The Museum of Kansas City

Overall this was an excellent experience. This facility is state of the art, and the displays do an excellent job of holding you attention. Also the lady at the front desk was extremely helpful and friendly. My only issue is that many of the displays on the 2nd and 3rd floors do have a hard political bent towards one side of the aisle. Overall a good exprerience that I would recomend to others

Free on Fridays. Interesting place to learn local history about the Long family and Kansas City. The film they show is worth seeing. As for the exhibits, it's good information, more signage than artifacts, but definitely worth the visit.

Absolutely amazing museum! Gorgeous mansion, beautifully restored, and free admission. We had a group of 12 people, and the tour guide was quite knowledgeable. The main floor and lower level was restored to how the home looked as built. The upper 2 floors are typical museum exhibit space, depicting the history of Kansas City, going back to the native Americans who settled in the area. Way surpassed my expectations!!! My girlfriend and I will be back, as our group didn't get much time visiting the upper 2 floors due to our schedule.

I didn't know what to expect from this museum, but it's excellent! Great depiction of the development of Kansas City, plus it's for a cool soda shop/coffee bar in the basement.

Great museum! Gorgeous mansion that has been beautifully restored, and admission is free. The main floor and lower level was restored to how the home looked as built. The upper 2 floors are museum exhibit space, depicting the history of Kansas City, going back to the native Americans who settled here. Definitely a good place to visit!

One of the hidden gems of Kansas City. Definitely a must visit museum if you want to learn about the history of Kansas City. The museum which originally belonged to the Long family and was built in 1906 has so much history. Also it’s free to get in, and all the staffs are very knowledgeable about a lot of things in the museum. They also have art works on rotation which means you get to see something new when you visit. Anytime is a good time to visit this museum. I went on a weekend and it wasn’t too crowded. Enjoy:)

I went for yoga on the lawn with True Love Yoga which was fantastic. The museum is free so I ventured in after Yoga and learned some interesting Kansas City history. The coffee shop downstairs just happened to be having $.85 ice cream scoops. I enjoyed a delicious scoop 😋 and a hibiscus latte not to be missed. I recommend a visit especially if you are into history and museums.

Such an awesome experience filled with unique historical artifacts and beautiful art. Can’t believe it’s a free experience. Must see in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Museum in Northeast KC is a gem. The space itself is beautiful with its historic architecture and modern updates, but what makes it shine is the way it tells the story of Kansas City's culture and history. The exhibits are diverse and powerful. There are installations that honor local icons like Melinda Ryder, educational displays about desegregation and civil rights, and tributes to trailblazers such as Lucile Bluford. I appreciated how the museum balances difficult topics like race riots and reforms with celebrations of resilience and creativity. It felt honest and moving. On the art side, there are immersive pieces that are unexpected and thought provoking, from mirrored sculptures to surreal room installations. The mix of history, art, and culture makes this museum feel alive and very connected to the community. The museum also preserves its mansion roots. Walking through rooms like the old billiards area feels like stepping back in time. It is a reminder of Kansas City's layered story and how the past and present come together here. This is a must visit whether you are local or just passing through. It is not a quick walk through type of museum, so plan to spend a couple hours to really take it in. The Kansas City Museum captures the spirit of the city in a way that is both educational and inspiring.

I had the pleasure of touring the restored Kansas City Museum, a mansion, originally built by Mr. Long as the residence of the Long family, who lived there for 24 years. After Mr. Long's death, his daughter attempted to sell the property, but it remains an occupied during the Great Depression. The sisters ultimately donated the family home to the Kansas City museum Association in 1939. The museums first floor features exhibits on the history of the long family. As you proceed to the second floor, you are greeted by a grant stairway at the top of the stairway is a gorgeous stained glass. Second floor recognizes people, shaping the city through numerous highs and lows of Kansas City Missouri. The third floor, our exhibits that are constantly changing. Downstairs at Corinthian's hall you will find a soda, fountain shop and billiard game room. And don't forget to stop in at the gift shop. See the wonderful things they have for sale. Museum hours : Thursday 10 AM to 8 PM Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Museum is free, but they do take donations

Love this museum -- great way to spend a couple hours! First off, admission is FREE! Incredible. The main floor is restored to how it looked when the Long family lived in the mansion. The second floor is full of exhibits on the history of Kansas City. The museum is pretty small, so it doesn't get into a ton of detail. I wish there was an opportunity to go more in depth, especially on the history of minority groups, but it's a pretty great collection for the limited space. And to make your experience even more exciting, there's a soda fountain in the basement! I got a delicious Museum Sundae with the signature ice cream flavor, Corinthian Crunch (definitely big enough to share). The staff are incredibly kind and helpful and full of knowledge. No designated parking, but there is typically plenty of street parking on all 4 sides of the museum.

