Top 10 Family-Friendly Day Trips From Kansas City [2023 Guide]

There Are Lots Of Fun Things For Kids To Do And See In Kansas City, Which Is A Lively And Diverse City.

A Short Drive From The City Will Let You Find Something That Fits Your Hobbies And Price, Whether You’re Interested In Nature, History, Culture, Or Excitement.

Here Are 10 Of The Best Day Trips From Kansas City That Are Good For Families That You Can Take In 2023.

1. Saint Joseph

A Historic City Called St. Joseph Was Once The Starting Place Of The Pony Express, A Famous Mail Service That Sent Letters All Over The West In The 1860s.

The Pony Express National Museum Has Exhibits, Artifacts, And Hands-On Displays That Will Help You Learn More About This Interesting Part Of American History.

Also, You Can See The Place Where Jesse James Was Shot And Killed By A Member Of His Own Gang At The Jesse James Home Museum.

The Glore Psychiatric Museum Has Some Strange And Frightening Artifacts That Show How Mental Health Care Has Changed Over Time.

If You Are Interested In Medical History, You Can Check It Out.

St. Joseph Is A Great Place For Families Who Love Art And Culture. It’s About An Hour’s Drive North Of Kansas City.

This Beautiful City Has Lots Of Museums, Art Galleries, And Historic Places That You Can Spend A Day Seeing.

2. Topeka

The Main City Of Kansas Is Topeka, Which Is Also A Center For Politics And Culture.

The Kansas State Capitol Is A Beautiful Building With A Roof, Paintings, Statues, And A Tourist Center That You Can See.

You Can Also Go To The Kansas Museum Of The Past, Which Has Displays About The Past Of The State From The Stone Age To The Present Day.

There Is A Full-Size Cheyenne Tipi, A Train, A Covered Wagon, And More To See.

You Can Have Fun Outside At The Ward-Meade Park Botanical Grounds, Where You Can Have Lunch, Walk Through Beautiful Grounds, And See Old Buildings.

It Takes About An Hour To Drive West Of Kansas City To Get To Topeka.

This City Is Great For Families Who Want To Learn More About Kansas And Its History.

In This Lively City, You Can Spend A Day Learning About Its History, Culture, And Nature.

3. Nevada

Nevada Is A Small City With Lots Of Good Things For Kids To Do And See.

You Can Go To The Bushwhacker Museum, Which Has Displays About Missouri’s History, Culture, And Art That Tell The Story Of The Civil War There.

You Can Also Check Out The Cottey College Campus, Which Is Home To A Liberal Arts College For Women That Has Been Around Since 1884.

There Are Beautiful Chapels, Art Galleries, And Old Buildings To See.

You Can Go To Radio Springs Park And Play Disc Golf, Walk, Ride A Bike, Or Fish If You Want To Try Something New.

Nevada Is About An Hour And A Half’s Drive South Of Kansas City.

It’s A Great Place For Families Who Want To Combine The Feel Of A Small Town With That Of A Big City.

This City Has Museums, Parks, And A College Campus Where You Can Spend A Day Having Fun.

4. Town Of Boonville

This City Has A Lot Of History. It Was Formed In 1810 And Was A Major Hub For Trade On The Missouri River.

The Boonville Heritage Visitors Center Has Displays About The Boats, Trains, Bridges, And Businesses That Shaped The City.

You Can Learn More About This Interesting Past There. The Mitchell Antique Motorcar Museum Has A Collection Of Old And Rare Cars From Different Times That You Can See.

Katy Trail State Park Is A Fun Place To Be Outside. It’s Part Of A 240-Mile Trail That Follows An Old Train Line.

Along The Pretty Trail, You Can Walk, Ride A Bike, Or Ride A Horse And Take In The Views Of The River And Forest.

Boonville Is About Two Hours’ Drive East Of Kansas City. Families Who Love History And Nature Will Love This Place.

This Beautiful City Has A Lot To See And Do. You Could Spend A Day Going To The Ancient Places, Museums, And Walks.

5. Manhattan

Manhattan Is A Busy Place Where Kansas State University Is Located. It Is One Of The Biggest Public Schools In The State.

You Can Go To Campus And See Some Of Its Sights, Like The Insect Zoo, Which Has Live Insects From All Over The World,

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum Of Art, Which Has Art By Local And Regional Artists, And The Gardens At Kansas State University, Which Have Classrooms And Beautiful Gardens.

To Learn More About The Natural And Cultural Past Of The Flint Hills, You Can Also Visit The Flint Hills Discovery Center.

