Did You Know? 10 Unique Facts About Kansas City

The Kansas City region, home to over 2 million people, straddles the state line of Missouri and Kansas. In fact, there is both a Kansas City, Missouri, and a Kansas City, Kansas, and both of these cities have unifying similarities and unique personalities.

But why is there a Kansas City in both states? The origin of modern-day Kansas City goes back almost 200 years when settlers founded the town of Westport in the 1830s. Then in 1850, it was incorporated as the town of Kansas in a nod to the Kansa, a Native American tribe that lived along the Kansas River at the time.

But soon after, the Kansas Territory was established, creating plenty of confusion for travelers. It spurred the state of Missouri to incorporate the area as the City of Kansas a few years later, hoping to distinguish the city from the territory, and eventually renaming it to Kansas City in the late 1880s. 

Meanwhile, Kansas became a state in 1861, and other settlements began developing across the river. Some of these small towns incorporated as Kansas City, Kansas, in 1872, leading to two cities in two states with the same name.  

But for most that call the Kansas City area home, it’s not so much about which side of the state line you live on and more about the community pride we share, living in the heart of America.

Jazz might have been born in New Orleans, but it certainly grew up in Kansas City. From the Roaring ’20s to the early ’40s, the music genre reigned supreme.

Kansas City was a “wide open” town, largely ignoring Prohibition, and 12th Street became world-renowned for its jazz clubs, gambling parlors and brothels—earning KC the moniker the “Paris of the Plains.” 

Musicians flocked to Kansas City to perform at the numerous nightclubs, dance halls and vaudeville houses regularly featuring jazz. That included some of music’s most hallowed names, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington and more. 

At its peak, jazz could be heard in more than 200 venues throughout the city, including The Gem Theater, The Blue Room and the Mutual Musicians Foundation. Today, live jazz can still be heard regularly at 40 clubs throughout the city.

Kansas City is also home to the American Jazz Museum, which The New York Times called “an interactive paradise.” Located in the historic 18th and Vine District, the museum features listening stations, touch-screen adventures and custom-mixing soundboards as it tells the history and impact of jazz.

Known as the City of Fountains, Kansas City is home to over 200 — more than any other city in the world except Rome. From large and majestic to small and whimsical, visitors can discover waterworks dedicated to fallen firefighters, the city’s children, women’s leadership and more.

Kansas City’s first fountains date back to the late 1800s, when they served a purely utilitarian purpose: thirsty dogs, horses and birds drank water when passing to and through the city. Soon thereafter, the city began erecting drinking fountains — each with their own distinctive styles — to provide citizens with safe drinking water. Soon people began to integrate intricate sculptures into the designs. 

Kansas City’s love affair with fountains has flourished ever since.

Some of the most popular and most photographed include the ornate Mill Creek Fountain, located near the Country Club Plaza; the Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain outside Union Station; and the Crown Center Square Fountain at Crown Center.

Each April, the city celebrates Fountain Day when every publicly operated fountain springs back to life. It’s a day of pride, energy and urban vitality for Kansas City.

When most people think of Kansas City, barbecue comes to mind. And there’s good reason: Barbecue is more than a menu item in KC. It’s an institution, rich with history and culinary tradition. 

Kansas City’s barbecue craze can be traced back to Henry Perry, who, in the early 1920s, began barbecuing in an outdoor pit, serving slabs of food wrapped in newspaper. Perry’s ‘cue became so popular that fans began imitating his technique and style.

A second wave of barbecue pioneers, including familiar names like Bryant, Gates and Fiorella, came up in the 1930s and ‘40s as Kansas City earned a reputation as a renowned stockyard and meat-packing city.

Over a century later, the city’s signature cuisine is served up at more than 100 restaurants across the area, each boasting their own house specialties, secret recipes and award-winning favorites. One of the most popular orders is burnt ends, the crispy-yet-juicy dish cut from the brisket tip that’s become a KC staple.

But sampling amazing barbecue joints isn’t the only thing on people’s plates here, as the Kansas City region is also known for hosting multiple barbecue competitions each year.

But the granddaddy of them all is the American Royal World Series of Barbecue. Considered the biggest barbecue contest and celebration in the world, over 600 teams compete and thousands of people attend the event at Kansas Speedway each fall. 

Some of your favorite celebrities call Kansas City their home. Here are just a few with Kansas City-area roots:

• Ed Asner, an Emmy-winning actor and KC native most known for his role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• Paul Rudd, an Overland Park, Kansas, native and University of Kansas graduate who starred in Marvel’s Ant-Man, plus films like Clueless and I Love You, Man
• Jason Sudeikis, a former Saturday Night Live cast member and the star of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso who grew up in Overland Park, Kansas
• Janelle Monae, a singer and actress from Kansas City, Kansas, she’s known for her music as well as her roles in Hidden Figures and Moonlight.
• Eric Stonestreet, an Emmy award-winning actor and KCK native best known for his portrayal of Cameron Tucker on Modern Family
• Rob Riggle, a comedian and actor who grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and is famous for his roles in The Hangover and 21 Jump Street
• Heidi Gardner, a comedian, actress and KC native who is a former cast member on Saturday Night Live

Famous faces from throughout history have also got their start in Kansas City.

