Explore the World in Your Own Backyard:
Travel around the world without leaving Kansas City
Looking for a new adventure in Kansas City? An exotic vacation is not in the budget or on the schedule? Here are four ideas for fun family outings without leaving Kansas City!
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Explore the world at local museums:
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak St., KCMO, 816.751.1278) is one of Kansas City’s greatest treasures with an extensive Chinese and Japanese gallery, and African and Indian art. The Nelson is one our favorite bad weather outings, and admission is always FREE! Explore art from around the world and for added fun, print out our Nelson-Atkins Scavenger Hunt before you go.
- The Strawberry Hill Museum (720 N. 4th St., KCKS, 913.371.3264) houses permanent exhibits for Croatia, the Ukraine, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia. Visitors see household items from these cultures, including clothing, books, toys, jewelry, linens and more.
- Irish Museum and Cultural Center (in Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd., KCMO, 816.474.3848). This museum tells the story of Irish immigration to Kansas City with artifacts, photos and genealogical sources. The center also offers classes in Gaelic, Irish music and crafts.
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Meet animals from around the world:
The Kansas City Zoo (6800 Zoo Drive, KCMO) features world-class exhibits for both Africa and Australia. Take in an animal keeper chat to learn more about gorillas, watch the elephants paint or feed the sheep in Australia. Don’t forget to enjoy the Tropics Exhibit to watch the animals play all around you! And, this year, you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of Africa with a round-trip ride aboard the African Sky Safari, where your toes dangle above cheetahs, lions, giraffes and rhinos. Plus you’ll land near one of the best chimpanzee exhibits in the world.
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Feast on food from around the world:
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to raise children with diverse culinary palates? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they thought sampling new food was fun and adventurous? This is possible thanks to the terrific variety of ethnic restaurants in Kansas City where children are welcome and the food is fun! TIP: Some of these restaurants are expensive. To save money and enjoy the experience, follow restaurants on Facebook where deals are often posted, watch Groupon and www.Restaurant.com for deals, dine at lunch when meals are less expensive and use coupons from the Entertainment Book.
- What could be more fun than watching a chef juggle knives, create an onion volcano or throw shrimp into Daddy’s mouth? Our favorite out-to-eat treat is a trip to a local hibachi restaurant, where we enjoy teriyaki and sushi. Chefs prepare the food right before your eyes for an entertaining and tasty meal. Three we love: Gojo Japanese Steakhouse (4163 Broadway St., KCMO, 816.561.2501), Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (19800 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, MO, 816.795.6808) and Shogun Japanese Steakhouse (12028 W. 95th St., Lenexa, KS, 913.438.3888)
- For a taste of Germany, visit Werner’s (5736 Johnson Dr., Mission, KS, 913.362.5955). The local butcher shop and grocery is disappearing from the American landscape, but Werner’s preserves the memory with their delicious selection of European delicatessen menu items. You can buy groceries to take home or enjoy lunch at their counter or outside at the picnic table where they serve European style sausages, sandwiches and Schnitzel, and strudel.
- Opa! Create an unforgettable celebration as you break plates at Tasso’s Greek Restaurant (8411 Wornall Rd., KCMO, 816.363.4776), Kansas City’s original Mediterranean restaurant. Tasso’s is known for its outstanding food and fun atmosphere. Another delicious and fun option is My Big Fat Greek Restaurant (14805 W. 119th St., Olathe, KS, 913.768.1944), where the dining staff dances to Greek music, arm in arm, ending their routine with the smashing of plates. At both restaurants, kids love the delicious, blazing appetizer, saganaki, also known as flaming cheese. And, don’t forget to end the meal with baklava.
- Make a trip to Brazil at an authentic churrascaria, where patrons enjoy skewered fire-roasted meats served by gaucho chefs throughout their meal: Em Chamas in the Northland (6101 NW 63rd Ter., KCMO, 816.505.7100) and Fogo de Chao on the Plaza (222 W. 47th St., KCMO, 816.931.7700)
- Fancy Ireland? Enjoy a delicious meal of fish 'n chips, shepherd's pie, corned beef & cabbage or Irish stew at an authentic Irish restaurant. I love the atmosphere at O'Malley's (500 Welt St., Weston, MO, 816.640.5235), the beauty of O’Dowd’s Little Dublin Restaurant (4742 Pennsylvania, on the Plaza, 816.561.2700 and 8600 NW Prairie View Rd., in Zona Rosa, 816. 268.6333) and the fun of Raglan Road (170 E. 14th St., in the Power and Light District, 816.994.9700). Or, make a visit to the Kansas City original: Browne’s Irish Market (3300 Pennsylvania Ave., KCMO, 816.561.0030). Serving since 1887, the establishment offers a lunch of sandwiches, soup, Irish stew and Dublin potato salad. Keep in mind most of these restaurants are Irish pubs so lunch and early dinner are the best dining times for the family.
- Enjoy a Czech breakfast at the Kolache Factory (7112 W. 135th St., OPKS, 913.851.2253). This spot is only open for breakfast and lunch, but you can purchase bakery kolaches to serve at home for an authentic treat.
- Ethiopian cuisine has been served at the Blue Nile Café for 12 years (Three KCMO locations: 20 E. 5th St., 2020 Main St. or on W. 39th St). My girls loved the sambusa, an Ethiopian appetizer pastry filled with veggies, beef and spices.
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We saved the best for last, the Ethnic Enrichment Festival:
Attending the Ethnic Enrichment Festival www.eeckc.org at Swope Park (Aug. 19-21), has been a family tradition since I was a child. Thanks to the festival, we’ve tried cuisine from around the world, enjoyed live musical performances from many cultures and seen the work of artisans from every inhabited continent. I recommend visiting the festival with a group if possible so you can sample many foods and share them. The festival is affordable at $3/ea., children 12 and under are free, and you’ll find food for $1-5/item. More than 60 nations are represented, each with booths selling food and crafts and offering samples and souvenirs.
Kristina Light looks forward to the Ethnic Festival every summer, where last summer she and her family sampled more than 20 new foods!