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    Liberty Memorial

    4.8 (59 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Liberty Memorial Photos

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jeremy J.

    There is an awesome memorial that I stopped by and saw and took pictures with and enjoyed myself. I definitely recommend it. It's in the heart of downtown and it's fun to see.

    Nicky V.

    Lush green space which is great for taking a break for some "self care", meditation, walk or a lunch break.

    Liberty memorial and national world war 1 museum front
    Shawn C.

    Great exercise walking up that hill and all those stairs! Great experience and look out when you get to take the elevator to the top and see the spectacular view!

    Monday September 6, 2021; National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial - Kansas City MO
    Anthony C.

    Hadn't visited since 09'. Arrived too late to go up in the tower, but just in time for a beautiful sunset. Offers a spectacular of downtown KC!

    Jim H.

    The Liberty Memorial is part of the WW1 Museum and Memorial. It consists of a tower (217' high from the plaza / 268' above the green plaza below) honoring WW1 veterans. It is not handicapped assessable but does have an elevator most of the way to the top. When you exit the elevator, you have 45 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to reach the top. It's worth the climb and the view from the top is beautiful. While here, be sure to visit the WW1 Museum and Memorial on both the plaza level and the underground museum.

    Vic C.

    Liberty Memorial is where you will find the World War I Museum and the tower (known for the best views of the city). General admission to the World War I Museum is $16 that is good for a 2 day visit. But if you come on World War Wednesdays, you only pay $8 (and yes, this ticket is also good for a 2 day visit). Admission includes a visit up to the tower. But if you only wish to visit the tower and not the museum, it will cost $5. There are 2 exhibit halls at the base of the tower that should not be missed (there are restrooms inside each exhibit hall). Also the current exhibit out on the Liberty Memorial Courtyard is Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace: The Doughboys 1917-1918. The Liberty Tower is over 200 feet high. Along the top of the tower are four guardian spirits (carved by New York artist, Robert Aitken) that are said to be watching over the tower. The two Assyrian Sphinxes also guard the tower. One sphinxes faces towards the east, shielding it's eyes from the evils and horrors of battle. The other sphinxes faces towards the west, shielding it's eyes from the unknown future. Take the elevator ride up the tower, where you will see the views of the city. It is rather small and limited up here, but sure makes for some awesome, unforgettable photos. The Liberty Memorial at it's finest.

    Sunset at the Liberty Memorial
    Bruce K.

    I managed to visit just around sunset, which lit up the stones and the glass absolutely beautifully. A really wonderful structure and so much greenery around that it's a really unique icon for Kansas City. Well worth a stop if you're visiting the city. I didn't realize until I'd already left that you can go up!

    Shawn H.

    Here it is, the large phallus to WWI. If Kansas City had an erection this would be it -spewing steam from the tip. Trivia: There is not a real fire. Steam comes from the tip top. The price tag for the steam and lights? About $45000 a year. Quite large, architecturally very minimal. Respectful of those that served. WWI is often the forgotten war due to WWII, but this memorial pays homage to those who served. Nice gift shop inside. The most cliche vantage point for photos of the city. I took my share of photos!

    David D.

    Majestic architecture. I had to notice the tower, with its simulated eternal flame, in the evening hours from my hotel. It rose above the terrain more prominently than any other. While I visited Union Station, I found a good perspective from the ground. Its scale and symmetry reminded me of the temples of Egypt. Along with the foundation, the two buildings, and the tower, I noticed the setting on the hill. Side roads and stairways, a grassy terrace underneath, the hill itself became a pedestal. This led me further into the impression I had formed of Kansas City: wide streets, light traffic, abundant grass and trees. When I was only 20, I lived in Kansas City and I swore that I would never be without a car. Now I have lived in San Francisco without one for five years. While citizens of the coast may believe their home is the best place on earth, it would do them well to look on the Midwest, to see the vast open spaces, and to discover that the best place on earth is always wherever you are.

