Summer is a season of dream fulfillment...going all out for unforgettable memories and exceptional experiences. This summer, go big right in your own backyard!
Big Thrills
Ride or Drive a Race Car at Kansas Speedway
The Richard Petty Driving Experience (800.237.3889) at Kansas Speedway allows fans to take a ride or get behind the wheel of a 600-hp NASCAR race car. Experience the Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile tri-oval track at speeds of up to 155 mph. Driving experiences are offered for adults only. The ride-along experience is offered for guests ages 14 and older, and children ages 6-13 (and at least 48 inches tall) may participate in the junior ride-along experience. Enjoy the thrills and excitement of riding shotgun in a race car driven around the track by a professional instructor!
Seven World-Class Roller Coasters
Kansas City’s own Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are two theme parks enjoyed for the price of one ticket. Worlds of Fun is a roller coaster enthusiast’s dream park! It’s home to seven world-class roller coasters, including one of the tallest, longest and fastest roller coasters in the world, the Mamba, with a first drop of 205 feet! The Patriot is a giant inverted coaster that carries the daring through four inversions at a top speed of 65 mph. The extremely daring can pay an extra fee to experience the Ripcord, a sky coaster attraction that sends riders in a free-fall pendulum motion from 180 feet in the air at speeds of up to 80 mph. At Oceans of Fun, enjoy a huge water park with waterslides, rapids, an 800-foot rapids river and a wave pool. This year at Worlds of Fun, families enjoy the addition of five new rides in Planet Snoopy, all introducing the youngest theme park visitors to new and exciting thrills.
Giant Underwater Tunnel
Meet sea animals face to face at Meet sea animals face to face at Sea Life Aquarium, a favorite local attraction taking guests under the sea on a 2- to 3-hour journey from the fresh waters of the Missouri River, into the mighty Mississippi River, then out into the warm, blue, coral-strewn waters of the Caribbean Sea, ending in the deep, dark abyss of the Atlantic Ocean. Come nose to nose with sharks and enjoy astonishingly close views of everything from starfish and seahorses to graceful rays. A favorite is the tropical ocean tank with a walk-through underwater tunnel.
Big Stuff
Jurassic Gardens
At Powell Gardens through Oct. 3 experience Jurassic Gardens: A Prehistoric Adventure. Visitors explore the gardens and discover plants and animals of the prehistoric world through an exhibit created by Missouri's own Guy Darrough. Dinosaur replicas will be found throughout the gardens, and interactive activities, including a new life-size dinosaur dig, create an adventure you won't want to miss. Tip: Plan to attend Booms & Blooms, July 2, with dazzling daylilies, patriotic music, good eats and sizzling fireworks over a dark country sky! And don’t miss the Festival of Butterflies, Aug. 5-7 and 12-14.
Super-Sized Sewing
In the 1930s, Kansas City’s garment district was known as the “Paris of the Plains.” It was home to many of the nation’s leading clothing manufacturers and was second only to New York City. Now, that history is preserved at the Historic Garment District Museum (801 Broadway, Kansas City, MO, 816.474.2112). The museum is free and open to the public on Saturdays from 10:00 to 4:00 (and Wed.-Fri. by appointment), with exhibits featuring more than 300 Kansas City-made garments and accessories. Across the street, at 404 8th St., a 22-foot needle and thread pay homage to Kansas City’s history in the fashion industry.
Mega Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the largest art gallery west of the Mississippi, truly encapsulates the biggest collection of the best of Kansas City—literally and figuratively. Gracing the lawn of the galleries, the Shuttlecocks (more than 17 feet tall and weighing more than 5,000 pounds), are perhaps the most recognized outdoor sculptures in the Midwest. Most of us are familiar with the Shuttlecocks on the lawn of the Nelson, but how many of us know why shuttlecocks? The artists imagined the museum as a net with a large game taking place on the lawn. The feathers and shapes reminded them of teepees and the Native Americans who first lived here.
A Big Collection of Little Stuff
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures underwent a tremendous makeover last year. The museum retains the magic and whimsy we’ve loved for years. The first impression is incredible: a giant rotating spiral of toys backlit and greeting visitors who delight in finding their own favorites and discovering new ones on the animated real-life collage. The dollhouse displays are beautifully lit and presented, and the Coleman dollhouse, in a new home, will still open every December, maintaining a special holiday tradition. New and improved exhibits throughout include a Grandma’s Attic display showcasing toys and presenting their individual stories as treasures to be discovered. Visitors will enjoy interactive exhibits, learning more about the process of creating and making both miniatures and toys. And the joy of discovering favorites from each family generation’s childhood remains intact.
Kristina Light lives in Kansas City with her family.