Walt Disney, the beloved animator and creator of the Walt Disney Co., moved to Kansas City with his family in 1911 and started taking classes at the KC Art Institute. In 1921, he opened his first animation studio, Laugh-O-Gram Studios, here in KC.

During his time living and working at his studio, Disney befriended a friendly mouse that was a frequent visitor to the building. Just a few years later, the unexpected companion served as Disney’s inspiration for Mickey Mouse.

Not far from Kansas City, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas. She would go on to become the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. She later disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while trying to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world.

The Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum and the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum preserve her history and honor her legacy in aviation and women’s rights.

Infamous outlaw Jesse James was born just north of Kansas City in Kearney, Missouri, before he went on to lead the James-Younger Gang, robbing banks, stagecoaches and trains in the years after the Civil War. 

Today, there are three museums in the KC area with different pieces of his history: the Jesse James Farm & Museum in Kearney, the Jesse James Bank Museum in Liberty where he completed the first U.S. daylight bank robbery, and the Jesse James Home in St. Joseph where he was killed.

In 2014, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium set the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium on the planet with 142.2 decibels. That’s equivalent to the sound of a jet engine.

Arrowhead Stadium’s design helps amplify the crowd’s cheering. The enclosed bowl stadium with no open end zones or corners and steep sides creates great projection — and great views of the field.

Want to experience the roar for yourself? During football season in Kansas City, join thousands of others on gameday in Chiefs Kingdom. Or if futbol is more your speed, Arrowhead Stadium will be the site of six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.

If you can’t make it for a game, visitors can take a guided tour of Arrowhead Stadium with advance reservation. Fans can hear incredible stories behind the unique Chiefs memorabilia at newly remodeled Hall of Honor and get to step inside the team locker room. 

Barbecue isn’t the only famous food in town. Kansas City is the birthplace of several inventions that have become favorite treats.

KC advertising agency Bernstein-Rein conceived the McDonald’s Happy Meal in 1977 after the owner noticed his son staring at a cereal box during breakfast. Advertising icon Bob Bernstein decided that if kids had something to look at while eating their McDonald’s, they’d be entertained.

He was right. The colorful box, toy and food were a hit. McDonald’s tested the new product in four cities, including Kansas City, before it made its nationwide debut in 1979.

Like that your M&M’s don’t immediately melt in your hand? Researchers from Kansas City-based Midwest Research Institute, now known as MRIGlobal, perfected the process of coating M&Ms. They invented a machine that coats 3,300 pounds of chocolate every hour.

One iconic frozen treat got it’s start here in Kansas City in 1955. For over 70 years, the red, white and blue Bomb Pop has been a Fourth of July favorite or offered relief on a hot summer day.

Other KC inventions include the multiplex movie theater, the automatic fire alarm, the bumper sticker, the teflon-coated pan and Wishbone salad dressing.

Kansas City is known as the Haunted House Capital of the World. That’s thanks to its haunts that pioneered the “open format,” where brave visitors are asked to roam without following a predestined path.

The Edge of Hell is the one that started it all in Kansas City, opening in 1975. Visitors go from heaven through purgatory and on to hell with all the frights that follow, including Rat Man and Medusa, a python that holds the record for the world’s largest snake in captivity. Nearby, The Beast is consistently rated as one of the best haunted houses in the country thanks to outstanding special effects.

Other KC haunts like Macabre Cinema, Halloween Haunt and Exiled add to the horror in Kansas City each fall.

Kansas City’s popular Country Club Plaza opened in 1922 as the nation’s first suburban shopping district.

The retail hotspot spans 15 blocks and is made up of Spanish-inspired architecture, echoing that of Seville, Spain. Often referred to as an “outdoor museum,” terracotta roofs, intricate tilework and sculptures, European art, and flowing fountains dot the district.

A half-scale replica of Seville’s 12th-century Giralda tower sits on the Plaza and was officially christened by the Seville mayor at the time in 1967, the same year the two cities officially became sister cities. Likewise, the Seville Light Fountain, located at 47th Street and Mill Creek Parkway, is an exact replica of a lamp in Seville.

Kansas City’s passion for sports doesn’t stop with the professional teams that call the city home. KC goes all out every March, hosting more college basketball games than anywhere else in the United States. 

In fact, Kansas City has hosted the most NCAA national championships games in history and is tied for the second-most NCAA tournament games of any city with 137. Over 80 of those have been played at Municipal Auditorium.

Each spring, the city plays host to postseason tournaments for three major collegiate organizations — the Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, the MIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship.

Kansas City is also home to the College Basketball Experience and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. This one-of-a-kind attraction features free-play courts, an interactive broadcast booth, a three-point shot game and more.