Great Wolf Lodge Kansas

[BellaBaby]

We are thinking of trying out the GWL for Spring Break and the closest one to us is in Kansas City Kansas. Is there anything else in the area to do, like a zoo, museum or something for kids ages 11, 9 and 7?

TIA!!

 

[JessB320]

We are thinking of trying out the GWL for Spring Break and the closest one to us is in Kansas City Kansas. Is there anything else in the area to do, like a zoo, museum or something for kids ages 11, 9 and 7?

TIA!!

Not sure but wanted to say watch groupon they have had several GWL deals in the past year

 

[jedijill]

The GWL is by the NASCAR track and outlet mall. I know there is a T-Rex Cafe (just like DTD). The Kansas City T-bones baseball team plays there as well. Probably too early for a game but lots of fun and cheap! There is a huge Cabela's by GWL as well.

It's not a far drive downtown where more attractions are. Crown Center has a Legoland Discovery Center, Aquarium, and Kaleidoscope kids creativity center/Hallmark Cards visitor center. There is a cool restaurant there called Fritz's where they use model trains to deliver your food.

Just north of Crown Center is Science City at Union Station which is a science museum for kids.

Just north of downtown is the Steamboat Arabia museum which is really cool. A family discovered a steam boat that had sunk and was buried by silt/dirt in a field near the Missouri River. They dug it up and have preserved almost all of the cargo. A very cool look at 1800's history.

The zoo is just south in Swope Park. There are better zoos but they are really working on improving it and just got a new polar bear.

I highly recommend that you try some good BBQ while you are in town. My absolute favorite in town in Oklahoma Joe's. Go to the original location in an old gas station on 47th St in KCK.

Hope this helps!

Jill in CO

 

[happygirl]

There is an amsument park Worlds of Fun not sure when it opens.
There is an awesome zoo

 

[BellaBaby]

Not sure but wanted to say watch groupon they have had several GWL deals in the past year

I will! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[BellaBaby]

The GWL is by the NASCAR track and outlet mall. I know there is a T-Rex Cafe (just like DTD). The Kansas City T-bones baseball team plays there as well. Probably too early for a game but lots of fun and cheap! There is a huge Cabela's by GWL as well.

It's not a far drive downtown where more attractions are. Crown Center has a Legoland Discovery Center, Aquarium, and Kaleidoscope kids creativity center/Hallmark Cards visitor center. There is a cool restaurant there called Fritz's where they use model trains to deliver your food.

Just north of Crown Center is Science City at Union Station which is a science museum for kids.

Just north of downtown is the Steamboat Arabia museum which is really cool. A family discovered a steam boat that had sunk and was buried by silt/dirt in a field near the Missouri River. They dug it up and have preserved almost all of the cargo. A very cool look at 1800's history.

The zoo is just south in Swope Park. There are better zoos but they are really working on improving it and just got a new polar bear.

I highly recommend that you try some good BBQ while you are in town. My absolute favorite in town in Oklahoma Joe's. Go to the original location in an old gas station on 47th St in KCK.

Hope this helps!

Jill in CO

Jill--Who knew Kansas had so much to offer? Sounds like a lot of fun--I will look into all of these suggestions. Mapquest says its just under 9 hours from metro Denver where we live. Sound about right?

 

[BellaBaby]

There is an amsument park Worlds of Fun not sure when it opens.
There is an awesome zoo

Thanks! I will look into these as well!

 

[jedijill]

Jill--Who knew Kansas had so much to offer? Sounds like a lot of fun--I will look into all of these suggestions. Mapquest says its just under 9 hours from metro Denver where we live. Sound about right?

Just for the record, most of the cool stuff is in Missouri. (Yes, I'm a Missouri native and enjoy the MO-KS rivalry!)

Yep..its about 9 boring hours. Have videos, games, snacks, whatever it takes to entertain the kids. My brother and I used to count oil wells in the days before DVD players!.

Jill in CO

 

[nchulka]

Kansas City has lots of great stuff for kids! We're in the St. Louis area so we try to visit once a year or so. Our favorite it the Deanna Rose Farm. It's a cool free children's farm. There is a playground, several animals, an old schoolhouse, and lots more. Admission is free during the week. For 10.00 per child you can buy a pass that covers all activities, pony ride, gem mining, bottle to feed the goats, wagon ride, and fishing. They have a large pond with an island and a bridge. They give each kid a cane pole and a can of worms, my kids LOVED it

Our other favorites are Crown Center with Kaleidoscope, Lego center, and aquarium.

Since you're going to GWL you have to check out the T-Rex cafe that is just minutes away!

 

[nchulka]

Just for the record, most of the cool stuff is in Missouri. (Yes, I'm a Missouri native and enjoy the MO-KS rivalry!)

Yep..its about 9 boring hours. Have videos, games, snacks, whatever it takes to entertain the kids. My brother and I used to count oil wells in the days before DVD players!.

Jill in CO

Agree on both accounts! Of course being on the St. Louis side I think St. Louis has WAY more than KC! Especially the City Museum!!!

We drive to Denver quite a bit because we have family there and it is just about the most boring drive you can imagine! There is NOTHING between Denver and Topeka

 

[jedijill]

Agree on both accounts! Of course being on the St. Louis side I think St. Louis has WAY more than KC! Especially the City Museum!!!

