Kansas City: Smoke Rings and the Finer Things

From murals to the Monarchs, and from bebop to burnt ends

in collaboration with

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtNational WWI Museum and Memorial Kansas City Public Library Negro Leagues Baseball MuseumAmerican Jazz Museum Kauffman Center for the Performing ArtsKansas City Art InstituteKansas City MuseumVisit KCJackson County Historical SocietyU.S. National ArchivesHarry S Truman National Historic Site, National Park ServiceThe Black Archives of Mid-AmericaKemper Museum of Contemporary Art

At the crossroads of the country lies Kansas City

11 facts that will make you fall in love with KC

A few of many reasons to celebrate the city

Enter the cauldron

Being a fan in one of America's most sports crazed cities

The creators and makers around Kansas City

Celebrating all things local

What do we have KC to thank for?

A glimpse into inventive Kansas Citians

On screens and in songs

Timothy Finn's take on Kansas City's presence in pop culture

From nose to tail - unpacking the BBQ experience

The making of legendary 'cue

From art-deco icons to contemporary wonders

A virtual tour of KC's architecture

A vibrant city in the Heart of America

The sights and sounds of KC, as seen through the eyes of...

Harold Smith

Painter

Colleen Kelly

Kelly's Westport Inn

Ernest Melton

Saxophonist

Megan and Colby Garrelts

Bluestem

Aaron Alexander

Hip Hop Artist

Jerry Rauschelbach

Arthur Bryant's BBQ

Comfort food meets cutting edge cuisine

Based on BBQ, shaped by chefs, served with midwest manners

Spotlight story by Jenny Vergara

Kansas City's Culinary DNA

The ideal mix of rustic grub and fine dining

Online Exhibit

How to order KC BBQ like a local

From beef on bun to Kansas caviar

Did you know? At least four different US presidents have dined at the original Arthur Bryant's Barbecue.Visit KC

Contemporary creatives cross cultural icons

An art mecca in the middle of America

Get to know the next generation of creatives coming out of KCAI

Kansas City Art Institute

Go inside where the Ballet, Symphony, and Lyric Opera call their performance home

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Discover historic and modern symbolism of a contemporary artist

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

The king of all instruments: a stunning virtual centerpiece

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

From soundsuits to community murals: the legacy of KCAI alumni

Kansas City Art Institute

Masterworks in Missouri

Zoom into hidden gems and beloved treasures at the city's top art museums

View All

But how did Kansas City become the great Midwest metropolis it is today?

KC's story is the story of US

Spotlight story by Steve Paul

A rich history defined by multiple identities

The dreamlike life and times for Kansas City

Jackie Robinson and the legendary Monarchs

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

The inspiration for Disney World: Electric Park

Jackson County Historical Society

The contributions of Kansas Citians in WWI

National WWI Museum and Memorial

A look at the past: historic 18th & Vine

The Black Archives of Mid-America

Ready for art: The opening of the Nelson-Atkins

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The turn of the century as seen by George Curtiss

Jackson County Historical Society

How a community built the Liberty Memorial

National WWI Museum and Memorial

The first gathering of the five Allied commanders

National WWI Museum and Memorial

The making of the historic residential district

Kansas City Public Library

Did you know? The Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails all originated in the KC metro.Visit KC

Becoming the "Paris of the Plains"

A “wide-open” reputation that drew the country’s creatives, artists, writers, flappers, musicians and more

Defining America's sound in speakeasies

Two decades of protected vices and the emergence of a KC style of jazz

The rise and fall of Tom Pendergast

A political machine boss' unwiedly influence over the innercity

The birthplace of burnt-ends...

"It has long been acknowledged that the single best restaurant in the world is Arthur Bryant’s barbeque at Eighteeth and Brooklyn in Kansas City.” - Calvin Trillin

...and bebop

"Jazz may have been born in New Orleans, but it grew up in Kansas City." - Lonnie McFadden

Skyscrapers and stockyards: building KC

Designed with "more boulevards than Paris, more fountains that Rome" in mind

KC Then

Rare images of local landmarks

KCPL's Frank Lauder Autochrome Collection

KC Now

An architectural marvel that changed the skyline

The Kauffman Center for Performing Arts

KC Then

The residence of President Truman

A tour of the home of the man from Missouri

KC Now

A visit around the Adams Express Building

Looking at the regional archival facility

KC Now

From groundbreaking to the grand opening

The construction of the Kauffman Center

KC Now

Mini-cities within the city

A tour of the neighborhoods with Visit KC

KC Now

Dive into the City of Fountain's flowing treasures in Google Earth

Discover a sampling of the city's 200+ registered fountains

ExploreAmerican Jazz Museum
ExploreUS National Archives Kansas City
ExploreHarry S. Truman Library & Museum - First Floor
ExploreKauffman Center for the Performing Arts – Brandmeyer Great Hall
ExploreMuseum and Memorial GroundsNational WWI Museum and Memorial
ExploreHarry S Truman National Historic Site
View All
Did you know? The Country Club Plaza was the nation’s first outdoor shopping district.Visit KC

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