Kansas City, Missouri

==Culture==
===Abbreviations and nicknames===
Kansas City, Missouri is abbreviated as KCMO and the [[Kansas City metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] as KC. Residents are Kansas Citians. It is officially nicknamed the [[List of fountains in the Kansas City metropolitan area|City of Fountains]]. The fountains at [[Kauffman Stadium]], commissioned by original [[Kansas City Royals]] owner Ewing Kauffman, are the largest privately funded fountains in the world.<ref name="RoadTrip">{{cite book |last=Pahigaian |first=Josh |author2=Kevin O'Connell |title=The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip |year=2004 |publisher=Lyons Press |location=Guilford, Connecticut |isbn=1-59228-159-1 }}</ref> In 2018, [[UNESCO]] designated Kansas City its first and only [[City of Music (UNESCO)|City of Music]] in the US, in "recognition of [Kansas City's] investment and commitment to music, arts, and creativity as a driver of urban economic development".<ref name="unesco city of music"/> The city has more [[boulevard]]s than any other city except [[Paris]] and has been called '''Paris of the [[Great Plains|Plains]]'''. Soccer's popularity, and [[Children's Mercy Park]]'s popularity as a home stadium for the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. Men's National Team]], led to the appellation Soccer Capital of America. The city is called the Heart of America, in proximity to the [[Mean center of U.S. population|population center]] of the United States and the [[Geographic centers of the United States|geographic center]] of the 48 contiguous states.

===Performing arts===
In 1886, Kansas City had only two theaters when David Austin Latchaw, originally from rural [[Pennsylvania]], moved there. Latchaw maintained friendly relations with several actors such as [[Otis Skinner]], [[Richard Mansfield]], [[Maude Adams]], [[Margaret Anglin]], [[John Drew Jr.|John Drew]], [[Minnie Maddern Fiske]], [[Julia Marlowe]], [[E. H. Sothern]], and [[Robert Mantell]].<ref name="londre">{{Cite book|title=The enchanted years of the stage : Kansas City at the crossroads of American theater, 1870–1930|last=Londré |first=Felicia Hardison|date=2007|publisher=University of Missouri Press|isbn=9780826265852|oclc=290503575}}</ref>

Theater troupes in the 1870s toured the state, performing in cities or small towns forming along the railroad lines. Rail transport had enhanced the theater troupe tour market, by allowing full costumes, props, and sets. As theater grew in popularity after the mid-1880s, that number increased and by 1912, ten new theaters had been built in Kansas City. By the 1920s, Kansas City was the center of the [[vaudevillian]] [[Orpheum circuit]].<ref name="londre" />

[[File:Kauffman Center.jpg|thumb|[[Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts]]]]
The [[Kansas City Repertory Theatre]] is the metro's top professional theatre company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kcrep.org/history/|title=Mission & History – Kansas City Repertory Theatre|website=kcrep.org|date=October 5, 2021 |access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref> The [[Starlight Theatre (Kansas City)|Starlight Theatre]] is an 8,105-seat outdoor theatre designed by [[Edward Buehler Delk|Edward Delk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcstarlight.com/about-starlight/|title=History of Starlight Theatre|website=kcstarlight.com|access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref> The [[Kansas City Symphony]] was founded by [[R. Crosby Kemper Jr.]] in 1982 to replace the defunct Kansas City Philharmonic, which was founded in 1933.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcsymphony.org/about-us/|title=About Us – Kansas City Symphony|website=kcsymphony.org|access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref> The symphony performs at the [[Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts]]. [[Michael Stern (conductor)|Michael Stern]] is the symphony's music director and lead conductor. Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1958, performs at the Kauffman Center, offers one American contemporary opera production during its season, consisting of either four or five productions. The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City performs at the downtown [[Folly Theater]] and at the UMKC Performing Arts Center. Every summer from mid-June to early July, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival performs at Southmoreland Park near the [[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art|Nelson-Atkins Museum]]; the festival was founded by Marilyn Strauss in 1993.

