The 19 best free attractions in Kansas City (2024)

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a renowned institution in Kansas City, housing an impressive art collection that spans 5,000 years. The museum consists of two large buildings, one designed in neoclassical style and the other with modern architecture. It showcases a variety of artworks from different regions and time periods, including ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Etruscan.

I absolutely love this place. Most of the galleries are free to the public and the exhibits that require a fee are very moderately priced. Nelson has one of the most significant art of Asia exhibits in the United States. In fact, many of the specimens here in the Nelson are shown in my Art of East Asia Art History text book for my BFA. This place has a fun little Egyptian art exhibit with a crusty old mummy which I must say is very well preserved and the display is exquisite. The restaurant has high quality foods at relatively affordable prices. You could spend a whole day here if you wanted. The sculpture yard is a good place to have a picnic on a warmer day and overall I’d just highly recommend you check out the Nelson Atkins.

Harvey F — Google review

Incredible and fantastic! Could not recommend more, 10 out 10. We literally just went to the Louvre and I enjoyed it here more. Not crowded, cool and refreshing air-conditioning. Beautiful artwork, wonderfully displayed. I felt like I got to go to a private section of the Louvre. Had I not gone I would have no idea how nice it was, we went across the world to see the thinker, when you had a copy right here, just a few states away!!! The glass maze was fun. Our son enjoyed the scavenger hunt, he puts on the pin he won on each shirt wears each day.

Rebecca R — Google review

This place is wild! We came for the shuttlecocks and stayed for the mini golf. Spent a little over 90 minutes here and didn't even step foot in the building, had way too much fun in the sculpture garden. Currently have an instillation where you can mini golf your way through the iconic pieces of the sculpture garden, I think we had more fun as three grown adults than the group of kids next to us. Great way to spend an afternoon and spark discussion about the necessary levels of stuffiness surrounding art.

Alyssa B — Google review

Spent the afternoon at the new Monet exhibit; was even more impressed by the modern/contemporary art. All museum personnel I interacted with were incredibly friendly & gracious. The museum is on the most incredible grounds. I live in Nashville & did not realize there was a world-class museum just across the Mississippi from me!

Blueshi E — Google review

A wonderful museum! It’s free to visit (the special exhibitions on the bottom floor are separate tickets that must be paid for, but are worth it).Plan to spend a whole day here if you want to see most of the exhibits. You will need more than one day to fully experience the whole museum. A must-do in the KC area!

Jaiden S — Google review

This was what made our trip to Kansas City very memorable. The building is classical architecture; the art is top notch, world class. Beautiful! I cannot overstate how gorgeous the entire inside exhibits spaces were, especially the restaurant Rozzelle. Like walking into Rome! Stonewalls, archways, frescoed ceilings, water fountain, columns, and more. This is a must-see. And it free admission...

Marilee G — Google review

This art museum is one of the largest I have visited. It has three floors of art exhibits ranging from modern to renaissance Europe and South Asian, African, and Japanese. Entry to the museum is free but parking will cost you 14 dollars if you spend more than 30 minutes in the museum, which you probably would.

Praghalathan K — Google review

Fantastic museum! The museum was built in the early 1900s, and the architecture inside was so beautiful. They have incorporated pieces into the actual building, and have a wide variety that everyone will enjoy. The cafe was peaceful and beautiful, with decent prices. The grounds surround the museum were great, and the sculpture garden was fun to walk around in.

E — Google review

One of Kansas City's top places to visit! Our biggest museum! Gorgeous inside and out! Never crowded! There is cover parking. The museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Open 10am to 5pm rest of the week. Plan a couple hour visit it is a huge place multiple floors and art inside and out! Different exhibitions and programs check their calendar! Handicap accessibility. You can eat and shop here as well! Great place for a picnics too! Great place for pictures!

Tabi — Google review

This is a truly amazing museum with so much to see both inside and outside. Admission is free but you should still book online prior to your visit. They have a parking garage that is reasonably priced at $14. You should plan on at least 3 hours if you want to walk the entire museum.

