Kansas City: BBQ Capital, Jazz Soul, and Host of Six FIFA World Cup 2026 Matches

The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America's official museum for the First World War — the only institution in the country dedicated solely to the Great War. Funded by Kansas City citizens who raised more than $2.5 million in just ten days in 1919, the museum sits beneath the 217-foot Liberty Memorial Tower, which offers the finest panoramic view of downtown Kansas City from its open-air observation deck. The 100,000+ artifact collection includes life-size trench reconstructions, a glass-floor walkway over a field of 9,000 poppies (each representing 1,000 combatant deaths), and exhibits that genuinely change how you understand the 20th century. General admission is approximately $20.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is one of the great American art museums — and one of the few major museums in the country with free general admission. The collection of more than 35,000 works spans 5,000 years, with particularly strong holdings in European painting (Caravaggio, Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh), Asian art (one of the finest American collections), and contemporary work. The 22-acre Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park surrounding the building features the museum's most photographed installation: four giant Claes Oldenburg badminton shuttlecocks, each weighing 5,500 pounds, scattered across the lawn.

Country Club Plaza is America's first planned suburban shopping district — opened in 1922 by developer J.C. Nichols with Spanish-inspired architecture explicitly modeled on Seville. The 15 city blocks of red tile roofs, fountains, statues, and Mediterranean detail contain over 150 shops and restaurants and become one of the most magical urban environments in the country during the holiday season, when the Plaza Lights illuminate every building from Thanksgiving through mid-January. The Plaza Art Fair every September is one of the finest outdoor art festivals in the Midwest.

The 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District is the birthplace of Kansas City jazz — a uniquely improvisational style that emerged during Prohibition when KC's wide-open political climate allowed nightclubs to operate without restriction. Charlie 'Bird' Parker, Count Basie, and dozens of other jazz innovators built their reputations here. The district today houses the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (a powerful tribute to the Kansas City Monarchs and the broader pre-integration Black baseball tradition) — both essential, and both honored as national museums by Congress.

Kansas City barbecue is one of the four great American regional barbecue traditions — defined by slow-smoked meats over hickory and oak, a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce, and the city's signature invention: burnt ends (the crispy, intensely flavored cubes from the point of a smoked brisket). Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (a former gas station famously named one of the best barbecue restaurants in America by Anthony Bourdain) is the modern KC standard. Arthur Bryant's, operating since 1908, is the historic original — Calvin Trillin called it 'the single best restaurant in the world' in the 1970s. Jack Stack is the most polished sit-down option. Q39 is the contemporary craft BBQ benchmark. Plan to eat at multiple. KC locals defend their favorites with religious intensity.

Beyond BBQ, Kansas City's culinary scene has matured significantly. The Crossroads Arts District is the city's restaurant innovation engine, home to Jarocho (acclaimed Mexican seafood), Novel (modern American), and Corvino Supper Club (one of the most creative tasting menus in the Midwest). The Plaza offers higher-end traditional fine dining including The Capital Grille and Bristol Seafood Grill. For breakfast, You Say Tomato and Cafe Cà Phê (Vietnamese coffee, the city's most photographed Asian-American cafe) draw long lines. Don't miss Fritz's Railroad Restaurant at Crown Center, where food is delivered to your table by overhead model train.

Kansas City's drink culture is anchored by Boulevard Brewing Company — the largest independent specialty brewer in the American Midwest, with a flagship taproom and tour facility in the Crossroads. Tom's Town Distilling Co. is the city's premier craft distillery, producing gin, vodka, and bourbon in a Prohibition-themed downtown tasting room. The American Royal World Series of Barbecue (typically September) is the largest barbecue competition in the world, drawing 500+ teams and over 100,000 visitors to the Kansas Speedway.