    Lilian O.

    Liberty Memorial will always hold a special place in my heart as it is the site that my fiancee proposed to me. On clear nights you can view the "Eternal Flame" from miles around making it quite a sight to see. The illusion of the flame is created through lighted steam. Underneath the memorial lies the amazing National World War I Museum, easily one of the most impressive museums in the country. In order to go up the memorial, you must purchase admission to the museum but it is valid for 2 days making it a great deal. The view of the city especially the new Performing Arts Center from the top of the memorial is worth the money alone. And the perfectly-manicured lawn is an excellent spot for picnics, studying, or watching a random soccer practice. I do find the design of the memorial to resemble more of a fertility symbol especially with the sphinxes flanking the memorial. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument located at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis is more impressive. It's also sad that the museum must rely on private donations in order to keep the flame lit. Please go support this amazing national landmark!

    It was a foggy day and I thought the photo would turn out more eerie because of it. I was right.

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    Ask the Community - Liberty Memorial

    Review Highlights - Liberty Memorial

    A really wonderful structure and so much greenery around that it's a really unique icon for Kansas City.

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

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    Sauer Castle - My great great grand Fathers home ...

    Sauer Castle

    4.5(6 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    Would be nice if this was passed down within the family of those that would take care of this…read moreplace. Being part of Sauer, sadly most of my mom's side of the family is still racist. Wasn't able to take part of both my grandparents funerals due to my race. Mostly the men in the family but regardless of the facts. This castle isn't being taken care of and up for sale with an ridiculous price. We also have a Castle located in Germany, along with family crest. Kind of unique to be apart of a family history but not really accepted.

    Sauer Castle is in the National Register of Historic Places, it's a Kansas City must-see if you've…read morenever taken the haunting trip to the top of the bluff where this mansion sits undisturbed for decades. In high school, from Miege to St. Teresa's Academy, crossing state lines, the rumors about Sauer were EPIC and very popular to tell around Halloween. Sauer castle is haunted, according to the ghostly experts and as the story goes... During the Civil War a man leaves his wife to go fight. She waits for him for years, longing for his return and reading his infrequent letters home. Towards wars end, she receives his final letter stating that he is coming home on a certain day on a certain ferry and requesting that she wait for him. When he never arrived, she believed he was dead and frenzied, she hung herself in the infamous bell tower. Her husband, alive, missed his ferry home and later arrived to find his wife dead. It is said that in the front yard he shot himself. Sauer Castle was built by the German immigrant Anton Sauer and has remained in the family for 5 generations - in which the castle has seen many more deaths of natural and unnatural causes. Legend has it that treasure is buried here (however sources say this rumor began from the original fact that the house was built over an antique storage of wine.) Other legends include there is a secret tunnel leading to the Kaw River (others distort this rumor to make it a slave tunnel), or that the ghost of Mary Sauer stands in the windows of the fourth floor looking out onto her property at night. There was a man who died of tuberculosis here, a baby died as well within these walls, and a child was drown. Perhaps what solidified its eerie persona is the foreboding sign in the front that reads: PRIVATE PROPERTY, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED! BEWARE OF DOGS! Here's where I come into the story: I was young and stupid, it was a boring Friday night and my friends and I thought it would be something to talk about on Monday if we somehow got into Sauer Castle and checked out if it were haunted for ourselves. With my two other good friends, we set out on the property while two other friends waited in the car for our return. What we weren't aware of was that three guard dogs that could have well ripped me apart were stationed around the house. I was only cognizant of one, chained to a large radius of land towards the front of the house, but in truth there were two more. We steered clear of this one dog and kept to the side of the house until we came upon the old slave quarters behind the property. It was here we saw a small window opening to the basement of Sauer Castle...STUPID, STUPID me...I went in (after my two friends.) And what we saw was no different than the last scene of the Blair Witch Project, an empty stone basement with nothing in it but AN ACTUAL STONE WELL in the very center...creepy as all hell. That's when we saw the caretaker with a flashlight and rifle coming towards us. My two dear 'friends' climbed out of there first leaving me with no cell phone light, no knee to climb on. I had to scratch my way up with them pulling on my arms as I had been entirely alone in Sauer Castle. Finally, the three of us hauled ass to the car and sped off before we were caught as trespassers and prosecuted!!! Oh, what a night...something I will NEVER do again and a story I will NEVER forget. Is Sauer Castle haunted? From the fright of feeling trapped in the stone basement with nothing beside me but an old well...I would say yes.