Nathan S — Google review

This museum has some of the most stunning architecture you could ever believe. It felt like I was in Europe for a brief moment. The workers were relaxed and kind and there is so much for you to see everywhere! Definitely recommend going out back to see the greenery or sit on a bench near the fountain.

Denedjah P — Google review

A world class museum with exhibits from every era and culture. We spent four hours and could have easily spent 4 more. Free general admission, spotless facilities and a spectacular restaurant along with a gift shop make for a great inside experience. Outside, the lovely grounds and sculpture garden are well worth the stroll.

Cris K — Google review

Great place to visit when in Kansas city. It’s free but if you register online before coming over it’s much easier to sign in. It has a small restaurant so that you can enjoy your food in the museum vibe. Check the working days as they are not open every day. Consider a min 2 hours, better if you can spend more time here.

Golnaz A — Google review

This is a FREE museum! It’s very clean, quite & full of art! It’s huge, so there is plenty to enjoy. They have a wide variety of art on display from classic paintings & ancient Egypt, to modern art & minimalism. Would recommend if you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day. **NOTE: if you bring a backpack they will make you take it off your back when looking at the art & outside food & drinks are not allowed**

Leanna P — Google review

Shocked to find this world-class art museum in Kansas City. It is absolutely gorgeous. Many types of art, many objects d'art- furniture, sculpture, pottery, garments, jewelry. Mainly checked out the Japanese, Chinese and Native American art, plus the European. Fine displays, well lit, and no annoying alarms if you happen to get a little too close. So much beauty! Also reasonable seating if you get tired. Cafe located inan enclosed Italian courtyard with an ancient Roman basin of mammoth proportions. Plenty of docents if you have questions. Stayed about 3 hours and sadly didn't get to the American art. Could have spent another couple of hours if time had permitted. Outdoor "art" mini golf you can sign up for. Delightful. Best of all, museum is free! Parking under the building runs $26. We parked for free on the street and walked up through the park. A wonderful afternoon.

Donna F — Google review

Had a great afternoon exploring the gallery. The person at the front was very helpful when she learned it was our first time there. She showed us the map, and walked us through the exhibits that are there. It's fascinating to see all of the art and items on display, and even though I'm not very well versed, I found it to be very exciting to see everything. Spent about 2.5 hours there, but easily could have been there longer. My 15 year old son had a great time too.

Ben H — Google review

Better than I ever imagined. We enjoyed every hour of our walk through the museum. There was a lot to see. The history, techniques, and talent were simply amazing. This is a perfect place to go on a hot day. Park in the cool underground parking lot (14.00) and enjoy the perfect indoor climate while enjoying the beautiful art.

Jim B — Google review

Nelson-Atkins Museum is such a hidden gem and probably one of the top museums on the country! The collection is phenomenal, especially the Asian art that’s collected from specific periods that’s hard to obtain. On top of it all, it’s free to visit! Really love the exterior and the shuttlecocks and the sculpture garden. I’ll recommend spending a whole day here and grabbing lunch at Rozzelle. Use the map to plan out which sections are the most important to you and check them out first before they get crowded and then you can cover the rest. There is also a nice coffee shop in the museum. The staff is nice and helpful. Parking is $14 for the whole day and it’s covered and cool. Make sure to get a reservation beforehand to make entry easy and seamless.

Sam P — Google review

I was really surprised by the museum. I've been to many large museums, and just always assumed Missouri wouldn't have a great one. Was I wrong lol. This place was amazing, there are a lot of great exhibits and works of art to see here. Not only that, you can visit for free! I spent a good 3.5 hours just looking around, I will certainly be coming back and donating.I would like to see more historical items, there seems to be an abundance of paintings, which are nice, but it seems to outweigh the amount of historical objects they have by a lot.

