Then and Now: My Favorite Kansas City Places

My husband and I were born and bred right here in Kansas City. We are both also quite nostalgic so when we had our first baby two years ago, we were so excited to show him what Kansas City meant to us when we were growing up.  We are also dead set on making sure the next generation appreciates this great city in the way it deserves! While some of our favorite childhood spots are long gone (whatever happened to Maggie-Moos, ShowBiz pizza, and Anita’s donuts?!?), we cherish taking Fitz to some of the places that we loved while growing up. Places we still love going to, and places we want him to love too.

Antioch Park 

There are many great parks in Kansas City, but as a kid my top pick was Antioch Park. Besides the memories of fun family reunions here, I loved the large play areas, crossing the lake on the stepping stones (always so scared I would fall off!), and exploring in the woods for hours. But Dodge City was what really made this park stand out and I was devastated when it closed down. Luckily, this mini, kid sized town was recently renovated so I feel like I am reliving my childhood when I take Fitz to play here!  

Crown Center  

Every Christmas season, it was a tradition to go here with all of my other local cousins to see the beauty of Christmas. Of course, back then we could ride the trolley between Crown Center and the Plaza, but this unfortunately no longer exists. But I can still take Fitz with his KC cousins for some fun (and free!) Christmas time at Crown Center. You can easily spend a whole day here riding the Westin hotel glass elevator, viewing the large Mayor’s Christmas tree and other decorations, enjoying local choir caroling, window shopping at the toy stores, and visiting the unique playground across the street.  

Royals Games

I had two older brothers and it was pretty typical for them to head to the K for $5 tickets on a regular basis. If I begged enough, I could tag along too. Being the 90’s I don’t remember a lot of wins, but we still wore our Royals gear and supported our home team. One of our classic family stories is when my mom accidentally left all SEVEN of our family Royals tickets at home and my dad had to buy more when we got there (Yes, they are still married). In October 2015, I joined half of the city and got pregnant with my own little “postseason baby,” so giving him experiences at the K is a must. Though I still regret not naming him “Royal” like the Zobrist’s did for their postseason baby’s middle name. 

Worlds of Fun 

If you grew up in KC, most likely your first roller coaster was the Timberwolf or the Orient Express. I think I still have neck and back problems because of these rides. My dad considered it his job to force us kids to ride one when we were about 10, whether we wanted to or not. I used to love coasters, but unfortunately now I just get sick on  rides and my husband is horribly scared of heights. However, we firmly believe that this is an essential part of KC childhood, so we will bite the bullet and take Fitz here… someday.   

Pizza Shoppe 

We didn’t eat out much when I was growing up, but when we did it was most likely at Pizza Shoppe.  When my family walked in, the waiter didn’t even have to take our order before bringing Dad his house salad with extra cheese and “pink stuff” dressing. Whether it was birthday dinners or when friends were visiting from out of town, Pizza Shoppe was the setting for many special memories. Our local Pizza Shoppe has since turned into Old Shawnee Pizza, but we still visit both OSP and The Shoppe on the regular. And Fitz already loves dipping the cracker-crust into their delicious pink stuff!

Shout out if you also grew up loving these classic KC places… or if you have other favorite childhood spots from this great city we are blessed to call home.