About Kansas City, Missouri:
Kansas City, Missouri (often abbreviated as KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by both population and area, sitting at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, and right across from Kansas City, Kansas (completely different city and state). Founded in the early 1800s as a trading post and river town, Kansas City, Missouri played roles in westward expansion of the U.S.
The Santa Fe Trail originated directly in the Kansas City metropolitan area, with primary starting points in Independence, Missouri, Westport, Missouri (now part of Kansas City), and Franklin, Missouri. The trail passed through Johnson County, Kansas—part of the KC metro area—before moving southwest. Today, U.S. highway 56 now closely follows the route.
Kansas City grew rapidly after the Civil War with railroad expansion and bridges built across the river. It also has deep ties to jazz history (think Charlie Parker and Count Basie) and the Negro Leagues Baseball. It’s a major hub for logistics, finance, and agribusiness.
As of recent estimates, the city proper has around 508,000–516,000 residents. As mentioned above Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas are two separate, adjacent cities in different states, divided by State Line Road and combined within a single metropolitan area of over 2 million people. Kansas City, Missouri is the larger city (population approximately 520,000, spanning parts of Missouri and Kansas) featuring the skyline and major attractions,. Kansas City, Kansas (population approximately 150,000) is a smaller, distinct city in Wyandotte County. while the broader Kansas City metropolitan area (spanning Missouri and Kansas) is home to about 2.25–2.4 million people.
Kansas City, Missouri is nicknamed “the City of Fountains”. with more fountains than Rome!) The very first fountains in the late 1800s were built for a practical purpose: providing fresh drinking water for the thousands of horses, dogs, and birds that passed through the city daily. During the 1890s, ornate, decorative fountains began to pop up across downtown, driven by the city’s visionary parks and boulevard designer, George Kessler. Following a visit to Rome in 1973, Hallmark executive Harold Rice grew concerned that Kansas City’s fountains might fall into disrepair. He established the City of Fountains Foundation to help privately and publicly fund the maintenance and restoration of the city’s histo
Kansas City, Missouri has also been dubbed “the Barbecue Capital of the World”, and sometimes the “Paris of the Plains” or “Heart of America”. The city blends Midwestern roots with a vibrant cultural scene rooted in jazz, barbecue, and sports.
Key landmarks include include the National World War I Museum and Memorial, one of the top-rated attractions in the U.S; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art with its world-class collection with iconic sculptures (including the giant shuttlecocks on the lawn); Union Station, with science exhibits, shops, and events, The Arabia Steamboat Museum presenting a fascinating recovery of a 19th-century riverboat.
Catholic places of interest in Kansas City, Missouri:
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Catholic places of interest in the Kansas City, Missouri area:
There are several interesting churches located in Missouri and within a short drive of Kansas City, Missouri.
Colwich: Sacred Heart Catholic Church: A notable church known for its beauty.
Excelsior Springs: Saint Ann Catholic Church. Beautifully restored church (formerly a victim of the “modernization” of churches in the 1960’s and ’70’s.
Hays: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church: Another beautiful church in the Hays region.
Lawrence: St Lawrence Catholic Campus Center;
Plattsburg: Saint Ann Catholic Church.
Victoria: 42 miles west of Saint Louis, Missouri, the Basilica of Saint Fidelis is known as the “Cathedral of the Plains,” this impressive church in Victoria is a major landmark.