    Photos
    Sauer Castle
    Sauer Castle
    Sauer Castle - A bit spooky during the day; I want to come back at night

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    A bit spooky during the day; I want to come back at night

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Exterior of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

    4.8(686 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    The Nelson-Atkins is synonymous with Kansas City and an absolute must-visit for visitors and locals…read morealike. Where to even start? This encyclopedic museum was built in the 1930s in a traditional beaux arts style. The original 1930s building is just as stunning today as it was 90 years ago. The original courtyard has been modified and transformed into a restaurant, but aside from that it remains largely untouched. In the 2000s the museum expanded with the Bloch building - an architectural marvel all it's own. Drive by at night to see each lens lit up. Currently they are working on another expansion, that will bring the museum into the modern era. I've spent so much time here it's ridiculous. From exploring as a child with my grandmother, to my time as a student, to exploring now as an adult there is really something here for just about anyone. Being an encyclopedic museum it features art from across the world and spanning the timeline of humanity. You can use the Nelson as a launching pad for discussing nearly any moment in time through the lens of art, which is really an impressive feat for a midsize city like KC. Some of my favorite pieces include a relic with the "finger bone" of st. John the Baptist (it's likely a chicken bone), "Woman IV" by Willem de Kooning, "Boulevard des Capucines" by Claude Monet, and "Persephone" by Thomas Hart Benton. This is the place I take all of my guests, and the place I come to when I need to reset or recharge myself. It's always beautiful, always therapeutic, and always FREE. I'm not sure folks really understand the incredible gift we have as a community to have access to this incredible place. My top KC treasure, and I hope every person gets a chance to visit someday.

    My visit to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was extremely disappointing. While the museum itself…read morewas beautiful the behavior of several staff members completely ruined the experience. Throughout our visit we were repeatedly followed and monitored. At one point, as we were leaving through a doorway a staff member who was entering saw us exiting and immediately turned around after looking directly at us. Another staff member approached us in a very confrontational manner under the guise of "guiding" us and even laughed after I responded with "yikes." The micro-aggressions were impossible to ignore. They didn't even seem "micro." The behavior from staff was excessive, unwelcoming, and deeply uncomfortable. It's unfortunate that such a culturally significant and visually appealing place is staffed by people who ruin the experience. I genuinely hope the museum addresses and provides better training on how staff members interact with guests.

    Photos
    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - October 2024

    October 2024

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Van Gogh

    Van Gogh

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

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    The Power and Light Building - The proposal for the addition and turning it into a convention hotel

    The Power and Light Building

    4.3(4 reviews)
    1.1 miCentral Business District, Greater Downtown

    Not to be confused with the Power & Light District, this landmark is the glowing, art-deco style…read morebuilding *almost* in the dead center of the KC skyline. For starters, let me show my hometown bias here but the KC skyline is an epic skyline. Sure it's not New York or Seattle, but take a second to Google-image search some other U.S. skylines.. Dallas? Yawn. LA? If I could see it through the smog, I might rank it higher. Denver? The mountains add to it, but otherwise it's like a short section of Lego blocks. The KC skyline frames everything, with great views of the city while packing in Union Station, Kauffman Center, T-Mobile Center, Western Auto sign, the fun-if-not-slightly-cheese Marriott light up billboard (which will always be near and dear to me after seeing it after the Chiefs Super Bowl win), and this cool, old building. This one is most known for it's glowing ember up top, that changes colors. Formerly, it announced sun (yellow), or rain (blue). It rings in Pride Month in June, sports themes, Cancer awareness and other seasonal highlights throughout the year. I've never been into this building, but with iconic placement on the skyline, and nearly century old history, it's a cool building that I always appreciate from afar.

