KC's Memorial Day Weekend Planner

2016 Edition

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Kick off summer fun with these great ideas for Memorial Day Weekend!

  • Attend Celebration at the Station May 29 at 8:00 p.m. at Union Station (30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, MO). The best Memorial Day weekend event in the Midwest returns for its 14th rousing year. At 8 p.m., conductor Aram Demirjian will lead the Kansas City Symphony in a two-hour concert event featuring crowd favorites such as The Stars and Stripes Forever, and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Special guests include local jazz greats, saxophonist Bobby Watson and vocalist Kevin Mahogany. This free performance is followed by Kansas City’s largest fireworks display. Picnic on the north lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial while enjoying fabulous pre-concert entertainment.
  • Honor Those who Served, May 27-30 at  National World War I Museum and Memorial. Admission to the Museum is FREE for veterans and active duty military personnel, while admission for the general public is HALF-PRICE all weekend. The Museum offers nearly 10 events during the course of the weekend for people of all ages and interests, including a free public ceremony at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day featuring former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Kansas City native General (Ret.) Richard Myers. See a full run of schedule https://www.theworldwar.org/memorialday
  • Catch Matilda the Musical at Starlight May 24-28. The winner of 50 international honors, including four Tony Awards®, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
  • Check out Jurassic Garden: A Prehistoric Adventure at Powell Gardens thru Oct. 3. Travel back millions of years to explore the lost world of dinosaurs and prehistoric plant life! You will encounter incredibly realistic dinosaur replicas, designed by Missouri's Guy Darrough, a well known fossil collector, fossil preparation expert and illustrator. From his Lost World Studios in Arnold, Mo., Guy creates realistic models of prehistoric animals using fossilized bones and other materials. The lifelike dinosaurs, large and small, will be placed throughout the Gardens and include a 32-foot T Rex, 30-foot Hypsibema—Missouri's state dinosaur, and many more! On May 28 & 29, participate in Digging for Dinos. Dig into the paleontology field and experience hands-on how hard it is to dig fossils out of stone! Drop by any time from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. And don't miss Jurassic Garden: A Prehistoric Adventure! See incredibly realistic dinosaur replicas scattered throughout the Gardens. Visit powellgardens.org/JurassicGarden for details.
  • Visit Doodle Reef at Sea Life. This All New Interactive Exhibit Opens May 27! Come to Sea Life on Friday, May 27th beginning at 9:00am for the Grand Opening celebration of Doodle Reef, the all-new exhibit! Enjoy courtyard activities including a special appearance from Quixotic Cirque Nouveau before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30am. Be among the first to explore this all-new interactive exhibit!
  • Be the first to visit The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD® at Crown Center thru Sept. 5. FREE Admission. Hours: Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sun, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is an exciting hands-on traveling exhibit created by the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in collaboration with Hasbro. The exhibit features MR. POTATO HEAD, the much-loved silly character, who becomes an explorer, scientist, and adventurer with a change of his "parts." In addition to building a variety of essential academic skills, the exhibit encourages children to welcome new experiences with confidence, curiosity and humor, to think about all they can be and do, and to always respect themselves and others.
  • Spend Memorial Day Weekend at the Kansas City Zoo! Beginning on Saturday, May 28, visit the Zoo starting at new opening time, 8 am. Take advantage of the early morning hours through Labor Day. Take a walkabout to see the koalas, Coedie and Burra. Learn all about their picky eating habits and why they sleep so much at the Zookeeper Chats at 11:30 am and 1 pm. Stop by at 11 am on Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29 to see the Penguin March as penguins parade around the Helzberg Penguin Plaza, enjoying the fresh outdoor air. Get an up-close encounter with Humboldt penguins as they strut their stuff for all Zoo guests to see.
  • Guests to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun enjoy admission to both parks for the price of one. New in 2016, enjoy five NEW rides at Planet Snoopy! Plus, Oceans of Fun opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend.
  • Schlitterbahn opens for the season Memorial Day weekend. Parking is always free, picnics are welcome, and memories are made as guests ride the world's tallest water slide, float through rapids, and swim the day away.
  • Enjoy Kid's Night Music in the Park in Lee's Summit. May 27 starting at 6:30pm in Howard Station Park in Downtown Lee’s Summit. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for seating. 
  • Explore the newest exhibit at Union Station, BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life. The exhibit invites you to consider the form, function and beauty of the human body through all stages of life. 
  • Local outdoor pools open for the season. Our faves are featured in our KC Water Fun Guide or visit KCParent.com and click “Going Places” for a complete guide.
  • Lawrence Busker Festival May 27 - 29, Lawrence, KS. Now in it's 8th year, the Lawrence Busker Festival is the area's largest gathering of street performers in the area. Come join us for three days of fun. The festival is partnering with the Art Tougeau Art Car Parade to make it a really weird weekend. Look for bigger better acts that you have never seen before! Over 25 different acts on 5 stages in 3 days. 
  • Cool Crest offers great Memorial Day specials! Enjoy classic family fun, whether you love go-karts, miniature golf or arcades. Cool Crest is the place for fun.
  • Enjoy Kansas City’s lakes. The swim beaches open for the season, and several local lakes offer boat rental. Key: S=Swim Beach, B=Boat Rental, F=Fishing

And, check out our 100 Ways to Enjoy Summer with Kids in KC for more ideas!