Explore the secret side of Kansas City with a trip to these local gems.
9 Hidden Wonders in the Heart of Kansas City

Giant, colorful book spines line the south wall of a parking garage in downtown Kansas City. From Margaret Wise Brown’s “Goodnight Moon” to Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22,” the 42 books featured in the Community Bookshelf represent some of literature's most beloved titles.

The mural was conceived in 2004 by library trustee Jonathan Kemper. Residents submitted titles they wanted on the “shelf,” and by fall of that year, the project was completed. Since then, the mural’s location has evolved into a small community park, shaded by sycamore trees. 

Some of the spines, which are constructed of signboard mylar, represent books that have been challenged, burned, or banned. In 1928, Chicago Public Schools banned L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” for “depicting women in strong leadership roles.” Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” was banned in New Mexico in 2001 for promoting satanic behavior and witchcraft. 

Often mistaken for the library itself—the Central Library is located next door in a restored former bank building that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places—the bookshelf is located on 10th Street, between Wyandotte Street and Baltimore Avenue.

In 1988, five treasure hunters embarked on a  years-long journey of discovery that culminated in the Arabia Steamboat Museum. 

The steamboat Arabia, built in Pennsylvania in 1853, powered its way along the mighty Missouri until it hit a snag and sank in the fall of 1856. While no passengers were lost, the boat’s entire cargo—along with a lone mule—plunged to the riverbed below. 

After learning of the boat’s ill-fated voyage from an eccentric customer, Bob Hawley and his two sons, who owned a heating and air company, were captivated. They recruited two more friends and started digging. Four months later, the Arabia had revealed a significant collection of stunningly preserved pre-Civil War artifacts. 

Stroll along the meticulously reconstructed main deck and observe the boat’s boiler, anchor, and in-motion stern wheel. Glass display cases exhibit rows of Wedgwood china, coffee kettles, clothes, pipes, shoes, and tools. Additionally, you’ll find clear-blue medicine bottles, tins still filled with pie fruit, and hundreds of other items that transport visitors to another time.

In an intimate gallery within the Renaissance wing of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a softly illuminated corner shelters a holy relic. The gilded silver reliquary purportedly holds a finger bone of St. John the Baptist. Dating back to 1400, the relic was part of the Guelph Treasure—a collection of medieval and early Renaissance religious objects originally housed in the Cathedral of St. Blaise in Brunswick, Germany. During the 1930s, this collection toured the U.S., drawing record-breaking crowds. 

Just a short distance from the relic, explore the European Painting and Sculpture gallery and immerse yourself in Caravaggio’s 1604 masterpiece, “Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness.” This painting portrays the Biblical giant as a young man set against a dark backdrop of oak trees.

In Kansas City, Hallmark isn't merely a greeting-card store; it's a sprawling campus that covers an area roughly equivalent to 60 football fields. Crown Center, the embodiment of the company founder J. C. Hall's vision as a 'city within a city,' not only houses Hallmark's corporate offices but also includes a mall, a creative workspace for kids, and even a Catholic church.

Within the free Hallmark Visitors Center, wind through the halls and peruse glass cases brimming with ephemeral artifacts that trace the evolution of the iconic brand. Discover everything from its most cherished card of all time—1939 purple pansies—to significant artistic partnerships with luminaries such as Walt Disney and poet Maya Angelou. 

Experience the enchanting Hall of Christmas Trees, where each tree boosts a unique theme conceived by company employees and presented to the Hall family every holiday season. Particularly captivating is a 1970s tree, entirely crafted from dough. Another tree is adorned in authentic pearls and other jewels salvaged by employees following a flood that destroyed Hall’s original department store.

Be sure not to overlook Hall’s private-collection paintings: one from Winston Churchill, and another, a commission by Norman Rockwell, both proudly on display. Additionally, parking is free in the Crown Center deck for up to 2 hours with validation.

They say time heals all wounds, and the Union Station lamp post clock certainly tells a story of resilience. Built by the Boston-based E. Howard Clock Company in the 1880s, the original clock was located at 10th and Main streets, near the present-day library district. 

In 1918, the clock found a new home at 11th Street and Grand Avenue. By 1936, amidst the challenges of the Great Depression, this timepiece journeyed to its current location at Union Station, a significant waypoint for thousands of U.S. Armed Forces personnel returning home from World War II.

