In the days of segregated sports in the United States, African American men were restricted to playing on one of 20 teams in the National Negro Leagues, an organization founded in Kansas City in the 1920s. The museum covers about 100 years, from the Civil War until the last Negro League team disbanded in the 1960s. Although this is a sports museum, the story also explains how desegregation of baseball changed American society as a whole.
Best and Worst Times to Go To the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The museum gets crowded with school children on field trips around the opening day of baseball, but otherwise almost any time is a good time to visit. If the Kansas City Royals are doing well and enjoying the postseason, the museum sees quite a few more visitors.
Must See/Do at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Pay homage to the statue of Hall of Famer Buck O'Neil, the first African-American manager in the major leagues and the guiding force of this museum.
Walk the field with a mythical all-star team.
Take a pitch from the great Satchel Paige.
Admission to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Seniors and children under 12 years old receive a discount on admission that averages about $10. The best bargain is to buy a combination ticket with the American Jazz Museum, housed in the same building. Both museums are closed on Monday.
Parking and Public Transportation to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The NLBM is located in the 18th & Vine Historic District of Kansas City and is stop #108 on the city's Metro bus route. Taxi service is also plentiful in the city. Free parking is available on the street in front of the museum or one block away in a city lot at 18th and Woodland.
Food at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
There is no food service at the NLBM. However, just three blocks away is Arthur Bryant's Barbecue, the oldest of Kansas City's legendary barbecue joints. Danny's Big Easy, a Cajun restaurant, is also located in the Historic District. $10 will get you a good meal in either place.
Insider Tip for Visitors to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Get complimentary admission to the NLBM when you book the Negro Leagues room at the 816 Hotel in Westport in Kansas City.
Author's bio: Diana Lambdin Meyer is a St. Louis Cardinals fan, despite her home base in Kansas City. Follow her travels at www.mojotraveler.com.
The Hallmark Visitors Center honors the more than 100-year-long history of Hallmark in Kansas City, beginning in 1910, when 18-year-old Joyce C. Hall started the company with a shoebox full of postcards. Take a self-guided tour at your own pace, but plan to spend about an hour or longer. The center is located on one level in the Crown Center Shops.
Parking and public transportation to the Hallmark Visitors Center
Park free in the parking garage on the east side of Grand Blvd. with a three-hour validation from the center. After you park, look for the sign "Crown Center Shops." Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left and follow the signs. The following bus routes serve the Crown Center area: Main Street MAX, 27, 34X, 51, 54, 123, 129, 173 and 142.
When not to go to the Hallmark Visitors Center
Hallmark employees revere holidays, so the visitors center closes at 3:30 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day and the day before Christmas Eve. It is closed all day on the following holidays: Memorial Day and the following Tuesday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Monday following, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after, New Year's Day. The center is closed for the month of January to update the exhibits.
Admission to the Hallmark Visitors Center
Admission is free for all visitors. However, groups of 15 or more need to make a reservation through the online reservation system.
Must see/do at the Hallmark Visitors Center
Don't miss the "Art of the Crown" display created for Hallmark's 100th Anniversary celebration. You'll also enjoy Norman Rockwell's original painting, The Kansas City Spirit. Kids can make their own bows with a Hallmark bow machine.
Other places to visit near the Hallmark Visitors Center
Kaleidoscope is a free art activity for children also sponsored by Hallmark and also located in the Crown Center Shops. The Sea Life Aquarium is close by. So are the National World War I Museum and Memorial, Union Station, LEGOLAND Discovery Center and the Money Museum
Insider tip for visitors to the Hallmark Visitors Center
At the end of the tour ask for a Hallmark Visitors Center patch for about $1 at the front desk.
Author's bio: Mary-Lane Kamberg is a lifelong Kansas City resident. Her father served as director of engineering for the Hallmark's Crown Center development.
