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Kansas

Kansas

State

Missouri

Country

United States

Continent

North America

Size

826 KM2

Population

1,686,000

Spending Budget

$130 - $309

Famous For

  • Overland Park Arboretum And Botanical Gardens
  • Nelson-Atkins Museum Arts
  • Kansas City Zoo
  • Crown center
  • Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa

Best Time to Visit

  • January
  • September
  • October

History

The first documented European visitor to the eventual site of Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris in 1763 but were not to play a major role other than taxing and licensing Missouri River ship traffic. The French continued their fur trade under Spanish license. The Chouteau family operated under Spanish license at St. Louis, in the lower Missouri Valley as early as 1765 and in 1821 the Chouteau's reached Kansas City, where François Chouteau established Chouteau's Landing. After the 1804 Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it was a good place to build a fort. In 1831, a group of Mormons from New York settled in what would become the city. They built the first school within Kansas City's current boundaries but were forced out by mob violence in 1833. In 1833 John McCoy, son of Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy, established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail, 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) away from the river. In 1834 McCoy established Westport Landing on a bend in Missouri to serve as a landing point for West Port. Soon after, the Kansas Town Company, a group of investors, began to settle the area, taking their name from an English spelling of "Cansez." The 1837 Great Plains smallpox epidemic, which began when a ship carrying an infected person landed at Fort Leavenworth, a short distance to the north, devastated Plains Indian villages along the Missouri River, while white settlements were still sparse. Kansas City in 1843, as depicted in the history of Oregon. In 1850, the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas. By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby Independence, had become critical points in the westward expansion of the United States. During the Civil War, the city and its immediate surroundings were the focus of intense military activity. Although the First Battle of Independence in August 1862 resulted in a Confederate States Army victory, the Confederates were unable to leverage their win in any significant fashion, as Kansas City was occupied by Union troops and proved too heavily fortified to assault. The Second Battle of Independence, which occurred on October 21–22, 1864, as part of Sterling Price's Missouri expedition of 1864, also resulted in a Confederate triumph. Once again their victory proved hollow, as Price was decisively defeated in the pivotal Battle of Westport the next day, effectively ending Confederate efforts to regain Missouri. After the Civil War, Kansas City grew rapidly, largely losing its Southern identity. The selection of the city over Leavenworth, Kansas, for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad bridge over the Missouri River, brought about significant growth. Kansas City, guided by architect George Kessler, became a forefront example of the City Beautiful movement, offering a network of boulevards and parks. The relocation of Union Station to its current location in 1914 and the opening of the Liberty Memorial in 1923 provided two of the city's most identifiable landmarks. Kansas City's suburban development began with a streetcar system in the early decades of the 20th century.

Present Day

The Kansas City area has undergone extensive redevelopment, with more than $6 billion in improvements to the downtown area on the Missouri side. One of the main goals is to attract convention and tourist dollars, office workers, and residents to downtown KCMO. Among the projects include the redevelopment of the Power & Light District, located in the area to the east of the Power & Light Building (the former headquarters of the Kansas City Power & Light Company, which is now based in the district's northern end), into a retail and entertainment district; and the Sprint Center. From 2007 to 2017, the downtown residential population in Kansas City quadrupled and continues to grow. The Kauffman Performing Arts Center opened in 2011 providing a new, modern home to the KC Orchestra and Ballet. In 2015, an 800-room Hyatt Convention Center Hotel was announced for a site next to the Performance Arts Center & Bartle Hall. Construction was scheduled to start in early 2018 with Loews as the operator. By 2018, the arena was being converted to a sports complex under the name Hy-Vee Arena. The area has seen additional development through various transportation projects, including improvements to the Grandview Triangle. In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) launched Kansas City's first bus rapid transit line, the Metro Area Express (MAX), which links the River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza. The KCATA continues to expand MAX with additional routes on Prospect Avenue, Troost Avenue, and Independence Avenue. In 2013, construction began on a two-mile streetcar line in downtown Kansas City (funded by a $102 million ballot initiative that was passed in 2012) that runs between the River Market and Union Station, it began operation in May 2016. In 2016, Jackson County, Missouri, acquired unused rail lines as part of a long-term commuter rail plan.