We drive to Denver quite a bit because we have family there and it is just about the most boring drive you can imagine! There is NOTHING between Denver and Topeka

When I lived outside Columbia we generally went to St Louis and I really like it but now I'm partial to KC since I lived there for 8 years.

There is ONE thing between Topeka and Denver....The world's largest prairie dog!

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11444

Jill in CO

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

The Kansas City Zoo is a really nice zoo. Very large and natural feeling with a very good array of animals. It's not as fancy as the Omaha Zoo, but we actually prefer it because it's less jam-packed and chaotic.

I second the poster who suggested Oklahoma Joe's for the best BBQ I've ever eaten in my life. Be warned, there is usually a long line, but it is SO worth it, in my opinion.

We've never stayed at a Great Wolf Lodge, and I don't even know where it is, but K.C. is a very nice town.

 

[tchrrx]

We have been to the GWL in Virginia, Texas, and Kansas. The one in Kansas was our least favorite.

The drive through western Kansas is BORING! Make sure you have plenty of gas and entertainment. Take bathroom breaks when you can b/c you never know when another good stopping spot will appear.

 

[tb1972]

I live in Johnson County KS/suburb of KC. You may want to check out the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, KS. It is a fun experience for all ages of kids.

The Nelson Atkins Museum is very nice and is on the Missouri side on the Country Club Plaza. There's a ton of restaurants and shopping on the Plaza.

Or maybe try a Royals game if they're in town.

If you do decide on the GWL, it is located in Kansas City KS (Wyandotte County) the Legends area which has restaurants, shopping, bowling, T Rex Cafe. This area has come a long way!

 

[BellaBaby]

Thanks for all the replies! I have never been through Kansas or Missouri, but I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs and we visit now and then. It is a long boring ride thru Nebraska and Iowa as well!

We have been to the Wisconsin Dells (being so close when we visit IL) and my DH was just saying it would be fun to do an indoor waterpark. The Dells are too far for the time we are allowing. I've heard about the GWL on the DIS a lot so I looked at the locations and thought KC wouldn't be too bad a drive.

That Crown center sounds like fun, probably TRex, we've been to the DTD location and enjoy it, definitely the BBQ! Love good BBQ!!

Oh and Deanna Rose Farmstead sounds good as well!

 

[BellaBaby]

There is ONE thing between Topeka and Denver....The world's largest prairie dog!

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11444

Jill in CO[/QUOTE]

Clark W. Griswold would LOVE it!!

 

[manhattanman]

We are thinking of trying out the GWL for Spring Break and the closest one to us is in Kansas City Kansas. Is there anything else in the area to do, like a zoo, museum or something for kids ages 11, 9 and 7?

TIA!!

We have been a couple of times, the park is great the rooms are meh. Its in a location right off I70, there's the speedway, legends, cabellas, chateau Avalon and a Nebraska furniture mart all in close proximity ( lots of shopping and the ball field). If you are going for one day its fine, in my opinion more than that it gets kind of limiting.

I really prefer going to the area near the sprint center, especially the hyatt regency. The hotels are linked by a covered walkway and there is tons of stuff to do with kids (with the exception of food if you don't want to eat in the hotel) , the hotels have heated pools. Country club plaza is another choice but mostly shopping and bars.

There is also coco key near the stadium which is another hotel water park. One thing is that gwl has a variable rate structure, it will be expensive during march break, probably more than the Hyatt which is a much nice stay, and since downtown kc is not a huge spring break destination ( unless there is something going on at the sprint center) availability is not much of a concern.

 

[rusty4]

GWL in Kansas City has deals all the time. Make sure to sign up on their site. I agree that 2 nights is more than enough there. Even one is enough to fully enjoy it and move to a more central hotel and more affordable one. We have been twice. There were several things not working when we were there. The brand new slide and the clock for storytime. They still had storytime just without the added clock feature. If you do 2 nights the wand game (don't remember the name) can be fun but expensive. We just bought one one wand.

 

[manhattanman]

GWL in Kansas City has deals all the time. Make sure to sign up on their site. I agree that 2 nights is more than enough there. Even one is enough to fully enjoy it and move to a more central hotel and more affordable one. We have been twice. There were several things not working when we were there. The brand new slide and the clock for storytime. They still had storytime just without the added clock feature. If you do 2 nights the wand game (don't remember the name) can be fun but expensive. We just bought one one wand.

If you can get the deals they are good but they are usually midweek for low demand days ( when kids are in school). The difference for the same room on Tuesday vs Friday/Saturday
Is 2x, sometimes higher.

If you are close and can swing an impromptu staycayion it can be great, but I would be astounded if they offered any coupons during peak times. Its been a while since we last went, and at that time a lot of the amenities were dated and the owners were having some problems renegotiating the terms of their commercial mortgage.

 

[Earstou]

The best attraction between Denver and Topeka is the Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center in Hutchinson, Ks. Unfortunately it's 65 miles south of the interstate. It has the largest collection of Russian/Soviet space artifacts outside of Moscow, including Sputnik 1 and 2. They refurbished the Apollo 13 and Liberty Bell 7 spacecrafts here and have them on exhibit. It's a world-class museum and we try to make it there every few years.
I've never even considered stopping at the prairie dog place, it screams tourist-trap!
Science City was always been one of my kids favorite places to go when we would go to KC. Lots of hands-on activities for the kids and so much to do we usually ended up running out of steam before we saw all the exhibits.