Crown Center, Kansas City

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The Hallmark Cards company developed this complex back in 1970's. It has 2.2 million in offices space, 230 condos, and a large entertainment and shopping area that holds about 8-10 restaurants/snacks and 40-50 shops. The Hall family started the project to develop in 1960's and it got completed in 1971. It is the headquarters of Hallmark Cards.
During the year there are various events and concerts, and a lot are free to public. In winter they have an ice rink for use. It all is quite nice.

Crown Center is near the heart of downtown Kansas City. This innovative shopping, dining and entertainment complex is filled with great shopping and many eateries. There is a movie theatre and live theatre inside as well. The Crown Center complex is connected to one of the nicest hotels in Kansas City, The Westin. The complex is also connected to the Hyatt hotel and Union Station via sky bridges so you don't have to go outside in the winter!

A condominium called San Francisco Tower attaches to Crown Center. Is great if you live there - you can have almost anything you need without going outside. There outside is lighted during the holidays with the Mayor's Christmas tree. There are multiple free concerts on Fridays during the summer and this area becomes an ice skating rink in the winter.

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The Hallmark Visitors Center is located in the highly visible Crown Center downtown. The Center is a collection of Hallmark memorabilia, including elements from various movie productions. There are also live demonstrations for certain elements involved in creating greeting cards. Admission is free.

This musuem is definitely geared toward adults, but right next door is Hallmark's Kalaidescope- a virtual kiddie wonderland according to my cousin. Unfortunately it was closed while we were there and my 3 year old was very restless at the museum.

Washington Park is a pleasant pocket of green snuggled up next to Crown Center with its two major hotels, shops, and Hallmark Cards, as well as the Union Station and the Liberty Memorial. Nice place to stretch out in the shade for a few moments to catch your breath. The statue? George Washington, of course - every city must have one somewhere.

Twenty plus years ago, this waterfall was considered somewhat of a novelty, and whenever relatives came into town, we had to take them to the Crown Center Hotel to see the waterfall in the lobby. Maybe it's not such an architectural marvel as it was then, but it is still neat. The rock - it's real, part of the hill onto which the hotel was built.

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It's Hallmark - maker of Hallmark Cards and other products such as Crayola crayons. Probably the best known and most admired of Kansas City companies. One of the great places to visit in this city is the Crown Center Complex, which includes Hallmark's corporate offices and visitor's center, as well as the Westin Crown Center Hotel, shops, numerous restaurants, cinema, live theatre, an ice-skating rink in winter, free entertainment, and special activities for kids. There are also some spectacular fountains and a whimsical Alexander Calder sculpture

Make sure you visit Crown Center, especially if you have a rainy or snowy day - it's a great indoor destination with indoor parking.

See my travelogue (under construction) for Hallmark's Visitor Center.

This 85-acre business and residential complex, owned by the world's largest greeting-card company, Hallmark, contains specialty shops, restaurants, hotels, theaters, and the free Hallmark Visitor Center (tel. 816/274-5672; closed Sun), which chronicles 90 years of history with displays of Keepsake Ornaments and other Hallmark products and memorabilia, educational exhibits, and excerpts from Hallmark Hall of Fame television movies. For children, there's Kaleidoscope, a free, creative art workshop offered Monday through Saturday for ages 5 to 12 (tel. 816/274-8300), and Crayola Cafe, which offers fun and casual dining for the whole family.

Who better than Hallmark to host your child in a glorious time of creativity and play? Kaleidoscope is a premier destination for your kids. And you can't go in with them!! While they're playing and exercising their brains and creative juices, you can go next door to view the interesting exhibits at the Hallmark Visitor's Center. As children, my daughters became quite excited when they learned that Kaleidoscope was the destination.