Andy X — Google review

This place is absolutely amazing. It's huge and has 3 floors full of art. Parking in the garage is free for 30 minutes, and $14 after that. Entrance to the museum is free but you need to check in at the desk and get a wrist band. There are so many great things to look at in there, and i feel like you'd need more than 6 hours to really see and appreciate everything. The museum staff is amazing, and everyone seems passionate about their job. I love this place.

Dani D — Google review

One of the most beautiful art museums we’ve ever been to. Lots of variety in new and old sculptures and paintings! The workers were also super friendly with guiding us around and even game us a voucher to visit the temporary exhibits!

Jade — Google review

100% worth the stop whether you have an hour or all day. Easily could spend a day exploring this museum. I wish I had more time and will be coming back to catch more of the exhibits. Excellent help around to point you in the right direction as well.All the exhibits I did get to see were so amazingly presented and had information easily presented along side each piece.

Paden B — Google review

My son and I went here on Sunday Aug. 19th. This is surprisingly a really huge museum. We were greeted by very knowledgeable staff who answered all my questions about what the museum had to offer and all the different exhibits he would suggest we visit, as well. We arrived at 3pm and they closed promptly at 5pm.Definitely, want to come back and finish the rest of the exhibits. We visited the Egyptian, Medieval, European Dishware, Native American art and sculpture garden. My son went into the Children’s workshop to create some “dishes”. Out of all of these the sculpture garden was both of our favorite. Did I mention, there was no fee to get in?

Erica M — Google review

Kansas City · Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtI heard about the special collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art long time ago from books, it has about 35,000 collections. Although the number is much less than well known museums such as the Metopolitan Museum of Art in New York, but there are some top-notch collections in many categories. Although it is located in the central agricultural area, the museum has a unique collection and a broad vision, thanks to the five curators who are good at grasping historical opportunities. The first, third and fifth are experts in Western art history, and the second and fourth are experts in Chinese and Eastern art history. The most important collection of the museum is European and Chinese art, followed by Japanese art. My ability to appreciate art is very limited, so I can only take a quick look and watch the excitement.The scenery outside the museum is beautiful, making it a popular place for portrait and wedding photography. Admission is free, and the collections in the museum are all authentic. It is a bit surprising that it is so generous, especially when I saw many well known art works later, I appreciate the sincerity of the museum. The European section has many great impressionist works by Van Gogh, Monet, Gauguin and others; the Chinese section has many extremely precious stone carvings from the Northern Wei Dynasty and Longmen Grottoes, the last one is the Northern Wei Dynasty's "Queen Worshiping Buddha", which comes from Longmen Grottoes, the folds of the clothes are flowing and exquisite. There are also Yuan blue and white porcelain and Ming and Qing porcelain, which are all priceless treasures; the collection in the Japanese section are also very interesting. After digesting and absorbing outside cultures, the Japanese have taken a different approach to religions and arts. Compared with the elegance of Chinese literati, Japanese art is full of folk customs, and the understanding of music, chess, calligraphy and painting is also quite different.Two and a half hours passed in a flash. I was the last one to get out when the museum closed, and I felt very fulfilled.

Zemin B — Google review

Great museum, I had a lot of fun with my son. I was grateful the entrance fee was free and found free parking nearby.It was a great experience and educational. We went on a Monday (no school) and it wasn’t packed. I took lots of pictures and was amazed how art has changed over the centuries.The flow was somewhat logical although not chronological if you’re not careful. There are paintings, sculptures, and stonework.Be sure to download the app Smartify, since you can take a picture of artwork and it will give additional details as you go around.I’m thankful that there seems to be appropriate seating conveniently placed around if you need to get off your feet.I’ll definitely be back.

Lewis M — Google review

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, is a captivating destination for art lovers, featuring a vast collection that spans centuries and cultures. From ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary masterpieces, the museum offers a rich exploration of art history. Notably, its inclusion of Indian and Chinese art adds a fascinating dimension, showcasing the diverse artistic traditions of these regions. The museum's striking Bloch Building, alongside its free admission and engaging exhibitions, makes it a must-visit for anyone seeking a cultural experience.

