African-American Heritage in Kansas City
Straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas, Kansas City is a growing metropolis with a thriving urban energy. A number of memorable museums tell stories of uniquely American history.
The Negro Leagues Baseball museum celebrates the African-American coaches, athletes and others who played professional baseball in the days before racial integration of the major leagues. Visitors learn about the history of the Negro Leagues, discover notable players and see artifacts related to the game.
Adjacent to the baseball museum is the American Jazz Museum. Dedicated to preserving the role of jazz in American culture, this museum gives groups an overview of the development of the musical genre and its migration from the South up the Mississippi River and into the Midwest. The museum includes a performance space where groups can hear live jazz.
While you’re there: Kansas City is home to the Hallmark corporation, and many groups enjoy visiting the company’s headquarters at Crown Center downtown. A visitors center at the site has exhibits detailing the company’s history and how its signature greeting cards are created.
A Titanic Experience in Branson
Groups have been traveling to Branson for decades. About 200 miles southeast of Kansas City, the city has become one of the foremost music and entertainment destinations in the country, with dozens of shows and more theater seats than New York’s Broadway district. Since 2006, though, tourists in Branson have also been taking time to visit the Titanic Museum.
Built by John Joslyn, who was part of a team that explored the remains of the Titanic in 1987, this museum features more than 400 artifacts recovered from the shipwreck as well as reproductions of some of its most memorable features, such as the Grand Staircase. Visitors learn about the ship’s impressive size and features, as well as the fateful night on its maiden voyage when the “unsinkable” ship sank in the north Atlantic.
Upon entry, each visitor to the museum receives a boarding pass with the name of a Titanic passenger. At the end of the visit, the visitor discovers whether that passenger survived or perished.
While you’re there: At Silver Dollar City, visitors experience an amusement park with an 1880s theme. In addition to rides, games and restaurants, the park features a variety of musical entertainment options.