For over five decades, the clock stood dutifully as passengers came and went, buses whizzed by, and new hotels and high-rises ushered in a new era. Over time, the elements took their toll on the clock. In 1999, it was refurbished with funding from the Helzberg family, of diamond fame. 

A significant storm in 2015 inflicted damage on the clock, prompting the Rainens, another local family, to contribute $50,000 for its repairs. The impaired external sections were sent to Massachusetts for restoration. Today, Union Station’s Science City showcases the clock’s internal mechanisms.

At Prospero’s Bookstore, a longstanding fixture in Kansas City’s 39th Street district, pretty much anything goes. On a high ledge on the main floor, an owl in a sunhat mingles with a jackalope, while a strange diorama encased in glass along the third-floor stairway fits right in. 

However, if there’s one thing the owners of Prospero’s take seriously, it’s books—spanning three floors, and housing 70 diverse categories with around 50,000 titles. Descend the staircase to the cellar below and escape into a good read, or stroll around while browsing decades of graffiti contributed by patrons. On the third floor, delve into a treasure trove of vinyl records, DVDs, and more.

History buffs will also find delight in Prospero’s. A safe and other elements of the building’s 1890 origins can be discovered throughout the store, along with antique telephones and refurbished original shelves from the Kansas City Public Library.

Operating with no website, phone number, or advertising, Kitty’s Cafe relies on word-of-mouth and its longstanding legacy to keep lines out the door—and it works. Both locals and savvy travelers are well aware of that, for over 70 years, this family-operated, no-frills lunch counter has been dishing up some of the finest fare in town. 

Burgers, chicken, and catfish sandwiches arrive wrapped in red-and-white checked paper, a nod to the diner’s roots dating back to 1951. Crispy and golden crinkle fries or tots make for a solid sidekick. Yet, the true star of Kitty’s menu is the tempura-style crispy pork tenderloin sandwich—a creation resembling a fried fish sandwich—and embodying the cafe’s Japanese-American roots.

Kitty’s is a cash-only, grab-and-go cafe with no indoor seating. A few covered tables are available outside.

Step inside the 1950s All-Electric House and journey back in time. Serving as the centerpiece of the Johnson County Museum’s “Becoming Johnson County” exhibit, this house was built by Kansas City Power & Light in 1953 to champion the concept of electrified suburban life—a home fully equipped with cutting-edge conveniences. 

Among the notable features are a remote-controlled lighting system and electric curtain openers. With the simple click of a remote, a painting above the mantel would gracefully slide aside, revealing a television set. An especially remarkable feature of its time was the electric heat pump—an innovative unit that provided both heating and cooling for the entire house. 

Echoes of the era come alive throughout the house, from the salmon-pink laminate countertops and the General Electric refrigerator with the robin-egg blue interior, to metal nursery toys and nesting Pyrex bowls.  

In 1954, nearly 60,000 people embarked on tours of this home representing the future. This exhibit is located in the Johnson County Museum, part of the Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park, Kansas, about 25 minutes from downtown Kansas City.

Nestled on a side road within the historic jazz enclave of Kansas City’s 18th & Vine district, stands an aged brick building with an incredible story. Hand-painted music notes dance along the front wall, while a gnarled Catalpa tree offers shade. During the day, a knock on the door would likely go unanswered. After midnight is when the magic starts brewing. 

Built in 1904, this two-story jazz hub was originally a six-room apartment complex. By 1917, the Local 627—a union of Black Jazz musicians—emerged in Kansas City and eventually called the building home. It served not only as a thriving social hub but also the headquarters that orchestrated the harmony of local and touring Black musicians. 

Step inside today and you can still smell the smoke and sweat of over a hundred years of elbow-rubbing and music-making embedded in the wood-paneled walls. Famed entertainers from Count Basie, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie to Kansas City, Kansas, native Charlie “Bird” Parker all graced these hallowed rooms. More recently, the bands of both Stevie Wonder and Prince have stopped in.

A modest plaque to the right of the front door reminds visitors that, in 1981, the building was officially designated a National Historic Landmark, a tribute to its pivotal role in nurturing the growth of Kansas City jazz during the transformative decades of the 1930s and 1940s.