Market

The River market district of Kansas City is home to the historic City Market, a bustling collection of indoor/outdoor shops, restaurants and the Arabia Steamboat Museum which houses the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world

On weekends until 3pm, there is a farmers market with over 140 stalls with everything from fresh produce, flowers and antiques. But don’t worry, if you can’t make it there in time specifically for the farmers market, there are still plenty of permanent stalls to make the trip worth your while!

My friends and I grabbed a variety of food from The Taste of Brazil and the Tikka House so we could sample a bunch of goodies.

After lunch, If you’ve left yourself any room, you can treat yourself with Gelato from Carollo’s or ice cream from Betty Rae’s

Kansas City is a unique place with tons of historic buildings, rich in the arts and culture and has some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Honestly, I was blown away by how nice everyone is! Whether you have just an afternoon or a full week to explore with friends, family or flying solo, Kansas City has something to offer everyone!