This is a small book shop tucked away inside a co-op art center. The floors creaked upon entering…read more I was greeted by one of the arts who joked how no one can sneak up on them anymore. According to the workers, their shops were new-ish due to half the space being constructed into a microbrewery. Prior to that, they were spread out around the space. Blue & Grey is the only book store within the four walls. The majority of the selection are history books and cookbooks. I found a large copy of the Illustrated History of Jackson County which detailed postal codes, city development, and land ownership in the early years. Other history topics include WWI, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. I also found the Collectors' Guide to Cookie Jars.There are some VCRs on the shelves too. Everything is reasonably priced. Becky, the owner, was bubbly. She talked to me about what's inside the store and showed me the adjacent art gallery featuring 12 local artists. It seemed that she really enjoyed working in this space with the artists. In short, this space is worth a walk through, and if you can support any of the local artists/vendors inside, do it!

From the owner: The Blue & Grey Book Shoppe has an expanded inventory of Civil War, Local History and other…read moreAmerican History books - New, Used, and Rare. Plus a selection of Fiction and Non-Fiction books, Doll Clothes, Maps, Curated Gift Items, Fine Art, and Much More.

Englewood Arts Center is a bright spot in Independence nestled in the neighborhood of Englewood…read morelined with majestic homes and boosts local shops such as Four Corners Framed Art, Englewood Cafe for breakfast n lunch and Vivilore restaurant. The art center sits in a remodeled medical building and founded by a grassroots community initiative that has transformed a vacant building into something very special. The Third Friday Art Walks, a monthly event throughout the Englewood Arts District is a lot of fun as one Friday they were having glassblowing demos. They even offer an entry level 101 class for get started burning glass. How cool! A new addition to the outside are these very tall flowers which was a public community art project where the petals, painted by the community, were welded on and made out of fan blades bought from the restore in Independence plus chandler parts and house items adding to parts of the flower. The arts center is managed by Amie Jacobsen, an artist herself and Ty Peyton Follis Admin coordinator Another gem in one of our Kansas City neighborhoods. Englewoodarts.com

A large multi floor building with public sculpture and murals outside and an interior with spaces…read morefor gallery exhibits, artist studio rental, events space, classes, glass blowing, and a cool little gift shop. I was completely amazed by the selection of artists on display and the scope of the art. On my Saturday afternoon visit, I was able to see two exhibits. The first was "Confluence'; a collaboration of their 8 resident artist using mixed media - a beautiful and varied media exhibit. Upstairs I witnessed "Faces After Suicide" a very powerful exhibit from Lindsey Doolittle featuring drawings from her suicide survivors support group. I was able to chat with her and gain a deeper understanding of all the emotions that a suicide survivor must endure. A conversation that I'll always remember. Thank you Lindsey and Englewood Arts for this exhibit. And of course the gift shop is right on the way out the door and has a great selection with very reasonable prices. I secured a glass heart for my wife's upcoming birthday. I will return for all future exhibits and it will definitely be a place to pick up some local art for Christmas gifts this year.

My first visit to the Englewood Row Gallery came on the Englewood Art District's Third Friday Arts…read moreWalk. The gallery space was hosting a juried arts exhibit with appetizers and adult beverages as well as live music and spoken word. On the west side of the space there are about a dozen studio spaces for rent to artists to create and exhibit their work. My highlight was getting to getting to met and chat with K. E. Griffin a local artist, playright, actress...my favorite Fringe Fest artist. I was able to purchase a small drawing of her from her "Ida's Journey in America" and she also gifted a small print of one of the textiles used in that performance. Thank you Englewood Row for providing space to nurture local artists and share their work with the public.

From the owner: Creative Spark Gallery at Englewood Row is a vibrant new art gallery and studio hub in the heart of…read moreIndependence’s Englewood Arts District. Featuring monthly juried art exhibits, weekly art and yoga classes, private art lessons, and a lively Third Friday Art Walk with live music and vendors. The space supports eight rentable studios for new and emerging artists working in fine art, writing, fashion, and jewelry. The Spark is all about community-focused programming with classes and events in yoga, meditation, healing art, oil painting, storytelling, poetry, and artist entrepreneurship. Creative Spark’s vision is to reignite artistic energy and connect the creative community among Independence and KC area creatives.

Enjoyed the art during one of the 3rd Friday events. I really enjoyed the studio area. They take…read morethe artists-in-residence phase literally and make you feel like they are inviting you into their own homes.

This is a very cool hidden store in the Englewood neighborhood of Independence. Not sure why they…read morecan't put a sign up to advertise, but they don't so you have to know where you are going. They specialize it scouting stuff which does not interest me, but enough art that I love looking around and finding gifts for others and decorating my home. I have taken home ceramic masks, glass work and jewelry. It's a must stop for me when I'm in that area. Support local artists.

I love going into Three Trails Trading Post to shop. There is a wide selection of items to meet…read moreeveryone's interest. For Scouts in Mic-o-Say she has all kids of regalia needed for camp. Kara, the owner is very knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to getting the Scouts ready for I discover something new every time I go into the store.

