Free Things to Do in Kansas City, Missouri

At a glance

Where: Kansas City, Missouri (every pick has a Kansas City, MO address)
Cost: Free: the ten picks below. Not free: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Hours: Typically daily for parks, Tuesday to Saturday for Hallmark Visitors Center; check each official site before you go
Best free anchor: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, free every day it is open

The best free things to do in Kansas City, Missouri are the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Union Station, the Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall, the free KC Streetcar and a string of parks and gardens. Two of the city's best-known museums, the National WWI Museum and Memorial and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, charge admission, so they are covered honestly below rather than slipped into the list.

Every pick here has a Kansas City, Missouri address. Nothing is across the state line in Kansas, and nothing is in Independence or another suburb.

Which big Kansas City attractions are actually free?

Of the four attractions people ask about most, two are free to enter and two are not. Here is the straight answer, with the rule taken from each official site.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: free. The museum says admission is free every day, for everyone. Guests check in before entering the galleries.
Union Station: free to enter. Union Station Kansas City says it welcomes visitors to explore the historic building at no cost. Individual exhibits, Science City, the planetarium and the touring exhibition are ticketed.
National WWI Museum and Memorial: not free. General admission is $19.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors and military and $11.50 for youth ages 6 to 15, according to the museum's visit page. Children under 6 and members are free.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: not free. The museum's ticket page lists adults at $15, seniors 65 and over and children 5 to 12 at $12, veterans at $10 and children 0 to 4 free. Members and active military get in free.

Prices change, so check each official site before you go.

How we chose

Every pick had to be inside Kansas City, Missouri, open, and free to enter or use with no ticket. We confirmed each against its own official site (the museum, Kansas City Parks and Recreation, the Kauffman Foundation, the KC Streetcar Authority or Hallmark). If an official page would not confirm that entry is free, the place was left out. Parking, food and optional tours can cost money even where entry is free.

The 10 free things to do in Kansas City

1. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, at 4525 Oak Street near the Country Club Plaza, is free every day for everyone. Typical hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Monday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and the museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Check in first, online or at a kiosk.

Bloch Building galleries can close for maintenance, so check the official visit page for what is on view. Plan for the Thursday and Friday evenings if you want the longest day. See Country Club Plaza for what is nearby.

2. Union Station

Union Station, at 30 W. Pershing Road beside Crown Center, is free to walk into. The building is typically open 6 a.m. to midnight, and the station says it welcomes visitors to explore the historic space at no cost. Built in 1914, it covers about 850,000 square feet and its Grand Hall has a 95-foot ceiling, according to the station's about page.

Skip the ticket counters and just look up. Spaces such as the Model Train Gallery and the Freight House Pedestrian Bridge can close, so check the station's site before you plan around them. Details on Crown Center are on the neighborhood page.

3. Hallmark Visitors Center

The Hallmark Visitors Center, at 290 E. 25th Street in Crown Center, is listed as free by Crown Center and is typically open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday, and on Thanksgiving, December 24, December 25 and January 1. Hallmark's own page lists no admission price, so check the Crown Center listing before you go.

4. The Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall

The Kansas City Museum, at 3218 Gladstone Boulevard in the Historic Northeast, states that general admission is free. Hours are typically Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The museum has a James Turrell Skyspace and an on-site soda fountain called Elixir, though food and drink are not free.

5. The KC Streetcar

The KC Streetcar is free to ride between the River Market and the University of Missouri-Kansas City area, according to the KC Streetcar Authority. Service typically runs 5 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. It works as a free sightseeing line through Downtown Kansas City, the Crossroads Arts District and the River Market.

6. The Scout in Penn Valley Park

The Scout, a bronze figure of a Native American man on horseback, stands in Penn Valley Park off Penn Drive. Sculptor Cyrus Dallin's work was installed in 1921 and dedicated in 1922, per Kansas City Parks and Recreation. The park is typically open 5 a.m. to midnight, and the overlook is free.