The [[Kansas City Ballet]], founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between 1986 and 2000, it combined with Dance St. Louis to form the State Ballet of Missouri, although it remained in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by dancer and choreographer [[Todd Bolender]]. The Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons, performing classical to contemporary ballets.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jowitt |first=Deborah |authorlink=Deborah Jowitt |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0812,kansas-city-ballet-happy-fiftieth,381145,14.html |title=Kansas City Ballet: Happy Fiftieth! |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519071516/http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0812%2Ckansas-city-ballet-happy-fiftieth%2C381145%2C14.html |archive-date=May 19, 2008 |publisher=The [[Village Voice]] |date=March 18, 2008}}</ref> The Ballet also performs at the Kauffman Center. The [[Kansas City Chorale]] is a professional 24-voice chorus with an annual concert series and a concert in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] each year with sister choir the Phoenix Chorale. The Chorale has made several recordings, including with the Phoenix Chorale.

===Jazz===
[[File:Negro League Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum.jpg|thumb|Entrance of the American Jazz Museum]]
{{main|Kansas City jazz}}
Kansas City jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. The 1979 documentary ''[[The Last of the Blue Devils]]'' portrays this era in interviews and performances by local jazz notables. In the 1970s, Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era in a family-friendly atmosphere. In the 1970s, an effort to open jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the Missouri ended in a [[wikt:turf war|gang war]]. Three of the new clubs were blown up in what ultimately ended Kansas City mob influence in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] casinos. The annual Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival attracts top jazz stars and large tourist audiences. In 2007 it was rated Kansas City's "best festival" by ''The Pitch''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitch.com/bestof/2001/award/best-festival-15509/ |title=The Pitch, ''Best of 2007'': "Best Festival" – Kansas City's Blues and Jazz Festival |publisher=Pitch.com |access-date=May 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715091331/http://www.pitch.com/bestof/2001/award/best-festival-15509/ |archive-date=July 15, 2011 }}</ref>

Live music venues are throughout the city, with the highest concentration in the Westport entertainment district centered on Broadway and Westport Road near [[Country Club Plaza]], and the [[18th and Vine]] neighborhood's flourish for jazz music. A variety of music genres are performed or have originated there, including musicians [[Janelle Monáe]], [[Puddle of Mudd]], [[Isaac James (band)|Isaac James]], [[The Get Up Kids]], [[Shiner (band)|Shiner]], [[Flee The Seen]], [[The Life and Times]], [[Reggie and the Full Effect]], [[Coalesce (band)|Coalesce]], [[The Casket Lottery]], [[The Gadjits]], [[The Rainmakers (band)|The Rainmakers]], [[Vedera]], [[The Elders (band)|The Elders]], [[Blackpool Lights]], [[The Republic Tigers]], [[Tech N9ne]], [[Krizz Kaliko]], [[Kutt Calhoun]], [[Skatterman & Snug Brim]], [[Mac Lethal]], [[Ces Cru]], and [[Solè]]. [[Kansas City Jazz Orchestra]] is big band style.

In 2018, [[UNESCO]] named Kansas City a City of Music, as the only one in the United States. The designation is based on the city's rich musical heritage, and its {{US$|7 million|long=no}} budget for improving the [[18th and Vine]] Jazz District in 2016.<ref name="unesco city of music">{{Cite web|url=http://www.startlandnews.com/2018/03/unesco-city-of-music/|title=Investing in the arts earns KC designation as UNESCO's only 'City of Music' in US|last=Wankum|first=Leah|date=March 27, 2018|website=Startland News|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105443/http://www.startlandnews.com/2018/03/unesco-city-of-music/|archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Kansas City Convention Center, West 13th Street - Kansas City, Missouri, USA - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The Kansas City Convention Center]]