Sai A — Google review

From the second I pulled up, I was in awe of how grand and beautiful this museum was. There was so many interesting pieces but what I was most happy to come across was an exhibit that was entirely dedicated to local Latinx artists. My family is Mexican so this was very comforting and inspiring. I was visiting from Houston and it felt like a piece of home.What I especially love about this museum is how the staff were constantly interacting and speaking with guests. You can tell they truly love art and what they do! They were all very knowledgeable and eager to share what they knew, to exchange interpretations of different pieces, or facts about the artists, etc. I was especially excited about the Rebellion & Joy exhibit but did not realize it would be $22. Unfortunately there was a group of us and we decided not to go as it was going to be over $100. There was a hallway that you could walk down to catch a glimpse into the exhibit and I went down just to see if I could catch a little bit of it. This is where I met Vicki, who so kindly spoke with me about the exhibit. After speaking for a few minutes, she reached into her vest and offered me one of her complimentary staff tickets so I would be able to see the exhibit. She even included tickets for the other people in my group. I was so moved by this gesture!The sculpture garden was under construction during our visit for a private event coming up so we didn't check that out but I left feeling so fulfilled that it didn't even matter. I cannot believe this museum is free! I would absolutely recommend and will definitely be back the next chance I get.

Allison — Google review

It is a must visit place in Kansas city , Missouri.The museum building itself is a masterpiece. It has a nice collection of European, American, and Asian art collections (Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Tibetan, Nepali, and many more)Besides these, many art events are hosted by the museum.The exterior of the museum has huge shuttle cork and lots of statues both at the north and south parts of the museum premises. The south part of the museum premises has a beautiful outdoor space with a huge lawn, lots of trees, and shade to put a sheet and spend time with your families and friends . It also has a fun mini golf activity.The north part of the outdoor space of the museum has a huge fountain and few sculptures.

Bipashwi U — Google review

This is a lovely art museum filled with works by many of the greatest European artists, with an especially good collection of romantic and impressionist paintings. I was shocked at how strong the collection was - for instance, I would rank Nelson-Atkins well ahead of the Guggenheim in New York, and entrance is free here. The grounds are gorgeous as well, and the inclusion of the sculpture park makes this a must see for anyone near the area.

Brent M — Google review

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a masterpiece of architectural design, seamlessly blending classical and modern elements to create a visually stunning experience. The neoclassical facade, reminiscent of ancient Greek temples, evokes a sense of grandeur and timelessness, while the sleek, contemporary additions add a dynamic contrast, reflecting the museum's commitment to innovation and creativity. Inside, the expansive galleries are bathed in natural light, creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors to explore the impressive collection of artworks. The thoughtful layout and spaciousness of the museum allow for unhurried contemplation, enhancing the appreciation of each piece. Overall, the architecture of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art not only serves as a fitting backdrop for its world-class collection but also stands as a work of art in its own right, enriching the cultural landscape of Kansas City.

Katie L — Google review

Best free art museum I've ever been to. All the great artists from around the world. Wonderful pieces. I'd give it 10 stars if I could. Everyone was super helpful. If there was a particular painting I was looking for I'd just ask and they'd guide me. Parking was easy too and only $14 so it's totally worth the visit.

Katie W — Google review

I personally don't love an art museum as much as a history one (it's not as chronological, and lends itself a lot more to wandering), but nonetheless, very pretty one. Lots of cool stuff, especially if you educate yourself on Thomas Hart Benton, a pretty cool cat! The Chinese art exhibit is shockingly dope for the middle of the US, and while the Japanese art exhibit was closed while I was here, I can't imagine it doesn't complete rule.ALSO, literally one of the BEST gift shops in KC! Lots of cool museum art stuff and Charlie Hustle gear.

Chris W — Google review

The exhibits here are very interesting and educational. We need at least half a day to look at all the exhibits in detail. Though the museum is free, there is a fee of $14 for the parking garage. The first 30 minutes are free. It’s next to impossible to get street parking.

