The Museum of Kansas City

The Museum of Kansas City Home of the whole story, including yours. Explore your city museum that embraces the humanities to explore the past, present, and future of Kansas City.
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Street Parking Only. Elixir, our Soda Fountain coming Fall 2023!

The Museum of Kansas City is excited to announce a new free film series, no tickets required, in collaboration with Kans...
09/01/2026

The Museum of Kansas City is excited to announce a new free film series, no tickets required, in collaboration with Kansas City PBS and Inflatable Film.

All films will be shown in the JE Dunn Construction Theater on the third floor of Corinthian Hall. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase in Elixir for guests to enjoy during the films.

Click link below to see full schedule:
https://museumofkansascity.org/film-series/

09/01/2026

We are The Museum of Kansas City. We tell the stories of our city and its people through humanities exhibits, programs, and events. We encourage collaborative learning about the city’s past, present, and future. Every day, we illuminate a shared humanity, inspire creative action, and aim to deliver a transformational civic impact. Join us!

Kansas City is rich in racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. We are one city—One KC—with many voices and perspectives. As we connect cooperatively and collectively, “your” story and “my” story become “our” story. Together, we work restoratively to co-create the KC where we can all thrive.

At the Museum, we focus on the untold or undertold stories of KC. In doing so, we aim to be the “Home of the Whole Story” where lived experiences from individuals, neighborhoods, and communities that are often underrepresented and overlooked are acknowledged, honored, and elevated to tell more accurate, complex, and complete stories of the city we all love.

08/25/2026

Step inside Corinthian Hall and discover exhibits, stories, and experiences that celebrate Kansas City — including your place in it.

September Happenings at the Museum!
08/24/2026

September Happenings at the Museum!

08/12/2026

Collection Highlight

Grape Kola Dispenser
1982.101.1.a,b

The Liquid Carbonic Acid Manufacturing Company was founded by Jacob Baur in 1888 after he developed a technique to make carbon dioxide gas in tanks. He developed it specifically for soft drinks. Soon, Baur was selling the equipment and supplies to run an entire soda fountain: the CO2, phosphoric acid, flavoring syrups, and special dispensers for them, glassware, and furniture. Grape Kola was one of his products. A potential soda jerk could purchase all of this, along with an operations and recipe manual, and enter the soda fountain business.

Baur’s Liquid Carbonic Soda Fountains were manufactured and marketed from around 1890 to World War I.

The company’s major product, however, was always the liquid carbonic, which is a pressurized gas consisting mostly of carbon dioxide. Most only know it as the carbonation in soft drinks, but it is used in a variety of applications from fire extinguishers to refrigerants. Liquid Carbonic also invented the first low pressure system for bottling carbonated drinks, selling the patent to Coca Cola in 1914.

This particular dispenser was made in 1901. Grape was one of the fruit flavorings sold by Liquid Carbonic, who advertised Grape Kola as “The Queen of Fountain Drinks”. This syrup dispenser was just one of their many branded soda fountain items. The Soda Jerk would use the tap on the rear to dispense the syrup in the bottom of a glass and then add carbonated water and ice, plus phosphoric acid if making a phosphate instead of a plain soda.

Phosphoric acid gives a drink a bit of a sour, tangy taste. Today, bottled colas have phosphoric acid in them, while fountain drinks do not. Bottled soda really does taste different than fountain soda.

Imagination Project Pop-UpFree Drop-in Workshop with Educator Linda WhiteAll Ages, All Abilities – Connect, Explore & Cr...
08/10/2026

Imagination Project Pop-Up
Free Drop-in Workshop with Educator Linda White
All Ages, All Abilities – Connect, Explore & Create Together

Thursday, August 13 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, August 14 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1. You may pop-in at any point during the workshop timeframe
2. Check-in at the Museum’s admissions desk and go to Café at 3218 on the first floor of Corinthian Hall
3. Children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult
4. No registration required
5. After the workshop, enjoy a complimentary house soda in Elixir, located downstairs.

All ages and abilities are invited to participate in creative, sensory exploration of conventional and unconventional open-ended materials as well as natural objects to create a work to take home or leave at the Museum. These workshops will include materials such as beads, bells, yarn, feathers, and fabric. This is an opportunity for youth, adults, and families to engage, explore, and create together.

About Linda White & The Imagination Play Project
Linda White is from Kansas City, Missouri and is based in New York City. She does pop-up projects around the country in a variety of learning spaces including museums, schools, and community centers. She is the founder and creator of Imagination Play Project. As a play curator, her focus began with young children and has grown to working with people of all ages and abilities. Drawing inspiration from the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and the rich aesthetic landscape of cities, she creates experiences using a variety of objects that encourage exploration, engage the senses, and inspire creativity.

To learn more about Linda, visit: https://www.imaginationplayproject.com/

08/09/2026

The exhibit is located in the Museum’s third-floor gallery, Our City, Our Stories, and admission is free. It is presented in collaboration with Leah Warshawski, Sonia’s granddaughter and Impact Producer/Director of Inflatable Film, and StoryFile, a division of Authentic Interactions.

StoryFile created the interactive experience to preserve and share Sonia’s powerful testimony in her own words. In 2021, Sonia recorded more than 400 questions about her life, experiences, and lessons of resilience in a professional studio, sitting in her favorite leopard-print chair. Using proprietary technology, StoryFile trained the responses to allow visitors to engage in meaningful conversations with Sonia’s recorded likeness.

The experience begins with an introduction by Sonia’s oldest daughter, Regina Kort. When visitors ask Sonia a question, the system delivers the closest matching pre-recorded response—ensuring that every interaction reflects Sonia’s authentic voice and testimony. Importantly, StoryFile did not use artificial intelligence to modify or generate responses; every answer comes directly from Sonia as she shared it during the recording process.

This exhibit is made possible through the generous support of the Barton P. Cohen and Mary Davidson Cohen Charitable Trust, housed at Midwest Trust Company.

08/08/2026

Last Summer Concert on the Lawn Featuring Brass Rewind Brass Rewind
Friday, August 14
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Click link in bio to purchase

Admission:
$7 per adult (advance purchase via Eventbrite)
$10 at the gate (no cash, please)
Free for children 12 and under with an accompanying adult

Brass Rewind is the region’s premier Rock and R&B horn band, delivering powerful performances of unforgettable hits.

Their dynamic setlist pays tribute to legendary artists like Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Steely Dan, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Average White Band, The Ides of March, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and more.

It’s a high-energy show you won’t forget!

PH Coffee Trailer will be parked on the lawn selling hot dogs, popcorn, and snow cones while bringing the PH Coffee mission beyond our walls: connection, conversation, and community wherever we land.

Know before you go:

1. No outside alcohol allowed.
2. Beer, wine, and specialty cocktails available for purchase at Elixir on the Lawn (card only – no cash, please)
3. Museum Members, 21+, receive a complimentary drink
4. Picnics, blankets, and lawn chairs are allowed
5. Dog friendly
6. Bathroom located in the Carriage House
7. Bring bug spray

08/07/2026

Thank you Lauren Rainson & KSHB 41, please come back soon!

Address

3218 Gladstone Boulevard
Kansas City, MO
64123

Opening Hours

Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18167027700

Website

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