Wow!! What an absolute treasure!! This museum is fantastic! We enjoyed a wonderful lecture by Bruce Matthews in the history of Washington Cemetery. We looked around the museum and enjoyed the artifacts. What a lovely experience. I didn't take many pictures because I was enamored by all the displays and learning about the Long family.

As someone who worked in the museum industry for more than a decade, I'd been watching the renovations on this place from afar, eagerly awaiting the final result. I finally got my chance to check it out recently and man, did they did a nice job. First of all, when you walk in it's simply gorgeous. They did a spectacular job restoring this mansion to its former glory and telling the story of the wealthy family that lived there. I love the modern entryway, the folks working were helpful, and I was stunned that this place is free to the public. C'mon Kansas City, we have it so good here when it comes to museums! Venture upstairs and you have a pretty good re-telling of KC history, along with an art gallery, and some extras. Only critique of the whole place is up here as I felt the gallery on the neighborhoods was a little out of touch with how Kansas Citians would define them, BUT, it's still overall good, and I'm sure there is a good reason it is the way it is. Finally, venture to the basement and you'll find an old fashioned soda shop - what? How fun. Overall, they did a stunning job with this renovation and it's well worth the visit for Kansas Citians and tourists alike.

We haven't been since the MM renovations. WOW it's breathtaking... the grounds, the interior restoration, the 1st floor exhibits, 2nd floor changing exhibits and 3rd floor movie! We did check out happy Hour on Thursday at the Elixer and yummmmmmm shared the bourbon peach cobbler Sunday-amazing!!!!! They also have events do check them out it it a delightful visit with history, beauty and great dods shop treat

We really enjoyed our visit here - it's a beautiful space with plenty of street parking (and admission is free). The exhibits are varied: sharing about the family who lived there, a little KC history, and some more current displays about local goings on. The space seems very well-maintained. I didn't visit as a kid, unlike other reviewers, so I don't have a basis for comparison. I liked the section on musical venues around the city and the library of Mr. Long best.

The museum was neat, but that was quickly offset by the observation that there seemed to be no safe place for women and children to use the bathroom or change a baby diaper. If you're planning to visit with your wife and children, be warned -- signs pointing the way to "restrooms" lead to a single restroom that both genders were expected to share. We thought this was just an oversight on the basement level, but after climbing stairs to the second floor we found the same thing.

Great little museum and its free to boot! Gives you the overall history of the area and allows you to visit a great piece of architecture. The short documentary showing about the Long family is great too because they seemed like one of the few billionaires who really wanted to make a difference with their money. Wish we had more of that these days! There's even a little coffee store/soda fountain in the basement along with a billards room.

The customer service is supreme, everything in the menu is a 5 star adventure for taste I love it it's my favorite place in all Kansas City

The restoration of the Kansas City Museum obliterated all memory I have of this museum from my childhood. But it was exceedingly well done, and SO worth a visit. Today I only covered one floor of the areas restored to the opulence and grandeur of when it was home to the famous Long lumber family. But I will definitely go back to see the lower level, which is a re-creation of Mr. Long's billiard room, where are you can actually play billiards, and the two upper floors. It's a stunning building, inside and out. I wish I hadn't waited so long to revisit this memorable part of my childhood. I appreciated the beauty of it, and the history I never knew. I think anyone, but especially long-time Kansas City residents, would appreciate this historic renovation/restoration.

@kansascitymuseum is a beautiful and informative way to spend an afternoon. The first floor is all about the Long family who owned and built the home, the second floor is all KC history, the third floor is an art exhibition floor, and the basement has a billiard room (where you can play pool) & a future soda fountain shop. Once the cafe and soda fountain shop are open this will be a place that you can truly spend a full day exploring all about KC. Also plan time to walk around the neighborhood, there are some beautiful homes to look at.

