Visit The Scout
Most KCMO residents and frequent visitors are familiar with The Scout statue, but few know the history. The well-known statue was created by Cyrus E. Dallin and has become a landmark in the city. At over 10 feet tall, it depicts a Sioux Native American surveying the land on horseback. The idea for the statue came to Dallin in 1910, and it was first exhibited at the Panama-Pacific International Expo in 1915 in San Francisco.
After winning gold at the Expo, it headed back east and was temporarily installed at Penn Valley Park. However, The Scout was so popular that the community raised $15,000 (solely in dimes and nickels!) to keep the statue in the park. “The Kids of Kansas City” became the campaign to keep The Scout, and it was dedicated in 1922 as a permanent memorial to area Native American tribes.
Visiting The Scout Today
Want to see The Scout up close? You’ll find it just east of Southwest Trafficway, still in Penn Valley Park. The park covers much of south downtown Kansas City and is a fantastic spot in May for a picnic, hiking, running and birding.
There’s a half-sized replica of The Scout in Seville, Spain, gifted by KCMO, and a number of other attractions also pay homage to the statue. There’s the Kansas City Scout, which is the Kansas City metropolitan area’s electronic traffic alert system. The Scout has also inspired the moniker of the NHL’s Kansas City Scouts and is featured as the team logo.
