Things to do in Kansas City

Loose Park is a 75-acre green space with a rose garden, pond, and tennis courts, and it's dog-friendly. Berkley Riverfront offers broad biking and walking paths along the Missouri River. Swope Park is much larger—1,805 acres—with community gardens, a golf course, and soccer fields. Penn Valley Park also has the National WWI Museum and Memorial on its grounds.

The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium in Swope Park has zookeeper chats and animal interactions. Worlds of Fun is the big theme park with roller coasters and a Snoopy-themed kids' area. LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Aquarium sit in Crown Center, and Kaleidoscope offers free arts and crafts sessions for kids.

Knuckleheads is a biker-bar-style venue that books everything from rock to Elvis tributes to gospel. PBR Big Sky mixes live music with a mechanical bull and a Coors-heavy beer list. For bigger acts, Kansas City Stadium hosts both football and major concerts, and Starlight Theatre in Swope Park puts on Broadway shows and rock shows outdoors.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art spans 5,000 years of art and includes a sculpture garden. The National WWI Museum and Memorial is the only public museum in the country dedicated to World War I. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum covers the league's history from 1920 to Jackie Robinson's debut. The Arabia Steamboat Museum displays items recovered from a steamboat that sank in 1856.

Char Bar serves barbecue and Southern food with a beer garden and games. Garozzo's Ristorante Downtown is a homey Italian spot with old-school charm. Grünauer does Austrian-German cooking in a historic brick building. For Mexican, Ponak's is a no-frills cantina known for margaritas. The City Market has produce, baked goods, and spices from indoor and outdoor stalls.