I used to live in the neighbourhood where the museum is . And I also went to the museum as a child and most of the art artefacts that were there back in the early 70s are gone . Someone made it into a gift shop and a coffee shop mostly now . the military ,Eskimo ,Indian Civil War , World War I & II artifacts are gone there was hardly anything history in the museum. Let alone any of the artifacts that I know used to be there. The same thing happened to the memorial in downtown Kansas City across the street from the union station. Someone is even shipped it off somewhere or sold it but it's the same thing. Somebody come in and cleaned house And exchanged it for change and junk. If you've never been there before I guess you wouldn't know but I'm 65 years old and I know what there was when I was a child in the world is going to hell in a handbasket

What a beautiful tribute to Robert Longs legacy! This museum is stunning! I have been wanting to visit since the renovations and was impressed by how beautiful it is. Make sure to visit the 3rd floor and watch the video about the Longs....It's worth the time. But this museum isn't just about the Long's, it has rotating exhibits. There is an elevator to access the floors but I recommend the stairs as they are beautiful. This museum is free and worth the trip

This is a sad, sad, sad, remodel for what was once my favorite museum in Kansas City. Came here today expecting a bit more of what I grew up admiring in this museum, it's detailed history of the great frontier before Kansas City was a place. As a natural history museum it once had a nice combination of regional frontier history with an acknowledgement of the great Osage people who once were prominent in the area. I enjoyed the life size replica of an old pioneer wagon, and a realistic frontier trade post, along with examples of what was once traded here between the Indians and fur trappers. The Louis and Clark legacy and the Native American history is all but wiped out. I was saddened a few years back to learn that they had demolished the dioramas in the native animal section. One of those dioramas had been painted by my father, who was a well-known artist and a student of Thomas Hart Benton, whom the museum didn't care to acknowledge anywhere in any exhibit. Now, what they have tried to do is a zeitgeist appeasing historical take on Kansas City, relegating its prominence to just a few corporations that have contributed to the area, and what-not hospitals. And although the previous museum didn't have much on other ethnic cultures that made their mark in Kansas City, this new museum hardly has anything on the Native American, but merely a corner piece in this one room upstairs. Yes, there is a bigger attribute to the Long family, which the previous K.C. Museum only had in but a few rooms. However, there were other exhibits that seemed to waste space, something upstairs that I wasn't sure what it was, but seemed more ghoulish than a piece that should be in a museum. As I mentioned before one famous artist was ignored in this museum that is supposed to acknowledge contributing people in Kansas City. I was amiss as to why there was no mention of historical facts such as Kansas City's early contribution to Hollywood. Yes, K.C. has history in the beginning of Hollywood. Also, why was Walt Disney ignored? I can understand Tom Pendergast, but no mention of Lamar Hunt, even with the Chiefs current popularity? Also, if they wanted to focus on so much black history, where was Arthur Bryant's legacy both as a business man and bar-b-que king? I always suggest that as the best Bar-b-que in K.C. I just felt that overall there was a lot of particular (who's who of business and real estate) focus and a lot of miss, miss, miss on cultural and arts legacy.

This place is the #1 place for a #2! Yes, I'm starting there.. I am.. Their bathrooms, especially the ones in the basement are insanely nice. Tile, private "room" toilets', automatic sliding glass doors, just a really fancy place to conduct your "business". Now, I have zero reference to how this place was before, I don't know what was removed and what I'm missing out on. I get that people have a strong feeling about what was removed, but this is just my impression of how it is now, overall. It's free. The "house" is just stunning. The Restoration is just perfection. That was my main reason for going, the house. I would still like to get in the attic and see out those circular windows! Now, I do see how people are stating it seems "not focused" and there are some racial concerns. I don't pride myself on having the proper knowledge or perspective on these topics, but if it needs fixed, do it. NOW, I will say, they need to redo that outdated film they show up on the third floor. The film states that the mega rich WHITE daughter, breaking into a male dominated horse racing field was like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. SO MESSED UP. This was a spoiled rich white girl who was using daddy's money to race horses. That IS NOT COMPAREABLE AT ALL to the struggles that Jackie Robinson faced while integrating baseball. That needs to be removed immediately. I feel they have the museum set up for now, since it just reopened after years of closure but it should and hopefully will adapt and change as it now is back open. This could and hopefully will be a great place for the betterment of Kansas City. They need to listen to the reviews, take feedback and use it constructively. I'm immensely excited about James Turrell's skyspace that will be opening at some point in the future, maybe another year? 2023 or 24? I really love his work. Side note, the security guard there was intrusive, loud and told us the same story about the window 3 separate times. He needs to know his place and focus on his job. The staff that cleans this place needs commended as it is spotless and super clean. Oh, and if you need to use the restroom in luxury, go to the museum! You won't even need to print this out and use it as TP as they have some nice soft TP for your use!! Enjoy!

