By Kristina Light
Students enjoy their annual spring break from school in March. For local families, this is an opportunity to enjoy an affordable staycation exploring attractions right in their own backyard..
Free Museum Tickets Through the Library
Local libraries host free programs for all ages and provide access to many community resources. One often overlooked resource is the opportunity to check out free tickets to local museums through the library.
Wonderscope Children’s Museum, located in Red Bridge, features 30,000 square feet of indoor attractions and a half-acre of outdoor green space, with exhibits including water play, regional history displays, a child-size play grocery store, and a creation lab for art and science. Families may check out up to six free passes to the museum through Mid-Continent Public Library; regular admission applies without a pass. During Spring Break, the museum offers WonderCamp, a themed drop-off day camp for children; an additional fee and reservations are required. On March 20, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will visit the museum for free from 10 am -2 pm, bringing games and prizes.
With hands-on exhibits on dinosaurs, space exploration, virtual reality and nature, The Museum at PrairieFire is a natural fit for science lovers. Educational programs and classes for children are offered throughout the week for just $5 per child. Free passes for up to four people are available through Cass County, Johnson County, and Olathe libraries.
The Truman Presidential Library and Museum is home to educational and interactive exhibits on the life and presidency of Harry Truman, as well as on democracy. Children are especially drawn to the full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it appeared during Truman’s presidency. Admission is always free for children ages 12 and under, and free passes for adults are available through Mid-Continent and Cass County libraries.
Get Outside
Whether looking for a scenic bike ride, a morning of fishing, or popular outdoor sports like disc golf, pickleball, and basketball, there is no shortage of options close to home.
RideKC Bike makes the city’s bicycle trails accessible and affordable. Riders may use their own bike or easily rent one for $1 to unlock, plus 15 cents per minute for pedal bikes and 25 cents per minute for e-bikes. With hubs at Longview Lake, Loose Park, and the Trolley Track Trail corridor in Waldo, each offers miles of paved, tree-lined trails. The BikeShare app can be downloaded to rent bikes and view a map of nearby availability.
Fishing at a local lake is another spring favorite. Cleveland Lake Park in Belton offers free bank fishing, a 1.2-mile trail and disc golf. Longview Lake is always popular, though a Missouri fishing license is required for ages 16 and up.
Pickleball, disc golf, basketball and hiking are all popular pastimes with plenty of local options. Minor Park in Red Bridge offers outdoor pickleball courts, basketball courts, disc golf and hiking trails. Brookside and Loose parks also feature trails, playgrounds and pickleball courts. For skateboarding, Meadowmere Park in Grandview and Wallace Park in Belton are top picks. Meadowmere also features a nature-themed playground, while Wallace offers a playground and basketball courts.
Indoor Recreation
With unpredictable spring weather, indoor recreation is a nice backup plan on a rainy day.
Rendezvous Climbing Gym on Stateline, an indoor rock wall climbing attraction, was designed with first-timers and experienced climbers in mind. It offers 150 routes on 16-foot walls with memory foam landing pads, plus a coffee shop and board game hangout. Day passes and memberships are available.
The View in Grandview and High Blue Wellness Center in Belton both offer indoor swimming with day passes and memberships. Aaron’s Family Fun Center, Ward Parkway Lanes, Fowling Warehouse and AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk are all popular destinations for bowling and arcades.
For the Love of Animals
Animal lovers can spend a day meeting rescued or endangered animals at a shelter, nature center or zoo.
Wayside Waifs, Kansas City’s no-kill pet rescue center, hosts events throughout the year. Guests are always welcome to visit, meet the animals, and consider adoption.
Two animal attractions in Swope Park are family favorites. Lakeside Nature Center, a free site through the Missouri Department of Conservation, is home to rescued animals, including bald eagles, owls, snakes, squirrels, box turtles, and fish. With hands-on exhibits, nature trails, and free programs year-round, this is an ideal half-day destination. The Kansas City Zoo offers discounted admission for Jackson County residents, free parking and allows guests to bring outside food. The zoo is an all-day destination home to more than 10,000 animals, including the Sobela Ocean Aquarium, Polar Bear Passage, Australia, and Africa. Animal lovers will want to keep an eye on the zoo’s highly anticipated new giraffe complex, a $21 million habitat currently under construction in the Africa section and set to open in May 2026. The zoo also offers drop-off Spring Break camps for K-5; reservations and an additional fee are required.
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