What’s New at Kansas City Museums in 2026: Exhibits, Renovations and More

Kansas City is famous for its mouthwatering barbecue, celebrated jazz history and shimmering fountains, but its best kept secret? The world-renowned museums that call KC home. History, sports, art, food — Kansas City-area museums have something for every interest. 

And each year, these cultural institutions find new ways to engage and educate visitors with rare exhibits, special events and even major expansions. Here are the latest updates from Kansas City’s museums.

Museo Nacional y Memorial de la Primera Guerra Mundial

In 2026, the National WWI Museum and Memorial celebrates 100 years of history.

For its centennial, the museum has opened a new permanent exhibit, “Story of the Museum and Memorial.” It highlights the incredible legacy of Kansas Citians who built and supported the museum for the past century and stories of the 441 Kansas Citians who died in WWI.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial’s centennial celebration will continue in the fall with special programming to be announced.

Museo de Arte Nelson-Atkins

Rare Chinese works and stunning graphic art are on display this year at Kansas City’s beloved Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Landscape paintings from the Song dynasty, which the museum says “shaped the course of Chinese art for centuries,” are on exhibit through Sept. 27. The works featured in “Legendary Landscapes: Sublime Visions from China’s Song Dynasty” span over 2,000 years and are very fragile, making this a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to see them together,” museum director Julian Zugazagoitia said. 

Also on display this year, “Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line” showcases nearly 150 works by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. The exhibit includes dozens of Mucha’s posters, drawings, and paintings, plus album covers, manga, comic book covers, and other art inspired by him. “Timeless Mucha” runs through Aug. 30. 

Looking ahead to the future, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is planning a $170 million expansion.

The project, which doesn’t have a construction timeline set at this point, will allow the museum to welcome even more visitors, add new galleries of immersive art, and improve accessibility and sustainability.

National Museum of Toys & Miniatures

The National Museum of Toys & Miniatures is diving deeper into Native American art.

“Native Arts in Miniature” explores diverse tribal traditions, family heritage and creative, native innovations — in miniature. The exhibit, which includes various workshops and artist events, continues through Jan. 25, 2027. 

Museo de Kansas City

The Museum of Kansas City worked directly with local residents to bring its newest exhibit to life. “Dunbar: Kansas City’s First Black Suburb” was currated in collaboration with current and former Dunbar residents. 

“The story of Dunbar is not simply one of survival—it is a testament to perseverance, growth, and a commitment to preserving a rich legacy for generations to come,” the museum writes. The exhibit, located on the museum’s third floor, will be on display through June 2027. 

Estación Union

It’s a stark symbol of the Cold War and an era that impacted generations. Now the world-class exhibit “The Berlin Wall. A World Divided.” brings the story of the Berlin Wall to Kansas City’s Union Station. 

The exhibit features original segments of the wall and more than 200 artifacts that help tell the powerful stories behind the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Union Station exhibit is open daily until December 2026.

Museo Kemper de Arte Contemporáneo

As Kansas City hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is celebrating the city’s diverse artist community.

“The World in Kansas City” features artists with global backgrounds who have established themselves or had meaningful experiences in the city, as they explore how Kansas City is entwined in the world around it. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 9. 

Then after a busy summer, a new, two-part exhibit focused on slowing down and resting will open at the Kemper Museum. “Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still.” will be on view from Aug. 26 though July 25, 2027, with a second rotation of artwork going on view in February 2027. 

In this exhibit, states of rest and pause are referenced — and encouraged — throughout. With 30 works included, “the common thread is not the content or process of the image itself but the state of mind it reflects and evokes,” curator Amy Kligman says. 

El conejo hOle

Children’s literature museum The Rabbit hOle continues to expand and amaze readers of all ages.

A new exhibit this summer will allow small groups to explore “Zen Shorts,” written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, by resting on the giant panda’s belly to see his zen stories unfold. Earlier in 2026, the museum opened another new exhibit celebrating “Beautiful Blackbird” by Ashley Bryan.

The Rabbit hOle is also hosting its first literary festival this fall, featuring authors and illustrators from around the country. The new festival will include a day for young people and an adults-only day for educators, writers and book lovers.

Museo Nerman de Arte Contemporáneo

Artist Norman Akers has been mapping the world. His new works, on display at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Artin Overland Park, are an interlayered web influenced by road maps, Osage philosophy, and his own visual vernacular.

“Norman Akers Navigates the World” is also a commentary on the rapid environmental degradation we’re experiencing and a call for change. The exhibit is open through Dec. 6 with an artist talk and reception scheduled for the fall.

The Money Museum

Have you ever wondered why the United States’ currency looks the way it does? A new exhibit at the Money Museum in Kansas City dives into the topic.

Inspired by the country’s 250th birthday, “Images of Liberty: Commemoration and the Art of Currency” explores how currency designs have evolved to celebrate and commemorate the nation’s heritage. The exhibit will be on display through the end of the year. 

The museum is also showcasing Truman Coin Collection, made up of 450 coins on loan from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. The rarest piece in the collection is a 1907 double eagle, a $20 gold coin worth hundreds of thousands of dollars today. 

Biblioteca y Museo Presidencial Harry S. Truman

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum and the Truman Library Institute are launching a year-long project to reimagine and transform the historic grounds at the Truman Library in Independence.

Officials are planning updates to the memorial courtyard, a new paved trail, an outdoor classroom area and more. The first phase of the $13 million project begins this summer with completion scheduled in summer 2027 — the 70th anniversary of the library’s opening.

Museo de las Ligas Negras de Béisbol

The Negro Leagues Baseball Musuem is also building on its legacy with a $35 million expansion in the 18th & Vine District.

The 30,000-square-foot project returns the museum to the historic Paseo YMCA, where Andrew “Rube” Foster formed the Negro National League in 1920. The expansion will allow room for new collections and expanded exhibits, plus a sports science center, research library, technology center, event spaces and more. 

Adjacent to the museum, developers plan to open a 132-key boutique hotel, The Pennant, within Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio collection. It will be the first majority Black-owned hotel in Kansas City since the historic Street Hotel. 

Museo Americano del Jazz

Like its neighbor, the American Jazz Museum is planning for upgrades.

A $3.5 million project will reorganize exhibit spaces, create a new cafe and expanded retail area and relocate the Blue Room jazz club to accommodate larger groups.