This museum is trying to be too many things and unfortunately it isn't able to pull off a unified cohesive presentation to warrant it being called "The Kansas City Museum"; a more fitting name would be "The Long Family Mansion and Historical Museum. With such a wealth of history, KC deserves more than 3/4 of the 2nd floor of the mansion. It is a great overview and has a few unique artifacts, but it is just a skimming of what this city has endured and achieved. The rest of that floor is devoted to an impressive collection of historical medical equipment. Floor 3 has a room with KC Music history - mostly the 70's and another room that serves as a timeline, with storyboards. The main floor is devoted to the Long Family and the opulence they built. Although a stunning representation of America's Gilded Age with great restoration yet still lacking - one room has scores of empty shelves; glaringly distracting from the beautiful woodwork and fireplace mantle, surely there is something in storage to fill the space?? One room was off-limits due to an orchestral presentation that I assumed was a private party, yet later discovered was open to the public - so much for signs or the desk clerk providing information. The basement offers a game room with a working billiard table and board games and another room with a non-functioning drugstore fountain. There is also random pieces of art - sculpture and murals that try to tie into the exhibits or connect floors, thanks to the 1% city funding for public art, since this was a taxpayer funded 7 year refurbishment. Since it is free and does have a lot of interesting things to see and discover, a 4 star rating is deserved, but when comparing this to say the St Louis history museum, which calls itself the Missouri Historical museum, sadly there is no comparison. It is certainly worthy of an afternoon visit but I'm afraid this is not worthy to be included in the "must see" list of places for tourists to visit.

who gives anything else but 5 stars for a FREE MUSEUM idiots !!!! be lucky you have one great great great everything about this place is perfect go see it we learned alot , saw alot

It's been a very long time since this place open. They went under constructions over 7 years to redo and revamp this place up. Had a chance to check out this local museum before it does to the public over the weekend, and it's so beautiful, clean and lots of details were put into it. Check my pictures. They will offered free time tickets once they open up this week. Very good information about KC museum itself but also, they showcase a collection of KC people who have influence the city in the past and in the present. My favorite room is the billiard room, it's a game room and lots of games to play down there. They will add more later like soda fountain, restaurant and finishing touches. Can't wait to go back.

Meh. It was okay. The restoration was great and the building is beautiful but had no interest in the galleries and art installations on the second floor. Just got weird vibes from the art they chose (see creepy figure sculptures) and it felt really out of place with the rest of the museum. A lot of it all was really politicized.

Wow, what an absolute shame for what they've done to the most beautiful home in Kansas City history. The first floor is the only area of the museum that retains some of the historical features, the upper floors have been stripped away and turned into bland modern exhibits that are unrelated to the house. Nothing historic to the home to the period to the grandeur of the building, the building is the star and they have taken that away. They should be ashamed. Tragic loss.

Beautifully restored. Very informative. Staff were very friendly as well. I cannot wait for the soda fountain to be up and running!

Heads up the Kansas City Museum finally reopens October 21, 2021 after extensive 7-year renovation and reprogramming with a strong Kansas City history focus. The museum will be open Thursday to Sunday with reservations initially required.