You Can Interact With Displays, Watch Video Shows, And See Real Animals.

Manhattan Is About Two Hours’ Drive West Of Kansas City.

It’s A Great Place For Families Who Want To Visit And Enjoy The Feel Of A College Town With Lots Of Things To Do.

In This Lively City, You Can Spend A Day Going To The College, Museums, And Parks.

6. Italia

The University Of Missouri Is In Columbia, Which Is A Lively City And Home To The State’s Most Prestigious Public University.

You Can Visit The Campus And See Some Of Its Sights, Like The Museum Of Art And Archaeology, Which Has Artifacts From Ancient Civilizations On Display,

The Museum Of Anthropology, Which Has Displays About Native American Cultures, And The Mizzou Botanic Garden, Which Has Sculptures And Themed Gardens.

Another Place You Can Visit Is Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Which Has Woods, Rocks, Sinkholes, Streams, And More.

You Can Walk, Ride A Bike, Or Ride A Horse Through The Park To See The Known Rock Bridge.

Columbia Is About Two And A Half Hours’ Drive East Of Kansas City.

It’s A Great Place For Families To Visit If They Want To See A Busy, Diverse City With Lots Of Things To Do And See.

In This Busy City, You Can Spend A Day Going To The College, Museums, And Park.

7. City Of Jefferson

The Main City Of Missouri Is Jefferson City, Which Is Also A Hub For Politics And Culture.

The Missouri State Capitol Is A Beautiful Building With A Roof, Paintings, Statues, And A Museum That You Can Visit.

You Can Also Go To The Missouri State Museum, Which Has Displays About The History, Geography, And Natural Resources Of The State.

There Are Fossils, Rocks, Animals, And More To See. Go To The Runge Nature Center To Have Fun Outside.

There You Can Hike On Walks, See Real Animals, And Learn About Protecting The Environment.

It Takes About Three Hours To Drive From Kansas City To Jefferson City.

This Is A Great Place For Families To Visit If They Want To Learn More About Missouri And Its Government.

This Ancient City Has A Capital, A Museum, And A Nature Center That You Can All See In One Day.

8. The Joplin

The City Of Joplin Is Known For Its Rich Singing History And Artistic Culture.

The Joplin Museum Complex Has Displays About The City’s Past, The Coal Business, Famous People Who Lived There, And Sports Stars.

You Could Also Go To The George A. Spiva Center For The Arts, Which Has A Collection Of Different Kinds Of Art By Local And Area Artists.

The Grand Falls Is The Biggest Waterfall In Missouri That Flows All The Time. It’s A Great Place To Have Fun Outside.

A Lunch Can Be Had By The River While You Watch The Beautiful Waterfall.

Joplin Is About A Three Hours’ Drive South Of Kansas City. Families Who Love Art And Music Will Love This Place.

This City Has A Lot To See And Do. You Can Spend A Day Enjoying The Museums, Art Galleries, And Waterfalls.

9. The Springfield

This Busy City Is Famous For Being The Start Of Route 66, The Famous Highway That Runs Across America.

Visit The Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center To Learn More About This Important Historic Road.

There You Can See Artifacts, Maps, Photos, And Movies. The Discovery Center Of Springfield Is Another Place You Could Go.

It’s A Hands-On Science Museum With Displays About Biology, Chemistry, Physics, And More. You Can Play Around With Various Tools, Machines, And Materials.

You Can Have Fun Outside By Going To The Fantastic Caverns, Which Are Underground Caves That You Can Ride A Tram Through.

Springfield Is About Three And A Half Hours South Of Kansas City.

It’s A Great Place For Kids To Visit If They Want To Learn About History, Science, And Nature.

In This Interesting City, You Can Spend A Day Going To The Tourist Center, Museum, And Caves.

10. Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha Is A Lively City In Nebraska. It’s Also Close Enough To Kansas City To Visit For The Day.

One Of The Best Zoos In The World Is The Henry Doorly Zoo And Aquarium In Omaha.

There Are Thousands Of Animals From Jungles, Mountains, Seas, And Other Places That You Can See.

You Can Also Go To The Durham Museum, Which Is In A Building That Used To Be A Train Station And Has Displays About Omaha’s History, Society, And Transportation.

You Can See Cars, Trains, Planes, And More From The Past.

Omaha Is About Three Hours’ Drive North Of Kansas City And A Great Place For Families Who Love History And Animals.

The Zoo And Museum In This Lively City Are Great Places To Spend A Day.

In Conclusion

Kansas City Is A Great Place To Start Visiting Some Of Missouri’s And Other States’ Most Family-Friendly Spots.