Discover Kansas City Scavenger Hunt
Discover the City of Fountains with a scavenger hunt across Kansas City's jazz district, fountain plazas and smokehouse counters. Wander Country Club Plaza's Spanish facades, look up at Union Station's grand hall, swing through 18th and Vine and salute the shuttlecocks at the Nelson-Atkins. KC has more fountains than any city outside of Rome, and burnt ends to match.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Country Club Plaza
Navigate to Country Club Plaza and check in at the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain on 47th Street.
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2
Union Station
Rideshare north to Union Station and check in inside the Grand Hall under the chandeliers.
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3
Crossroads Arts District
Walk or rideshare to the Crossroads Arts District around 18th Street and Baltimore Avenue, and check in by any mural or gallery.
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4
18th & Vine
Rideshare east to the 18th and Vine Historic District and check in at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum / American Jazz Museum complex.
Challenges (20)
Kansas City kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic KC backdrop (a fountain, a smoky BBQ sign, the Power and Light building) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Country Club Plaza
Navigate to Country Club Plaza and check in at the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain on 47th Street.
Plaza fountain pose
The Country Club Plaza is dotted with sculpted fountains and Spanish-tile towers. Find the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain (or any of the Plaza's photogenic fountains) and take a group photo with the spray behind the team.
Trivia: City of Fountains
Kansas City is nicknamed the City of Fountains because it has more public fountains than any city in the world except one. Which other city?
Answers: Rome / rome
Trivia: Plaza opened
The Country Club Plaza is widely cited as the first shopping district designed for the automobile. In what year did it open?
Answers: 1923 / 1922
Nelson-Atkins shuttlecock pose
In front of the Nelson-Atkins Museum stand four giant white shuttlecock sculptures by Claes Oldenburg. Find one of the shuttlecocks and take a squad photo with the team posed around it.
Checkpoint: Union Station
Rideshare north to Union Station and check in inside the Grand Hall under the chandeliers.
Union Station Grand Hall shot
Union Station's Grand Hall has 95-foot ceilings, three chandeliers and a six-foot clock. Take a group photo with the team in the centre of the hall, the clock or a chandelier framed above.
Trivia: Union Station opened
Kansas City's Union Station opened to passengers in what year?
Answer: 1914
Liberty Memorial backdrop
On the bluff south of Union Station rises the 217-foot Liberty Memorial, the only US memorial to World War I. Find a vantage point looking up at the tower and take a squad photo with the obelisk behind the team.
Checkpoint: Crossroads Arts District
Walk or rideshare to the Crossroads Arts District around 18th Street and Baltimore Avenue, and check in by any mural or gallery.
Crossroads mural pose
The Crossroads is covered in murals, painted alleys and indie gallery facades. Find a striking mural and take a squad photo where the team mirrors a colour, gesture or shape from the artwork.
Checkpoint: 18th & Vine
Rideshare east to the 18th and Vine Historic District and check in at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum / American Jazz Museum complex.
18th & Vine jazz pose
The 18th and Vine district was the heart of Kansas City jazz from the 1920s. Find the Charlie Parker statue or a jazz mural and take a squad photo with the team in a sax-blowing pose.
KC BBQ working lunch
Kansas City is one of the four pillars of American BBQ. Order burnt ends, a Z-Man sandwich or a stack of ribs from any local joint and take a squad photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time. Sauce on the chin is a bonus.
Trivia: KC BBQ specialty
Kansas City BBQ has one signature cut, the smoked crispy edges of brisket point. What are they called (two words)?
Answers: burnt ends / Burnt ends
Fountain hop
Kansas City has more than 200 public fountains. Find a second photogenic fountain on your route (the Children's Fountain on N. Oak, the Bartle Hall fountains, the Firefighters' Fountain) and take a group photo with the spray behind the team.
KC sport spirit
KC lives for the Chiefs and the Royals. Find someone in red Chiefs or blue Royals gear (or a flag, a mural, the Power and Light District screens) and take a squad photo with the team flying the colours.
Local Kansas Citian tip
Convince a local Kansas City resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Kansas City finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful KC spot (a fountain at golden hour, the Plaza lights at dusk, a jazz venue at night) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the City of Fountains!
Frequently asked questions
A full day. Five to six hours covers Country Club Plaza, Union Station, the Crossroads, 18th and Vine and a BBQ working lunch at a relaxed pace. The Plaza and Crossroads are walkable, but rideshare between districts since they spread across town.
The hunt is on the Missouri side (KCMO), where almost everything famous sits. Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) is the neighbouring city across the state line and has its own scene but the Plaza, Union Station, BBQ joints and jazz district are all KCMO. The two share an airport so check the address of your starting hotel.
KC BBQ is famous for burnt ends (the smoked, crispy edges of brisket point), sweet-and-tangy sauce and a stack of styles. Joe's KC, Q39, Jack Stack and Arthur Bryant's are the legendary stops, all worth the line. Plan one BBQ stop on the hunt and a second outside of it.
Country Club Plaza is the natural starting point: free parking on weekends, the Spanish facades and fountains anchor the opening photo and you can walk to the Nelson-Atkins Museum from there. From the Plaza you rideshare north to Union Station and east to 18th and Vine.
Yes. The Plaza is pram-friendly with fountain stops, Union Station has free Science City discounts in the morning, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum at 18th and Vine has interactive exhibits. BBQ joints welcome families and serve plenty of sides for picky eaters.