The Kauffman Center's overriding vision is to enrich the lives of everyone in the community through extraordinary and diverse performing arts experiences. The Kauffman Center, home to resident organizations as the Kansas City Ballet , Lyric Opera , Kansas City Symphony , and other innovative programming , embraces a variety of audiences with different tastes, interests and passions.
The Central Library is the main library of the Kansas City Public Library system. Within the library, the Missouri Valley Room contains a wide collection of items related to Kansas City history, including original and published materials, news articles, postcards and maps. The Library's Ramos Collection includes books, pamphlets and journal articles relating to African American culture.
Since its inception in 1857, the City Market is the largest farmers' market in the region with an annual attendance of nearly 600,000 per year and bursting with more than 140 farmer stalls. In addition, more than 40 merchants offer a wide variety of fresh produce, meats, baked goods, flowers, specialty foods and other items from America, Africa, Europe, the Middle and far East.
The City Market is home to the Arabia Steamboat Museum , showcasing the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. Located in the heart of the historic River Market neighborhood, the City Market is open seven days a week, year round.
Downtown KC is the epicenter of the concert scene in the Kansas City region with 13 venues, including:
Home to the headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Crown Center offers something for everyone. Crown Center features 60 shops and restaurants. Eating options range from a burger spot where meals are delivered by miniature train to a four-star dining experience at The American Restaurant.
Theatregoers can choose from award-winning youth-oriented shows at The Coterie and innovative shows at the Off Center Theatre . Crown Center is home to the SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium , LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City , Kaleidoscope and the Hallmark Visitors Center .
Located at Downtown's southern edge – 31st Street & Oak – Martini Corner is an entertainment district with style and heart. The district features six locally-owned bars with totally different vibes.
Downtown is a hotbed for live theater with 10 different locations that feature local theater troupes, touring Broadway shows, and the critically acclaimed Kansas City Repertory Theatre. In addition to the permanent theaters, the annual KC Fringe Festival (every July) makes use of a long list of traditional and nontraditional locations for 10 days of creative performing arts.
To explore the Downtown theater scene, check out the The Coterie , Fishtank , Folly Theater , Fringe Festival , Kansas City Rep at the Copaken Stage , Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , The Living Room , Music Hall, Musical Theater Heritage (Crown Center) and Quality Hill Playhouse .
Since opening on Oct. 10, 2007, Sprint Center has exceeded all expectations having hosted more than 750 events and 7 million guests. Sprint Center is listed among the finest arenas in the country and has become Kansas City's home for basketball, hockey, concerts, family shows and special events — including the annual Big 12 me n's basketball championship tournament in March.
And, speaking of college basketball, the College Basketball Experience , featuring the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, is a 41,500-square-foot fan interactive facility is located at the north end of the Sprint Center campus.
Featuring over 500,000 square feet of hip boutiques, trendy restaurants as well as an eclectic mix of bars and nightlife, the Power & Light District is the leading entertainment district in the region. This vibrant mixed use district is anchored by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema , Midland Theatre and Cosentino's Market – Downtown's full-service, upscale grocery store. In 2015, One Light Tower , a state-of-the-art, luxury apartment building, will open in the heart of the district at 13th and Walnut.