Future

The City Planning and Development Department guides future physical and economic development by focusing on two main areas: Planning Services and Development Services. In Planning Services, staff manage development policy, conduct research and support the City’s long-term vision. In Development Services, staff issue permits, review plans and enforce development policy. The Administration division provides support and resources for the department to reach its goals. The division includes finance, human resources, customer service, economic development and special projects. Further, developers unveiled transformative plans for visible buildings and properties not just in downtown Kansas City but throughout the area, ranging from distinctive apartment proposals to sprawling multimillion-dollar office and mixed-use developments.
Must Visit Places ------------

Overland Park Arboretum And Botanical Gardens

This park is the new theme of both Arboretum and Botanical Garden which is supervised by Karan Kerkhoff. This park is the second-most populous city in the Kansas City of the US. The small river of the park called the Blue River. Park also includes limestone bluffs, some special grasses like Indian Grass, Big Bluestem, Little bluestem. Likewise, many themes attract the kids as well as adults. More than 40 companies root their headquarters in Overland Park. Recently this park introduced the Terra Luna called the representation of sound and light at the park.

Monuments Rocks

These rocks are also renowned as Chalk pyramids which are located in the Gove bounty of Kansas. It’s a large formation of Chalk, enriched fossils. Kansas sampler foundation selects the Monument Rocks as one of the eight wonders of Kansas. US National Natural Landmark recognizes these pyramids as the first landmark of Kansas. These formations formed as arches and buttes. People get attracted by pyramid’s arches and shapes. Some researchers also use these chalk rocks for research purposes with the authorization of the US National Natural Landmark. Bands of shells and other fossils can be easily found in rock formations.

Nelson-Atkins Museum Arts

It’s an art Museum in Kansas City. The museum has a collection of arts from every continent and culture. Even it’s an American museum, its arts are mostly Asian continental collections. The Museum contains European arts and paintings. Asian continental countries like Southeast, South Asia, Iran, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, India and Afghanistan arts and collections are installed. American paintings are there comparatively less than other paintings and arts. It has collection of arts from various countries, admires the people to fall in love of arts.

Old Cowtown Museum

It’s an ancient museum of Wichita of Kansas. It’s located very close to Arkansas River. It’s an open-air museum so the people will be excited to visit and enjoy the art galleries of the museum. Blender claim, Bloody dawn, Midnight Shanghai etc., films are done the shoot-outs here. This museum did for the film of Wichita in 2013. The theme of the museum is apt for visitors and also the impressive location for films and photoshoots.

Botanical, The Wichita Gardens

This garden is inaugurated by the collaboration of the Wichita area garden council and the city of Wichita. Within the garden, there are four other gardens of a total of 17.6 acres of Botanical Gardens. Mainly famous for Butterfly Garden and Aquarium. Greenhouse for Tropical plants, Shakespearean garden, Woodlands including dog hoods, elm, hackberry. The garden gives the fullest feel of Greenery everywhere.

Kansas City Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo is often recognized as one of the top zoos in North America, covering 200 acres of Swope Park. It’s home to more than 1,700 animals, and find unique habitats such as the Orangutan Canopy, Helzberg Penguin Plaza and African Sky Safari,.

Crown center

Crown Center is another shopping and entertainment district that’s ripe for exploring. But what makes it unique is that it’s not only home to Hallmark Cards, but it offers plenty of fun for kids, families and the young at heart. Head to the sea life Kansas City aquarium, legoland discovery center or hallmark cards’ very own Kaleidoscope, where kids can let their creativity run wild with free arts and crafts.

National WWI Museum and Memorial

A trip to Kansas City wouldn’t be complete without visiting the National WWI Museum and Memorial – the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts, videos and immersive experiences dedicated to the history of The Great War. The Liberty Memorial tower and galleries were first opened to the public in 1926, and the museum continues to educate visitors with an impressive trove of everything from antique weapons and propaganda posters to soldiers’ uniforms and equipment.

Worlds of Fun and Ocean of Fun

This single park makes for double the fun (with only one admission fee). At Worlds of Fun, rides and rollercoasters for all ages are split into five sections, themed after the book Around the World in Eighty Days. From May to August, Oceans of Fun is where you can cool off by kayaking in Buccaneer Bay, swimming in the wave pool or launching yourself down a water slide.