Divya D — Google review

Amazing museum! It's pretty big so you may want to take 2 days, or split it up. The food at the Cafe was WAY better than expected. Highly recommend taking a snack break there.

Lauren L — Google review

What a magical place for all ages and art lovers of all types and perspectives. Art through the ages presented in thoughtful and engaging ways. Parking is extra if you are not a member, but admission is free. Mostly helpful staff, some are better than others, but overall very helpful. You could spend days there and not see everything. Free coat check is a bonus and a terrific restaurant as well. Can’t wait to go back.

Cami W — Google review

This is a very enjoyable museum with a lot of high quality art from most regions of the world. A very big place that should take probably two hours to really absorb. The have a cafe inside and lots of seating, you can also bring a seat around that they provide. The museum shop is a bit underwhelming. There’s nearby parking and parking inside the building itself. Entrance is free just register! What a great way for all people to be able to educate themselves of the world!

Aaron L — Google review

Since first visiting back in Spring 2019, some of the exhibits in the Bloch building have changed to keep the museum interesting. The museum had a wide variety of artwork to look at including contemporary, African, Native American, Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, French, German, Old American, and Greek.

Travis T — Google review

My first time visiting was in 1979. What was considered modern art is now classic or historical. I have aged since that first visit.We enjoyed our visit and recommmend others to also visit.We will need to visit again as we could not see everything in a single morning.

Don R — Google review

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A Decent Way to Kill Time ⭐⭐⭐I recently visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, and it was...fine. The collection was varied, with everything from ancient artifacts to modern art, but nothing really stood out to me as truly spectacular. The building itself is impressive, with beautiful architecture and spacious galleries, but the overall experience was just kind of meh. The best part was the giant shuttlecock outside. It's a good place to spend a few hours if you're in the area and looking for something to do, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

Alex H — Google review

Fantastic work abound!! Allow for plenty of time and energy to fully appreciate the many levels of precious objects of art, painting, sculpture, jewelry, dishes, or otherwise!! 100's of pieces to enjoy. I went right when they opened at 10 am, so I was able to park close to the entrance. The cost was $14 for the parking garage. Entry is free or by donation.

Christine K — Google review

Absolutely amazing museum and free entry with only 14 USD parking is a steal!!! I got to see so many unique art styles and paintings that I have never seen even in museums such as the Louvre.

Adrien H — Google review

It's an absolute blast. I've been here multiple times, and it still amazes me every time. It is definitely worth it to become a member if you want to visit more than once a year. Free parking and an entrance into the exhibit. While you are there, stop in and try the cafe.

Gary F — Google review

Beautiful experience at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Attended Native American cultural festival on Sunday, March 3, 2024. We were able to introduce our 10 year old to the wonderful art collection of the museum. For the festival, there was a shuttle from UMKC to ease crowds. Was a great day! Highly recommend for KC residents and those from out of town.

Debbie B — Google review

Stunning museum need a full day to see everything. The special exhibit was great. They support military as well with free admission and free parking for active duty.

Kim C — Google review

Gorgeous museum with an extensive art collection spanning different eras, cultures, and continents. The courtyard was a beautiful place to enjoy the museum restaurant's reasonably priced and delicious food. The museum is free, but parking is $14, and there is a cost for the featured exhibit and mini golf! It was definitely worth the visit.

Samantha Y — Google review

Tickets are free, you have to schedule your ticket time and day. Parking in the garage is $14. There is a restaurant inside and it's great. A lot of exhibits are out in the open so if you take kids or you like to point and get close, the staff will ask you to back away so plan accordingly. There is a lot to see and it may take many visits to see it all, especially if you like to read about the exhibits. It's definitely worth seeing and exploring!

Heather C — Google review

The place was huge! It was easy to get turned around but there was so much to see. To enter is free. Some special exhibits may have a small entry fee. Parking was free for up to 30min after that it was $14. The store was not very expensive on many products.

Angelina ( — Google review

The 19 best free attractions in Kansas City (2024)
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