    We lived here for sometime, and on leaving I feel like we can call it a home. This is a great…read morelocation and I simply love the building.

    Photos
    The Power and Light Building - The Glowing Lantern at Dusk. -Photo by Eric Bowers

    The Glowing Lantern at Dusk. -Photo by Eric Bowers

    The Power and Light Building
    The Power and Light Building - P+L view from Kauffman Performing Arts center site

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    P+L view from Kauffman Performing Arts center site

    Rock Island Bridge - Opening in spring 2024, the historic Rock Island Railroad Bridge will be the world's first entertainment district over a river!

    Rock Island Bridge

    3.6(38 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    Came here about a month after its opening. The bridge is cool. However the music is SO LOUD omg I…read moredon't want to be screaming the whole time to talk with my friends. Also it's so windy all the time too. You can order at the window and sit outside or on another floor, or you can choose to sit inside and eat like a normal restaurant. The menu is pretty limited. However the burger was really good! I don't love a burger but this one really was amazing. And it came out ssssooooo fast. Like 5 mins or less. That was crazy lol. Overall decent time! Can't wait to see improvements through the years!

    We have been wanting to visit Rock Island Bridge since we heard about the project being developed…read more It was a decent experience. The restaurant was on a 90 minute wait to be seated inside. But it was a warm Friday night. The to go order window line wasn't too long so we waited and ordered some things for our group of six. A lot of the tables on the west side of the bridge are in the smoking area, which is disappointing that it was that large. I got a cheeseburger and some chips and it was just okay. Nothing to write home about. The drinks were not cheap, but not ridiculous. Parking is an absolute disaster. Quite possibly the worst parking experience in the metro. They're just isn't enough of it and they didn't make a deal with Hy-Vee Arena to let people park there so that's not available. It's an unfortunate situation because it's a decent place and experience, but the parking is so bad that we will not return.

    Photos
    Rock Island Bridge - Enjoy lunch, dinner and drinks on the main deck.

    Enjoy lunch, dinner and drinks on the main deck.

    Rock Island Bridge - Entrance

    Entrance

    Rock Island Bridge

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    Statue of Hebe

    Statue of Hebe

    3.5(2 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    Just a cool statue in the middle of KC adorned with bird gifts. A cool discovery in a "Hidden…read moreKansas City" tour guide we found in our air bnb. We couldn't find a parking spot anywhere close but it looks like a good place to hike to from a few other places. Drove by a few times and snapped a photo. KC has a TON of hidden gems for tourists who like things a beat off the beaten path, we discovered.

    I saw someone else review this, and had to inquire a bit further. I either drive, walk, or ride by…read morethis statue almost daily, and don't give it too much thought. I read a local article from KCUR, and apparently there was a fountain statue there originally from J.C. Nichols. That deteriorated, and when the nearby Trolley Trail was revamped and turned into the glorious trail it is today, this statue of Hebe was put in. Now no one really knows why people put little birds around this statue, and they seem to change. I'm sure the YouTube conspiracy theorists among us have all kinds of "facts" about it, but the truth is it just appears to be something fun that got started and now people keep it up. Kinda fun for what it is, but more importantly I just love this whole surrounding area. It's right by a bus stop, a tree covered portion of the trail, across the street from a playground, UMKC adjacent, and very close to Whole Foods. Most areas have some kind of "you have to be there" quirks and this appears to be one of them.

    Photos
    Statue of Hebe

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    Liberty Memorial - landmarks - Updated July 2026

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