Price: $12 for adults; $9 for children 6-17; 5 and under free
Hours: Open 10am-6pm Wed.-Sat., 11am-6pm Sun.

Further cementing the area’s reputation as a hoops hotbed, Kansas City is now home to the state-of-the-art College Basketball Experience (CBE). Connected to the new Sprint Center via a common lobby, the 41,500-square-foot entertainment facility contains hands-on, interactive basketball exhibits and houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

CBE opened on Oct. 17, 2007 adjacent to the new Kansas City Power & Light District. Visitors to CBE will experience the coach-player relationship first-hand. Beginning with a last-minute pep talk inside the entrance elevator, a coach’s voice accompanies fans throughout the facility, guiding them through several dribble, pass and shoot stations to hone their skills.

The Kansas City-based National Association of Basketball Coaches founded the facility with the intent of redefining the American sports hall of fame.

Sweating is almost inevitable as CBE’s high-energy exhibits recreate the intensity of a college basketball game - from foul-line hecklers to a last-second buzzer beater. Visitors can even experience the excitement of a slam dunk, no matter how high they can jump.

SportsCenter fans will feel right at home behind the ESPNU anchor desk, where they can call the play-by-play of college’s most memorable games. Inside the Mentor’s Circle area, the nation’s finest coaches describe who inspired them and visitors can record their own video testimonials.

Each visitor’s journey ends with a stop in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, a quiet space devoted to the game’s greats. Interactive kiosks offer a glimpse into each inductee’s legacy.

CBE was designed by New York City-based ESI Design, best known for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Kansas City area is no stranger to college basketball. Although the game was invented in Springfield, Mass., it grew from its roots in and around the KC metro. In fact, Kansas City has hosted more Final Fours than any other city in the nation (10). The game’s inventor, James Naismith, was the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas in nearby Lawrence, Kan.

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