Blog

One of the top Kansas City Things to Do is visit Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical gardens.  The beautiful gardens of various species of plants and flowers take your breath away, but that isn’t the only reason you should make time to visit.  If you are looking for things to do in Kansas City this summer, Powell Gardens is offering a variety of summer events fit for the whole family.

Fairy Houses & Forts
Who didn’t build forts or dream of fairy houses as a child?  Relive the magic in this enchanting exhibit of seven large-scale forts and fairy houses with a variety of other thematic displays in this fairytale exhibit running all summer long.  The Light Wings Pavilion, a fairy house, is an experiment in light play, featuring reclaimed materials and a chance for you to interact with light and imaging to create your very own fairy wings.  Skeleton Island is a pirate fort with an imaginary adventure that will have you growling and looking for buried treasure in no time.  Mirror-Mirror by Norwegian Wood is a hidden fort built from reflective safety glass, allowing it to blend into its environment and effectively disappearing.  These adventures and more await you, don’t miss this exhibit!

Booms & Blooms
Celebrate our Independence Day a little early on June 30th!  This all day event offers park and exhibit access, in addition to special event food vendors like Tadley’s Homemade Ice Cream, face painting, “Paint-A-Pot”, fireworks, and live music.  This relaxing event is enjoyable for the whole family and includes admission to the Fairy Houses & Forts exhibit.

The Festival of Butterflies
This six day long event happens in early August and has become one of the most popular Kansas City things to do in the summer over the past 16 years.  Powell Gardens invites you into the indoor Butterfly Conservatory where you have the opportunity to be surrounded by hundreds of butterflies from all over the tropical United States, now joined by new species from Costa Rica, and free-flying in a controlled tropical environment.  Children will be stunned and amazed as they are able to see the intricate details of a butterfly’s wings up close.  There are also special activities scheduled daily for butterfly lovers of all ages, starting with “Fancy Nancy” storytelling, a Caterpillar Float and Costume Parade, children’s activities throughout the day, and a trolley service.

Barn Dinner Series
For those who enjoy the finer things in life, every summer Powell Gardens hosts three popular chefs in the Kansas City and surrounding area for a special culinary dinner series.  While dinner is served family style, the multi-course dinner offers a cocktail hour and wine pairing that may be more enjoyable child-free for the evening.  The chefs for June and August are also featuring dishes with local farm grown ingredients, showing the life of food from farm to table.  A truly leisurely evening, be sure to make reservations in advance as this is a popular Kansas City “Things To Do.”

Check the Powell Gardens website for more details and other upcoming events and don’t forget to add it to your list of Kansas City things to do!