Larger Than Life in Kansas City, Missouri
One of my new favorite websites is Roadside America – an online guide to offbeat tourist attractions across America. It lists the quirky, odd, eccentric, and unusual attractions that usually don’t make it into the guidebooks. I first started using this website on my recent trip to Kansas City and have been looking up unique destinations everywhere I’ve been since.
When I don’t have much time in a city to experience the larger, more time consuming sites, visiting these quick roadside attractions offers a great alternative way to experience aspects of the city. During a brief weekend trip to Kansas City in which I spent the majority of the weekend working, I was able to sneak a few sites from Roadside America in as I made my way around the city.
Castle Northmoor
My first stop on my self-guided tour was at Castle Northmoor, a residential castle built in the suburbs of Kansas City. The story goes that the builder, Harlan Shaver, was inspired by some of the other one-man castles around the country and began construction on his own. It is a three-story masonry tower with medieval paintings, massive wooden doors, a spiral staircase, and a rooftop patio, all guarded by a stately suit of armor.
The inside of the castle is private, but the outside and roof top patio are open to visitors. I climbed the spiral staircase on the backside of the tower to the roof. It was a little surreal to be looking down on a suburban neighborhood through the turrets of a castle. There was a treasure chest on top of the roof containing miscellaneous odds and ends and a laminated magazine article about the castle.
Community Bookshelf at the Kansas City Library
When the Kansas City Public Library wanted to expand public parking at its downtown branch, they opted for a striking design, rather than adding a typical parking garage eyesore. Sticking with the literary theme of the library, the external façade of the garage is adorned to look like a giant bookshelf with the spines of classic literature tomes facing 10th Street in downtown Kansas City.
The books’ spines are 25 feet tall and the titles were chosen based from a variety of reading interests suggested by Kansas City readers. Titles such as Charlotte’s Web, Truman, Catch 22, and To Kill a Mockingbird grace the side of this larger-than-life bookshelf.
World’s Largest Shuttlecocks
Ever since I saw Suzy Guese’s post about the world’s largest easel in Goodland, Kansas, I have been intrigued by these oft-forgotten world’s-largest roadside attractions. When I saw that the world’s largest shuttlecocks were in Kansas City (thanks, Roadside America) and were less than a mile from my hotel, I knew I had to go check them out.
I was surprised to find that the shuttlecocks are not a tacky tourist attraction but actually an impressive art installation on the finely manicured lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Initially, I thought they looked a little out of place in front of the beautiful neoclassical building. But after poking around for a few minutes and photographing them, they grew on me. They add an element of whimsy to the grand lawn.
Kauffman Center
Before I ever knew what the Kauffman Center was, I saw it from the highway while passing through Kansas City on another visit. All I could see was this spectacular structure that resembled two abstract seashells in the Kansas City skyline. On my return visit to Kansas City, I was determined to not only find out what it was, but to see it up close.
The Kauffman Center is a performing arts complex that holds two separate venues – one theater and one concert hall. It is an architectural wonder and an incredibly beautiful building. The architecture is minimalistic and modern, and the acoustics are phenomenal.
Unfortunately, I visited during the day before catching my flight back home so I didn’t have a chance to take in one of the shows here. Consider it added to my list of things to do next time I’m in Kansas City.
Every city has its own unique, larger than life attractions. What are some of your favorites?
23 Responses to Larger Than Life in Kansas City, Missouri
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I’m still inspired that you manage to fit so many visits to cool places/oddities while working! I love the shuttlecock pictures, the scale is really cool… We have the largest Pysanka Egg (Ukrainian Easter Egg) here in AB. Ha ha.. worth a visit – mostly because of the tasty Ukrainian food that they have in such a town… Yum.
Dana – Our Wanderlust recently posted..House Selling 101: Do it in a bar.
Thanks Dana! Visiting these places is what keeps me sane while on the road – otherwise I’m just spending all my time in the office or hotel room.
I love Roadside America’s site too! That’s usually where I discover that the world’s largest easel or watermelon is just up the road. Now I need to make my way to KC to see world’s largest shuttlecocks.
Suzy recently posted..The Dream of The Unplugged Vacation
I don’t doubt that you’ll make it there – KC seems to be on the way to a lot of different places when road tripping from Denver.
Roadside America is great, I always check it out when I travel. The giant books and shuttlecocks are very cool!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..Travel Memory: Andrew W.K. concert in Vancouver
I figured you must – you always seem to find the most crazy, random stuff in the places you visit.
I love Roadside America! I check the site whenever I am venturing through the States. Without it I would have never found out about Mystery Castle in Phoenix
Annette | Bucket List Journey recently posted..Learning Sign Language at London’s Oldest Wine Bar
Mystery Castle in Phoenix you say? I’ll be working there in August – might have to dig through some of your old posts to learn all about it!
I had never heard of Roadside America but it looks like it helped you find some great stuff! I’m going to Denver next month (TBEX!) and will definitely check that site for some quirky things to see!
Britany recently posted..We’re Going to TBEX and We Need Your Help!!
Hope to see you at TBEX! I can recommend some good Denver randomness seeing as how it’s my hometown and all. We have GIANT blue bear statue peering into the convention center, a miniature horse standing on top of a giant chair in front of the public library, an enormous satanic blue mustang with glowing red eyes (lovingly known as Bluecifer) at our airport, a larger than life broom and dustpan in front of the art museum….i could go on and on. Email me if you want more Denver recommendations.
the largest….shuttlecock? I’m terrified of the racket if just the shuttlecock could crush me.
Ava Apollo recently posted..Wednesday Getaway – Santa Barbara, California
I thought it would be funny to set up a regular size raquetball net between the two shuttlecocks and try to ‘serve’ one with a regular size racket.
How many times can I say, “Great pictures”? Kansas City looks like a cool place to visit. I’ve been to Missouri, but not KC. I might need to change that.
Leah Travels recently posted..Flower Power
Thanks Leah! I never get tired of hearing it and I really do appreciate it. Kansas City has really grown on me. I used to not like it….but I was always visiting in the Winter. Spring in KC is beautiful.
Wow that architectural design of the Kauffman Center is brilliant – really impressive! I didn’t know about Roadside America, but looks like a great resource – thanks for the recommendation!
Mark Wiens recently posted..Photo: Lip-licking Lebanese Kafta Kebabs
I agree Mark – that building is spectacular. One of my favorite buildings in the world.
This looks awesome! You’ve put Kansas City on the map! I’m from the midwest, and never knew any of this was there. I would love to visit that castle. And I’m with you — Roadside America is great. I follow them on Twitter and always appreciate that they give validity to some pretty great places that no one ever really thinks to travel.
Glad to hear KC’s on your list now…my only recommendation would be not to visit in the winter…my first few trips to KC were in the winter and I never really enjoyed the city until I made it there in springtime.
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Our whole travel “thing” is to go visit “world’s largests,” so I love these ideas. We use the Roadside America app on our GPS, and it goes “ding” when we’re driving close to an attraction in its database. Without it, we would never have found the world’s largest shoe house in Hellam, PA!
Traci recently posted..World’s Largest Urban Zoo, Bronx, NY
I love that and I’m so glad you found my site so that I could see yours. I love that idea. I’m a subscriber now.
Kansas City is one of my top Midwest destinations…it really has a surprising number of fantastic attractions that no one has ever heard of.
One you should check out on your next visit is the Steamboat Arabia Museum. Its downtown next to the Farmer’s Market and is a real surprise….unique, and very well-done. Worth the trip!
Adam Sommer recently posted..Indianapolis, IN: Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
I agree – it has so much more than I ever expected. It really is an undiscovered gem.