7. Loose Park and its Rose Garden

Loose Park, at 5100 Wornall Road, has a rose garden of about 3,000 roses in nearly 130 varieties on 1.5 acres, which began in 1931, per Kansas City Parks and Recreation. The park is typically open 5 a.m. to midnight and charges no admission. Picnics and food are not allowed inside the rose garden itself, and photo shoots and weddings need a paid permit.

8. Kauffman Memorial Garden

The Kauffman Memorial Garden, on the Kauffman Foundation campus at 4801 Rockhill Road, says admission and parking are free and the garden is open year-round. It has bronze sculptures by Tom Corbin, fountains and plantings changed at least four times a year. Dogs (except service animals), alcohol, smoking, bikes and portrait sessions are not allowed. The Kauffman Foundation does not post daily hours online, so check its site before a visit.

9. Cliff Drive Scenic Byway

Cliff Drive, in Kessler Park in the Historic Northeast, is a roughly 4.27-mile Missouri State Scenic Byway designated on June 2, 2000, running from The Paseo and Independence Avenue to Gladstone Boulevard at Belmont Boulevard. Kansas City Parks and Recreation says it is closed to motorized vehicles, so it is for walkers and cyclists, typically 5 a.m. to midnight. Guided pedicab tours, when offered, are booked separately.

10. Mill Creek Park Fountain

Mill Creek Park, at Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Mill Creek Parkway on the east edge of the Country Club Plaza, holds the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, whose figures Henri-Léon Gréber sculpted in 1910 and which was dedicated in 1960. It shows four horsemen said to represent the Mississippi, Volga, Seine and Rhine rivers, with four children playing on fish usually called dolphins. The park is typically open 5 a.m. to midnight. To check the fountain is running before you go, call Kansas City Parks and Recreation at 816-513-7500.

Save this: a free Saturday route

One route fits Saturday opening hours, starting with the stops that close earliest.

10 a.m.: Hallmark Visitors Center, 290 E. 25th Street (closes at 4 p.m.).
Late morning: Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, next door to Crown Center. Walk the Grand Hall.
Midday: The Scout in Penn Valley Park, a short drive away.
Afternoon: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak Street (closes at 5 p.m. Saturday).
Late afternoon: Mill Creek Park Fountain, then Loose Park's rose garden before dusk.

On a Sunday, swap Hallmark for the Kansas City Museum, which opens at noon. Remember that the Nelson-Atkins is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and Hallmark is closed Sunday and Monday.

What does free not include?

Free entry does not cover parking at every site, special exhibitions, food or tours. At Union Station, Science City, the planetarium and the touring exhibition are ticketed. At the Nelson-Atkins, check-in is free but a meal at Rozzelle Court Restaurant is not. Parks have free entry, but weddings and photo shoots need a paid permit from Kansas City Parks and Recreation. For free events on specific dates, see the Kansas City events page.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art free?

Yes, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri is free every day, for everyone. Guests check in before entering the galleries, and the museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Is the National WWI Museum and Memorial free?

No, general admission to the National WWI Museum and Memorial is $19.50 for adults, with children under 6 and members free. Seniors and military pay $15.50 and youth ages 6 to 15 pay $11.50.

Is Union Station in Kansas City free?

Yes, Union Station Kansas City says visitors can explore the historic building at no cost. Exhibits such as Science City, the planetarium and touring exhibitions require tickets.

Is the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum free?

No, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum charges $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and children 5 to 12, and $10 for veterans. Children 0 to 4, members and active military are free.

Is the Kansas City Streetcar free?

Yes, the KC Streetcar is free to ride, according to the KC Streetcar Authority. It runs between the River Market and the University of Missouri-Kansas City area.

Where can you go in Kansas City for free with kids?

The Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall and the Hallmark Visitors Center both list free admission. Loose Park and its rose garden are also free, though food and picnics are not allowed inside the rose garden itself.