Meh! First the remodel is lovely but this is more of a cultural museum than a historical museum. I wanted to love it but it seemed much more visually impactful with large exhibits before the renovation and we visited many times. Now it is sparsely curated with a lot of cardboard reading (which is not great for kids). Even the nice little Apparel Museum that was to be moved here isn't represented well if at all. I think I'd rather visit their archives. The first floor is dedicated to the Long family and is interesting but they rely on the architecture mainly, there are too few artifacts, and it feels like the space is too big for the little bit of story that is there. There is one room just for a medical equipment exhibit, another for 1970s bands?, and some odd art installations which all seem disjointed from the KC story. There is not much if any of the westward expansion, cowtown, Native American influence, abolitionists, railroad, politics, industrial revolution that define the city but it's more tailored to hit cultural roots of different populations with few artifacts. I understand the cultural sensitivity of it, it just isn't as compelling and would have made for a better documentary instead of the tedious reading. I expected a good KC historical museum and I thought this was how this renovation was billed. I love museums but I was bored. It's a one and done for me. Go if the top 10 KC museums are closed.

The museum itself is 1 star at best. The really friendly volunteer staff ups the score by another star. Their passion and generosity with their time is great. One reviewer said it best: this museum isn't about Kansas City as a whole; it's about R.A. Long. The mansion and stable were his. They show a movie about the life of Long. Essentially, he goes from humble beginnings to making a huge fortune from logging. In later years, he realized the destruction to nature by his business and worked to lay out a more sustainable approach to cutting down trees. If you have allergies, note that the theater area smells of mold. There is a free tour through the buildings, which are being renovated (and I understand they'll be that way for a while). I'm not sure there was a lot to see besides the construction. The only part I enjoyed was talking to the friendly staff who provided more color to the film and building.

I am sure the garment museum is quite lovely, however I was only able to see the sign in table and what appeared to be a few airline uniforms. Hours are really weird and not posted clearly. I walked in when someone walked out and was about to help myself to a tour when someone else asked if I was there for a tour. This is when I found out the museum is only open to the public on Friday. Moral of the story, just call before going, or people will look at you really weird if you show up otherwise.

Did you know that 1 out of every 6 outer garments was manufactured in Kansas City during the Post War period? Why don't you drop by this FREE (donations accepted) Museum? Meet some EAGER SENIOR volunteers who will share their rich personal history with you along with the history of the KC Garment District. You'll see actual garments made within the last 100 years displayed. You'd be surprised that what GRANNY wore in her younger dates may be considered fashionable today. I know several of you are fans of VINTAGE clothing. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the photos & maps of downtown and comparing it to today. There are no large signs on the outside to let you know it's there. It's a HIDDEN GEM! Of note, it's only Open on Thursdays unless by appointment (there was a 50 person bus tour yesterday). If the door is closed, please knock. Say hello to Anne and Susanne for us! It was a pleasant visit and I think they enjoy the company. We learned a lot about downtown life outside of the Theme of the museum. 1 hour should be plenty to see everything.

When people think garment district, Kansas City isn't a place that comes to mind. Yet, back in the day, KC had a thriving textile industry. These are such fun little facts that's great to know about. We had passed the Garment District Museum multiple times and decided to have a lunch date there. We wandered in where a friendly lady met us. We fully expected to wander through ourselves but she ended up giving us the grand tour with a detailed history of KC's fashion history. Very informative. Going through the museum, there are lots of garments that were produced in the area. What makes this even more of a treasure is that these pieces - produced in the first half of the 1900s - are as timeless as ever. Anyone can put on any of the outfits in museum and look like they are wearing designer clothes made just last week. The construction of the clothing is remarkable. For anyone that knows even a little about how to make clothes, you'll truly appreciate it. They also have a few TWA uniforms from through the years, dedicated to the former airline giant that was once based here. One of the uniforms in particular has the logo stitched into the suit in a manner that you'd never see today. The museum keeps odd hours since it's actually on the main floor of a DST building and are just leant the space. They are only open April through September from 10am-3pm every Thursday. A great lunch date if you're in the area, as it's small enough to complete in under an hour. They also do tours if you contact them in advance. Donations are accepted.

I recently finished up a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing and in my costume history class we went on a tour of the museum. It was so incredibly informative to learn about this history that is here in kansas city! I mean how many people know that Kansas city used to be one of the largest manufactures of clothes!? This place is absolutely worth checking out!

