Union Station Kansas City

Union Station Kansas City is one of the great American train stations, and it's been brilliantly repurposed as a family-friendly hub that combines a working event venue, multiple paid attractions, restaurants, and the kind of soaring historic architecture that genuinely impresses adults and children alike.

The station itself — opened in 1914 and one of the largest train stations ever built in the United States — is free to enter and explore. The grand hall, with its 95-foot ceiling and massive chandelier, is the kind of architectural experience that stops families in their tracks. Simply walking through the space and explaining to kids that this building used to process tens of thousands of travelers daily gives history a tangible scale.

The paid attractions inside Union Station are the anchors for most family visits. Science City (see separate listing) is a hands-on science museum that occupies a significant wing of the building. The Train Experience offers a separate exploration of railroad history with interactive elements that particularly appeal to train-loving kids.

Both attractions are independently ticketed, and combo pricing makes doing both on the same day cost-effective.

Holiday programming at Union Station is exceptional. The Christmas season transforms the building with elaborate decorations, special events, and programming that becomes an annual tradition for many Kansas City families. Check the Union Station calendar throughout the year for special exhibits and events that supplement the permanent attractions.

For a full Kansas City family day, Union Station is genuinely hard to beat — it can anchor 3-5 hours of activity between the architecture, Science City, the Train Experience, and a meal at Harvey's.