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Union Station
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Union Station

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Union Station
4.5
2,550 reviews
#19 of 165 things to do in Kansas City
Historic Sites
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Top ways to experience Union Station and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
573 within 3 miles
Jack Stack Barbecue Freight House
3,926
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Barbecue • Gluten Free Options
Pierpont's at Union Station
757
223 ft$$$$ • American • Bar • Vegetarian Friendly
Grünauer
732
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • German • Austrian • European
Cafe Gratitude
261
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Healthy
Lidia's Restaurant
1,160
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Tuscan • Central-Italian
Harvey's at Union Station
417
159 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
La Bodega - Kansas City
350
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Latin • Spanish • Vegetarian Friendly
Fritz's Railroad Restaurant
758
0.3 mi$ • American
Town Topic Inc Sandwich Shops
194
0.3 mi$ • American • Fast Food • Diner
Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop
277
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
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Attractions
147 within 6 miles
The Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station
54
0 ftObservatories & Planetariums
The Irish Center at Union Station
2
0 ftSpeciality Museums
Dinosaurs Revealed
6
0 ftNatural History Museums
Freight House Bridge
1
0 ftBridges
Museum of Illusions
76
92 ftSpeciality Museums
Science City at Union Station
576
326 ftScience Museums
18 Broadway Urban Garden
2
0.1 miGardens
National WWI Museum and Memorial
5,607
0.3 miMilitary Museums • History Museums
Coterie Theatre
75
0.2 miTheaters
Kaleidoscope
441
0.4 miEducational sites • Children's Museums
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,550 reviews
Excellent
1,482
Very good
803
Average
205
Poor
40
Terrible
20
traveltheworld012
Rochester, MN13,560 contributions
Recommended visit, we were pleased
Mar 2023
We happened to be at a antique shop in West Bottoms where we chatted with the owner of the shop. He said we should go visit the Union Station which was built in 1914 after the original Kansas City Union Depot located in West Bottoms which used to be the original downtown but flooded badly in 1906.
Anyway, we drove out to see the Union Station on our last day in KC, Thursday, March 9, 2023. It is an amazing building rivaling the Union Depot in Chicago, not quite Grand Central Station in NY, but still well worth a visit. It is free to visit the station public areas, but you must pay for parking if staying more than 30 minutes. There are several event areas and exhibits but those are also require paid admission. We were only staying for an hour or so. We viewed as much as we could for free. Great place to visit on a rainy day.
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alicia J
1 contribution
A visit to Auchwitz Exhibit
Oct 2021 • Couples
My brother and I had purchased tickets for the 4pm Auchwitz Exhibit because we were flying into Kansas City that day. I feel we got ripped off in only getting to spend 2 hours there. We were not able to watch videos, listen to our personal devices, see, and read everything. After 1 hour, we were at station 22 of 66 stations. At that point we felt rushed.

Cons:
NOT enough seating for the videos. One hard bench that seats two is ridiculous!

Rooms are kept too warm.

Stupid that women cannot bring in their purse.

4pm ticket holders have to rush through.

No gift shop for books, memorabilia.

Pros:

Beautiful building to walk around

Awesome personal devices to listen to!

Beautifully set up.

Very affordable! In fact, was worth more.
Written October 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert B
Plattsmouth, NE495 contributions
Maya display is awesome
Jan 2023
We drove to KC for the Maya display and really enjoyed the presentation. It was very informative and had a ton of really cool pieces. I really liked the larger tablets that showed life in the Mayan times. I would suggest a few hours for the display and to really take the time to read and learn about the life of the Mayans. Union Station is always a cool location and it is fun to just walk around and take in the beauty of the building. There is also really cool areas that provide information about the construction and history of the building.
Written January 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara M.
1 contribution
Disappointed at Christmas time.
Dec 2020
Disappointed. Brought my 4 grandchildren; we have often come to see the free model train exhibit; if there was an event in the large hall, people could still access the model train exhibit by going thru the outdoor walkway - but today, after walking thru the cold, the door to get in was locked 😳! Closed to general public unless you pay extra fees for the Christmas event. With 75% less income since covid, the parking fee had also increased from the usual $5. to $10. Made me think of “no room at the inn” for baby Jesus. But thankfully He had a barn to go to, and we went for a snack across the street.
Written December 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M M
1 contribution
Christmas light flop
Dec 2022
We went to the Holiday Reflections and I couldn't of been more disappointed. As you first enter, more than half of the evergreen forest lights were out, the model train exhibit, plus the mini train were closed due to technical difficulties, and it just ended up being a bunch of Christmas themed selfie and photo stations with long lines and over crowding. the VR sleigh ride was additional cost with long lines as well. Overall I was sorely let down.
Written December 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
parasols2
Detroit, MI120 contributions
Very nice building to see
Sep 2022
There was a wedding reception that was going to take place later in the evening im the main hall- I was able to get a pic, even though it was roped off. Very beautiful- they did a great job restoring it. There are restaurants and a shop or two inside. It is walking distance to the WWI museum - we didn't go inside that, but outside, up the hill and steps gives you the iconic cityscape view of Kansas City.
Written September 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meghann R
3 contributions
NOT WORTH THE MONEY!!
Aug 2020 • Family
We took our 6-year-old specifically to see the Epic Road Trip — and were very disappointed. The animatronic dinosaurs were cool, but there was no connection to the Road Trip part — not even “fossils of this Dino were found here!” The dinosaurs weren’t necessarily to scale, and there was almost no educational information about them. Finally, it only took us 20 minutes to walk through the display that cost us nearly $40 to see. Very disappointing for the price, and overall just a poor display.
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
easyout2015
Umatilla, FL21 contributions
A Quick Walk Through
Jun 2022
Do to a limited amount of time, we decided to briefly check out the Union Station. We spent about 20 minutes inside the facility to observe and appreciate the classic architectural design. The place oozes with a historical feel and perspective. Wish we could have stayed longer.
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn
Wichita, KS5 contributions
Science City
Mar 2021
Science City is such a fun place for kids of all ages! I took my 12 year old daughter, but I saw many families in there with babies up to teens all smiling and enjoying their time. It's fun for parents too. Lots to do here, worth the money!
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie
Tucson, AZ192 contributions
Mostly good experience
Feb 2020
Hubby and I went to Union Station after the Chiefs won the SuperBowl to get pics by all of the neat lighted signs that had been put up in the building. Navigating around the inside of the building was easy and the stanchions that had been put up around each large sign made getting your pic easier to do. People were friendly and accommodating, often taking pics of the party in front of them so they could have one "together". Loved the football history they had on display as well.

My only gripe was the location of the parking and the price. The parking lot was across the street and it wasn't intuitive where you needed to enter the building. The fee to park was exorbitant at $10, but I assume they charged that much due to the overwhelming number of people that were coming to check it out.
Written February 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Union Station (Kansas City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Station
We recommend booking Union Station tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Union Station tours on Tripadvisor