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| DESCRIPTION: Home to the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the 85-acre Crown Center is frequently referred to as a "city within a city." The mixed-use community melds residential and office spaces with innovative shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Crown Center Square houses live music performances, the city's only public outdoor ice skating rink and several large fountains. |
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| ADDRESS: 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. |
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| LOCATION: Southern edge of downtown Kansas City. |
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| PHONE: 816-274-8444 |
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| WEB SITE: www.crowncenter.com |
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HIGHLIGHTS:
- Three levels of shops featuring national names, specialty merchants and local chains.
- Easy access to two hotels - the 731-room Hyatt Regency Crown Center and the 729-room Westin Crown Center.
- The Coterie Theatre, one of Crown Center's three live entertainment venues, was recognized by Time as one of the top five children's theatres in the country. The American Heartland Theatre produces Broadway-style musicals and dramas, while the Off Center Theatre showcases edgy and innovative productions by some of the area's finest theatre troups..
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| HOURS: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mon., Wed. and Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thurs. and Fri., noon - 5 p.m. Sun. |
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| ADMISSION: Free. |
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| ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: More than 5 million visitors each year. |
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| HISTORY: The vision of late Hallmark founder Joyce C. Hall and his son, current chairman Donald J. Hall, Crown Center serves as the company's answer to the once-dilapidated community surrounding the corporation's headquarters. The privately-financed area broke ground in September 1968, with a five-building office complex, a central square and a parking facility as its first projects. The Crown Center Shops, housing more than 300,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and theatres, joined the development in 1973. An $8 million renovation project in 1999 brought expansions and remodeling to existing stores, introduced new retail concepts and added a new entrance to Crown Center Shops. |
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| WHERE TO GET LUNCH: Eating options range from the moderately-priced Fritz's — where meals are delivered by miniature train — to the city's only Mobil Four-Star dining experience, The American Restaurant. |
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| WHAT'S NEARBY: Union Station, Science City and the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. |
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| HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES: Children ages 5-12 can enjoy Hallmark Cards' Kaleidoscope, a free, hands-on art experience. |
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| DID YOU KNOW: Crown Center's six-acre urban residential neighborhood includes more than 200 condominium units, a social clubhouse, tennis courts, swimming pool and landscaped garden area, all located just south of the Crown Center Shops. |
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| PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Take the MAX to the Crown Center stop. |
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DRIVING THERE: From Downtown, take Broadway south to Pershing Road. Turn left on Pershing onto Grand Boulevard to Crown Center parking.
From the north: Follow I-35 S and exit at 20th Street. Turn left (east) on 20th Street and go nine blocks to Grand Boulevard. Turn right (south) on Grand and continue to Crown Center parking.
From the south: Follow I-35 N to the Broadway exit. Turn south (right) on Broadway and follow to Pershing Road. Turn left (east) at Pershing and go to Grand Boulevard. Turn right (south) onto Grand and continue to Crown Center parking.
From the east: Follow I-70 W to I-35 S to Downtown/13th Street (Exit 2P). Continue on 13th Street to Grand Boulevard. Turn left (south) on Grand and continue to Crown Center parking.
From the west: Follow I-70 E to I-670 E. Exit I-670 to I-35 S. Exit I-35 S at 20th Street. Turn left (east) on 20th Street and go nine blocks to Grand Boulevard. Turn right (south) on Grand and continue to Crown Center parking.
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| PARKING: Parking is free for the first three hours with validation in the Crown Center garage, 2450 Grand Boulevard. Weekend parking is free. |
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| PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Chris Ronan, public relations specialist, at 816-274-8374 or cronan2@hallmark.com. |
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