This is going to probably be the toughest review I write as it is on one of the most beautiful homes in Kansas City that has gone lack luster in terms of it's current manifestation. A little History on the Kansas City Museum. It used to be the Kansas City Museum of Science and History. When we were kids we would go there and see the show at the planetarium and then wander the halls of Corinthian Hall and soak in the exhibits. I have always directed people to Corinthian Hall as it is still one of the most beautiful of the Long family homes in the KC area. So as an architectural marvel that had innovations far ahead of it's time (a networked window system that kept the house cool before the advent of central air), I say it is a must see and I give it a four star rating. That said, the museum is a joke. Don't get me wrong, seeing the Fairy Princess there at the holidays is worth the trip for my daughter and the Family Fun Days are also great, but not even the warm and inviting staff can liven up the lackluster museum currently present there. There is so much potential in Corinthian Hall. Given the Long family's storied industrial history in Kansas City, which is almost lost on even the most knowledgeable local, it could be a museum dedicated to their history alone. Hell, even make it a museum of the history of Kansas City. The days of the Stock Yards, the era when steamships cruised in and out of our busy banks on the Mighty Mo. Just our city's rich and lively history could fill two Corinthian Halls. Anyway, the museum aspect of Corinthian Hall is in dire need of a revamp. Yes, they are suffering because the majority of the funding they did get went to Science City. Given all this, I have to give the place a 1 star which drags the rating down to a very reluctant, but deserved 2 stars. Trust me, I will be going back ongoing as things change at Corinthian hall and I am sure this review will have to be altered up to a 5 star.

What happens when you take a beautiful, ornate mansion and shove an ugly, scatter-brained museum inside? The Kansas City Museum, unfortunately. For anyone wondering why Union Station had a hard time taking off...visit the KC Museum which had a heavy hand in Union Station programming. The KC Museum is embarrassing to the community and needs to make an much-needed exit. If the house would've been refurbished instead of destroyed for a crappy museum...it would probably be profitable and a well-regarded destination. Never heard of this place? There's a good reason. I will say it's worth visiting to see the remnants of the original, stunning mansion.

This museum has nothing to do with Kansas City history and I have no idea why it's even named that. It should be called the R.A. Long Museum or just Corinthian Hall. The description on their website is a joke. "The Kansas City Museum is Kansas City's first, and most important, museum of local and regional history." An accurate description would be "This museum is undergoing renovations for the next 3-5 years and you're only going to learn about the life of the Long family. Now let's watch a boring video for the next 27 minutes that has nothing to do with Kansas City." I wish the video had focused more on Long's contributions to Kansas City such as being the founding president of the Liberty Memorial Association. Or discussion of the former R.A. Long building (now UMB Bank) in downtown on Grand and 10th. I'm just glad it was free. The best part about this area is seeing the historic homes and going on Cliff Drive, a scenic by-way.

This place is advertised everywhere but is not open. It only opens 10-3 on Fridays but not advertised that way. We wasted our time finding it and our parking money to be turned away.

I'm going to be generous and give the museum three stars, even though it is most definitely a work in progress. I hope to be able to come back and update this review in a couple of years. The museum was the residence of the Long family, before they built Longview Farms in Lees Summit. You can watch a movie that tells you the history of the Long family. I found it interesting, as someone who is naturally intrigued by the history of Kansas City. At this time, other than watching the movie, the only exhibit is one on propaganda posters and communications from WWII. Again, it was interesting, but there wasn't very much to see. The home itself is fascinating to me, and is being restored. I would definitely like to come back and doing one of the hard hat tours so I could see a little more of the residence. Again, there is not a lot there, but it's free (or the hard hat tours are very cheap), so you just have to manage your expectations that it's not yet where they want it to be. It's enough to be able to poke around a little inside one of the premier residences in Kansas City.

I really like this place, but not the location. RA Long one of the founding fathers of KC built it during the prime of the logging period. They have a short video about the Long family they will show you in a cool little private theatre. Makes for a great way the spend an afternoon. Be careful while your up in old northeast KC it continues to slide down hill.

There hard hat days and family fun Sundays are worth the trip. the staff is very friendly and its a beautiful place. I have a blast every time I take the kids to their trick or treat.