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, MIND BLOWN…read more I did a Super Bowl travel bet (whichever team wins the Super Bowl, visit that city), and was looking for things to do in Kansas City. I love watching travel shows to get ideas, and saw this museum featured on "No Reservations." I have to admit that when I heard they were going to the "hair museum" on the show, that didn't really interest me (I can barely put my hair in a ponytail lol), but I was sold after watching. I had to visit! I absolutely love oddities, the macabre, art, and quirky just weird off-the-beaten path things, and this checked all those boxes! I emailed the museum, and luckily I was able to score a private tour on my birthday! Our guide was Linda, Leila's daughter, and she was so friendly, informative, and a great storyteller. You do have to email in advance for a visit - you can't just show up. So make sure you do that. What we saw inside was the largest hair collection on the planet, and you really just have to be there. It's overwhelming, stunning, and beautiful. If you love genealogy, art, history, oddities, this is for you! It was so touching how so many loved ones have been forever memorialized in hair art and to see Leila and Linda's dedication to keeping the memory of those everyday people alive. It's not just everyday ordinary people, there's hair from celebrities and even religious relics. The stories blew me away! Do yourself a favor and check this place out if you're ever near KC!

While on vacation, I visited the Hair Museum. Needless to say. I've driven by it thousands of…read moretimes. I finally decided to visit it. Now, I didn't have cash, as always, had my card. I was with my mom who had cash. Thank goodness. They don't take cards (ouch). It is 15$ to enter. I previously thought it was hair styles, but after reading here on Yelp, I kind of knew what it was. But, when entering, the weird feeling started. Hair has DNA in it. It would be extremely cool to get a paranormal ghost hunt here. What the Hair Museum consists of mostly is framed hair wreathes from the 1800's. There's thousands of hair wreathes. And there's hair samples (Linoclon, Elvis, Kennedy's among others.) There's also hair jewelry. The hair jewelry is made with human hair (passed down from generation to generation,) on a Kumihimo braid. I dare you to try it. Working with hair is almost my tolerance level. There's also horse hair jewelry that people still make. Horse hair is very coarse. I was impressed and stunned. The wreathes are beautiful, creepy thought provoking and unforgettable. Leila teaches how to to make hair wreathes in classes at the museum. She also wrote a book. It's weird enough to check out if you're in Independence.

This museum has relocated to inside of the Truman Memorial building a few blocks west of the…read moreIndependence square - it was originally a few blocks south of the square. Admission is free with donations accepted. It starts with a 20 minute video that i recommend to get you acclimated to the importance that the frontier trails played in shaping this nation's history and growth. The museum is broken into sections on the California, Sante Fe, Oregon, and Mormon Trails and also showcases the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the fur trade. There's lots to read and lots of artifacts. It was personally intriguing since I have recently discovered that ancestors of mine trekked both the California and Mormon trails. There are certainly more interesting and larger museums in the region but i would recommend this one highly to show why our metropolitan area was critical to westward expansion.

My interest in the Oregon trail starts here in Independence, Missouri, since I know that the…read moremajority of the westward expansion movement in America started here in Independence in the mid 1800's. I know on the Oregon Trail since my youth playing the video games and that sparked my interest in seeing the real stuff in person. So once the opportunity came to see artifacts and exhibits pertaining to the Oregon Trail was made available, I jumped at the chance to see it before leaving the area. It was nice to come to this museum after searching on TripAdvisor and Yelp to find a good museum that caters to the Oregon Trail. I arrived here around 3:30pm on a brisk and casual Monday in October 2017 after picking up my rental car in Overland Park, KS. I had about an hour to browse through everything before leaving the museum at 4:30pm. The museum itself isn't large but had quite a bit of exhibits and information about the Oregon trail and its associated historic significance in the independence Missouri area. For the most part though, it was nice to see more of the artifacts and historical stories that made the travel from Independence mo to Oregon, California, and even Utah way back before the invention of the car. Those were rough times on the frontier and these brace souls risk their lives for the betterment of themselves and the growing country. The overall experience here at the National Frontier Trail museum was very fascinating, good, positive, and educational. I learned more about some of the pioneers' stories and the incredible hardships they had to endure throughout their journey: diseases, dehydration, starvation, weather, and the hostile Native American people were basically the main contributors to what they had to put up with on their long haul to the Pacific Ocean. This place does charge admission fee, but I lucked out, since I came in late, I got charged the senior rate, so I saved a couple of $$. Admission fee is get nominal though, so it is always good to support museums that support your need for knowledge and curiosity. They accept major credit cards, as well as cash. I was here when they had construction equipment here nearby, but I chose to park around the corner. They have parking spaces here for people visiting. Just didn't know how that would work, but I had a nice walk to and from the car regardless. For the most part though, my experience really wanted me to solidify my knowledge base of the Oregon trail and how the American pioneers risked death to achieve their dreams of living on the edge of the western fringes of America. The museum building itself was one story, but large enough to accommodate the exhibits, its artifacts, and collections of items that relates to the Oregon trail and its associated westward expansion of American civilization past the Mississippi River. The place was very much kid friendly and clean. It's quiet and casual like a library, so do yourselves favor by keeping your concerns and conversations to a dull roar. Be respectful that they kind of frown upon loud people and obnoxious individuals. If you are interested in this part of American history and near Independence, Missouri, consider coming and spending some time here. You will be enlightened by the hardship and sacrifices needed to undertake and understand what they did to survive and to build a nation. Hard work and dedication to what you do makes waves. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. You might want to have lunch first before coming here. It can be worth it if you stay long and soak up the knowledge and be amazed. I wish I could have been there earlier but had a time crunch. Support local! A+