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 Kansas City's location on the Missouri River naturally positioned it to be a beginning of the exploration of the American West and a stopping point, during the western migration of people to promised the unsettled land.
Beginning with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806, four national trails west pass through Kansas City, including the Santa Fe, the California and the Oregon Trails. America’s western heritage begins in Kansas City.
Day 1: Exploring the West
1. Fort Osage National Historic Landmark
Located approximately 35 miles northeast of downtown Kansas City on I-70 to U.S. 24 to Sibley. Open Wednesday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 816-795-8200.
The point overlooking the Missouri River where Fort Osage stands today was noted in William Clark’s journal in June 1804 as a good location for a trading post. Clark returned in 1808 to build the fort, which was reconstructed in 1941. Today, you can tour the blockhouses, officers’ quarters and soldiers’ barracks that frequently come to life in living history programs of the period.
2. National Frontier Trails Center
Located in downtown Independence at 318 W. Pacific. Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 816-325-7575.
The massiveness of the American West that opens up from the doorway of Kansas City is all but overwhelming in the floor to ceiling displays here that map each of the trails west. Interactive exhibits test your knowledge of the trails and allow you to see some of the supplies that explorers and pioneers brought through this region.
3. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop
Located about 20 southwest of downtown Kansas City along I-35 at 1100 North Kansas City Road in Olathe. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m. Call 913-971-5111.
Three original buildings of this last remaining stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail are open for the public to tour. Take a stage coach ride and participate in the activities travelers of the 1860s did when they stopped here on their way west.
Day 2: From Booty to Bounty
1. Jesse James Farm and Museum
Located at 21216 Jesse James Farm Road in Kearney, approximately 28 miles northeast of downtown Kansas City along I-35. Open Monday through Saturday 9 to 4 and Sunday, noon to 4. Call 816-628-6065.
This is where Jesse was born and he and his brother Frank were raised in the mid-1800s. The house has been authentically restored and the museum contains the largest collection of James family artifacts in the world. His gravesite at Kearney’s Mount Olivet cemetery draws thousands of visitors a year, as does the Jesse James Festival in September.
2. Arabia Steamboat Museum
Located in Kansas City’s River Market area at 4th and Grand, this one-of-a-kind museum is open Monday through Saturday 10a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Call 816-471-1856.
In 1856, the Arabia Steamboat was on its way upriver to Fort Benton, Montana with all of the supplies needed for a small town on the western frontier. The boat hit a snag in the Missouri River and sank near Parkville. In 1988, the Arabia was uncovered with all of its cargo intact, which makes a fascinating display of early western life.
Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of the Kansas City Convention
& Visitors Association
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