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9. Toy and Miniature Museum.
This specialty museum, located on UMKC’s campus, is a 38-room house that boasts the
largest collection of nostalgic toys, fine-scale miniatures and marbles in the Midwest. This is
a journey through the evolution of childhood that offers a glimpse into values and virtues of
other cultures and times.
10. Union Station and the Freight District.
Standing proudly in the middle of the East –West U. S. transportation path, Union Station is
a restored 1914 railroad hub and currently a stop on the Los Angeles to Chicago Amtrak.
This site includes an interpretive exhibit telling the history of the building, its architecture,
engineering, construction, and preservation. Additional entrance fee activities are housed
inside the building. The Freight District adjoins Union Station and consists of renovated
warehouses that now have been rejuvenated by a major art and civic redevelopment
initiative.
11. Westport
a. The site of a bustling outpost and Civil War combat, the Westport area is now home to
boutiques and an array of restaurants and watering holes. As a neighborhood it is easily
identifiable with 19 th -century charm.
b. Nearby on 39th Street West is a wonderful collection of ethnic restaurants and shopping.
A few blocks away is the Thomas Hart Benton historic home.
12. 18th and Vine District.
This is the heart of the jazz legacy and the epicenter of the African-American community.
The fee also includes Negro Baseball League Museum and the Jazz Museum. To the south is
the Black Archives dedicated to collecting and preserving the history of African Americans
in the Midwest. Note: evenings you can hear live jazz at the Blue Room or the Mutual
Musicians Foundation.
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