EDMOND — Anyone who knows me knows I’m hooked on museums. And Kansas City is a great destination for anyone with that proclivity. During the almost-week that Jack and I spent there recently, in addition to bloating out on barbecue, we made a decent dent in Kansas City’s list of museums. Here are some of our favorites — and, trust me, the list of possibilities is much longer.

 

ART

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: Few museums have a more impressive front yard than the magnificent neo-classic revival-style Nelson. Architects and lovers of modern art also love the Bloch wing which was added a few years ago — Time named it the “Number One Architectural Marvel of 2007.” Me, I try to ignore it — and the Claes Oldenburg shuttlecocks on the lawn. I always loved the elegance of the museum sans modern additions. I love walking into the impressive Kirkwood Hall with its 40-foot ceiling and black marble pillars.

The museum is noted for its Chinese art, European paintings and 20th century sculpture. My own favorite paintings include American Thomas Hart Benton’s “Persephone,” one of Monet’s “Waterlilies” and Van Gogh’s “Olive Grove.” A number of the galleries are decorated in the style of the place and period they display — the medieval cloister, a Chinese temple and the South Asian gallery with the sculpture of Shiva in the center of the room.

 

MUSIC

The American Jazz Museum: Located appropriately in the 18th and Vine historic district, this is one of the best hands-on museums I’ve seen. There are lots of displays of noted jazz musicians — Ellington, Armstrong, Fitzgerald and more — and lots of listening opportunities. The big hands-on section lets visitors experiment with different elements of jazz music — melody, harmony, rhythm — and allows guests to use mixing boards to vary the sounds. I could have played there all day!

 

SPORTS

College Basketball Experience: If the Jazz Museum was hands-on, this one is body-on. Yes, there are informational panels with highlights by the decade and there’s the College Basketball Hall of Fame, but the big attraction here is action.

Over a dozen activities — most involving trying to get the ball through the hoop in one way or another — make this the perfect stop particularly if you’re traveling with sports-minded teens. For those less athletically inclined there are activities, too. Try your hand at broadcasting the game action and visit the ESPNU Media Lounge to learn how media changed the game.



 HISTORY

National World War I Museum: The Liberty Memorial with its 217-foot tower and massive veiled sphinxes has overlooked downtown Kansas City since its dedication in 1926. Eighty years later the new museum, which is underground beneath the Memorial, was opened to the public.

Once inside the museum lobby, visitors cross a glass bridge looking down on a field of 9,000 red poppies. Each poppy represents 1,000 battle casualties.

An orientation film gives visitors an overview of the war — the situation in Europe, the factors leading up to the conflict and the historical implications. The first gallery expands on the societal influences on the political situation. A timeline integrates world events and the war. Other galleries feature large-scale exhibits, study stations and artifacts from the museum’s collection.

The most impressive display in the museum is the Horizon Theater, a multi-media presentation on America’s entrance into the war played over a ghastly re-creation of the battle conditions. Final exhibits tell the story of the war’s completion and peace negotiations.

This is a do-not-miss museum. It is thought-provoking, leaving one not with a feeling of “we won” but of how much the world loses when war is the only solution.

 

HERITAGE

The Arabia Museum: The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River close to Kansas City in 1856. Fully loaded with over 200 tons of goods, it was headed up the river from St. Louis to frontier posts and carried every sort of item that pioneers needed, from pickaxes to pickles.

It was excavated several years ago by the Hawley family and two friends. When the Hawley boys were little, they and their dad traveled to Colorado frequently hunting for gold. All grown up, they were told about the treasures that were lost to the muddy Missouri and they decided to try to find some.

They decided on the Arabia. Her approximate location was known from previous, failed attempts to excavate her. Thanks to the changing course of the river, she was a half-mile from the water — beneath 45 feet of soil.

The museum is as much about the challenge of salvaging the ship as it is about the result. They found little of value, a few pieces of jewelry and some coins. The Hawleys had planned to use money they gained from the find to recoup their investment in excavating the ship. As for treasure, the value was in the totality — the largest cache of pre-Civil War artifacts ever discovered. And so they built their own museum.

This is just a sample of what Kansas City has to offer. It’s just a five hour drive — four-lane all the way. Why not discover these and other museums for yourself?



ELAINE WARNER is an Edmond resident. Follow her travels at www.okietravel.blogspot.com.