The world’s largest sporting event arrives in the Heart of America this June and July. With celebrations taking place all across the KC region, there’s no shortage of opportunities to embrace the spirit of the world’s game.

Of course, it’s no surprise that the community recognized as the best city in the Midwest for museums by Lonely Planet has developed more than a few special displays for fans—along with anyone seeking new perspectives on the game or the region—this summer.

From art created by athletes to the presence of soccer throughout the Great War, make your way to these special exhibitions on display at treasured Kansas City institutions.

The Beautiful Game at the National WWI Museum and Memorial

As the world faced an unprecedented global conflict, the world’s game played an important role for many communities. On display this summer, The Beautiful Game explores the presence of soccer throughout World War I.

The sport was a rallying cry, a morale-raiser and an escape for those affected by the demands of wartime. Both at home and abroad, soccer held a significant place in everyday life. As the game’s presence reaches a new level in Kansas City, examine its historical presence during one of the world’s most tumultuous periods through a special curation of artifacts and photos.

Beyond The Beautiful Game, the National WWI Museum contains the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts from the Great War. Recent upgrades invite guests to step into the trenches for a firsthand perspective on combat during World War I, along with new technologies that offer more vivid encounters.

In 2026, the institution is commemorating the Liberty Memorial’s centennial. A community-led effort to recognize veterans in the aftermath of the Great War, the towering tribute has become an iconic sight on the Kansas City skyline. The museum’s grounds are also home to Kansas City’s official FIFA Fan Festival™ across 18 days of the tournament.

Admission to The Beautiful Game is included with museum admission.

United We Play: Kicking it with the Trumans at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Presidential history takes on a new perspective as Kansas City steps into its role hosting FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum showcases an impressive collection of Kansas City sports memorabilia, along with the Truman family’s personal ties to athletics, with United We Play: Kicking it with the Trumans.

Highlights include Kansas City Blues and Kansas City Athletics merchandise, commemorative gear from the Kansas City Royals’ 1985 World Series Championship, custom gifts presented to President Truman by the Kansas City Chiefs, and plenty of soccer-focused items from KC’s pro teams.

Beyond sports, the Truman Library offers close encounter with one of the country’s most recognizable leaders. America’s 33rd president spent his life in Independence, a Missouri community just 20 minutes east of downtown KC. The museum preserves the actions, consequences and controversies of his time in the Oval Office.

Browse historical documents and face the presidency’s many difficult decisions within an institution recognized as one of the country’s most immersive, comprehensive presidential museums.

Admission to United We Play is included with museum admission.

Personal Best at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The works of six Kansas City artist-athletes are on display in this unique exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins. Personal Best incorporates a variety of media and sports, featuring a glass artist who competes as a distance runner, painters who climb and play football, a printmaker who practices karate, and more.

The exhibition spotlights the pursuit of excellence that motivates both artists and athletes. Whether finishing a painstaking creative work or competing in an endurance event, success requires committed effort.

After browsing the special display inspired by athletics, the Nelson-Atkins offers an extensive collection of works in its permanent collection. The museum contains more than 34,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history. The original building was completed in 1933 and showcases striking Beaux-Arts architecture, inviting guests to explore galleries filled with works from communities all around the world. The newer Bloch Building houses contemporary works and rotating exhibitions.

The institution also features an inviting 22-acre sculpture park. Among other installations, it’s home to a series of towering shuttlecocks designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in the mid-1990s. Since their debut, the larger-than-life figures have become beloved Kansas City icons.

General admission to the Nelson-Atkins is free and the Personal Best exhibit is included.

The World in Kansas City at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

With a timely exhibition organized by the Kemper Museum’s chief curator, Kansas City’s leading contemporary art institution recognizes and examines global experiences present in the KC area. More than 15 participating artists have roots in countries reaching across the world, from Jamaica to Japan and Guatemala to Germany.

The World in Kansas City draws inspiration from the historical influences that have led communities from around the globe to migrate to the KC region and invites artists to explore the complex, interconnected social fabric that exists here today. Artists featured in the exhibition have established themselves or had significant experiences in the Kansas City area.

The institution opened in 1994 as the first contemporary art museum in the state of Missouri. Its focus on early and mid-career artists, along those who have historically been underrepresented in the arts, can be seen in the eight to ten exhibitions and projects the museum presents each year. In addition, the permanent collection at the Kemper Museum features nearly 1,500 works.

The Kemper Museum also houses Oil and Linen, a sunny and art-filled restaurant space led by James Beard-recognized chef Ted Habiger.

General admission to the Kemper Museum is free and the World in Kansas City exhibit is included.

A Field with Roots (Un Campo con Raíces) at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Based in Mexico City, visual artist Betsabeé Romero has created three site-specific works engaging with soccer as a cultural cornerstone, a vehicle for resistance, and a source of shared identity. The pieces are on display in the lobby of the Nerman Museum.

The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is located within the Johnson County Community College campus in Overland Park, Kansas. Its permanent collection—found in the museum gallery and several buildings across the campus—focuses on clay, photography, painting, sculpture, new media and works on paper, along with creations by Latino and Native American artists.

General admission to the Nerman Museum is free. A Field with Roots is included.

Homeland: The Osage in Missouri and Voices Now: Contemporary Native American Art at The Museum of Kansas City

Anticipating FIFA World Cup 2026™ and recognizing the country’s 250th anniversary, a pair of exhibitions on display at The Museum of Kansas City draw on Missouri’s Indigenous history.

Homeland: The Osage in Missouri is curated by Jimmy Lee Beason II, a citizen of the Osage Nation and professor of Indigenous and American Indian Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University. It explores Osage culture and the historical impact of European settlement on the community.

Voices Now: Contemporary Native American Art features a collection of works from 15 artists across tribal affiliations, media and artistic expressions. Art on display in the exhibition speaks to Native America, as well as contemporary issues facing the country as a whole.

The Museum of Kansas City is housed within Corinthian Hall, a striking mansion built in 1910. The structure’s preserved first floor contains stained glass installations, ornate wallpapers and other intriguing features. Located in Northeast Kansas City, if offers a culturally rich exploration of the KC community across generations.

General admission to The Museum of Kansas City is free. Admission to both special exhibitions is included.