===Irish culture===
In 2021, the US Census Bureau estimated 253,040 people of Irish descent in the metro, with 123,934 in Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/happy-saint-patricks-day-to-one-of-ten-americans-who-claim-irish-ancestry.html |title=Residents With Irish Ancestry Are in All 3,142 U.S. Counties and Make Up 20% of the Population in Some |website=census.gov |access-date=February 10, 2023 }}</ref> The Irish were the first large immigrant group to settle in Kansas City following the lead of [[Bernard Donnelly|Fr. Bernard Donnelly]] ({{circa|1800–1880}}) and founded its first newspaper.<ref>{{cite book |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=7OtFfyk3y3AC|page=14}}|author=O'Laughlin, Michael. |title=Missouri Irish, The Original History of the Irish in Missouri, including St. Louis, Kansas City and Trails West |access-date=November 21, 2014}}</ref> The Irish community includes bands, dancers, Irish stores, newspapers, and the [[Kansas City Irish Center]] at Drexel Hall in Midtown. The first book detailing Irish history in Kansas City is ''Missouri Irish: Irish Settlers on the American Frontier'', published in 1984. The Kansas City Irish Fest is held over Labor Day weekend in Crown Center and Washington Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/kc-city-guides/things-to-do/article265055009.html|title=Irish Fest celebrates 20 years in Kansas City: Who's performing, how to get tickets|last=Hernandez|first=Joseph|date=August 30, 2022|website=[[The Kansas City Star]]|access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2021-09-01/kansas-city-irish-fest-2021-what-to-expect|title=Kansas City Irish Fest Returns to Crown Center This Weekend, Here's What You Can Expect|last=Kniggendorf|first=Anne|date=September 1, 2021|website=kcur.org|access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref>

===Casinos===
Missouri voters approved riverboat [[casino]] gaming on the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Mississippi River]]s by referendum with a 63% majority on November 3, 1992. The first casino facility in the state opened in September 1994 in North Kansas City by [[Harrah's Entertainment]] (now Caesar's Entertainment).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/history_rb.htm |title=Missouri Gaming Commission: ''The History of Riverboat Gambling in Missouri'' |publisher=Mgc.dps.mo.gov |date=July 1, 1994 |access-date=May 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206015618/http://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/history_rb.htm |archive-date=February 6, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The combined revenues for four casinos exceeded $153 million per month in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/663369.html |work=The Kansas City Star |date=June 13, 2008 |title=Missouri riverboat casinos' revenue increases in May}}{{dead link|date=May 2012}}</ref> The metropolitan area is home to six casinos: [[Ameristar Casinos|Ameristar Kansas City]], [[Argosy Gaming Company|Argosy Kansas City]], [[Harrah's Entertainment|Harrah's North Kansas City]], [[Isle of Capri Casinos|Isle of Capri Kansas City]], the 7th Street Casino (which opened in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2008) and [[Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway|Hollywood Casino]] (which opened in February 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas).

==={{anchor|Cuisine}}Cuisine===
[[File:Bull-kemper.jpg|thumb|upright=2|The [[American Hereford Association]] bull, [[Kemper Arena]], and the [[Kansas City Live Stock Exchange]] Building are in the former [[Kansas City Stockyard]] of [[West Bottoms]].]]
Kansas City is famous for its [[steak]] and [[Kansas City-style barbecue]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitkc.com/visitors/places-eat/kansas-city-barbecue-capital-world|title=Kansas City is the Barbecue Capital of the World|website=visitkc.com|date=September 9, 2014 |access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref> During the heyday of the [[Kansas City Stockyards]], the city was known for its Kansas City steaks or [[Strip steak|Kansas City strip steaks]]. The most famous of its steakhouses is the [[Golden Ox]] in the [[Kansas City Live Stock Exchange]] in the [[West Bottoms]] [[Feedlot|stockyards]]. These stockyards were second only to those of Chicago in size, but they never recovered from the [[Great Flood of 1951]] and eventually closed. [[Jess & Jim's Steakhouse]] was founded in 1938 in the [[Martin City, Missouri|Martin City neighborhood]].

The Kansas City Strip cut of steak is similar to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a [[strip steak]]. Along with [[Texas]], [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[North Carolina|North]], and [[South Carolina]], Kansas City is lauded as a "world capital of barbecue". More than 90 barbecue restaurants<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.experiencekc.com/barbeque.html |title=Experience Kansas City – Barbeque Kansas City Style |publisher=Experiencekc.com |access-date=March 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100520012817/http://www.experiencekc.com/barbeque.html |archive-date=May 20, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> operate in the metropolitan area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kansascitymag.com/10-best-kansas-city-bbq-spots-right-now/|title=The 10 Best BBQ Spots in Kansas City Right Now|website=Kansas City Magazine|access-date=August 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/your-kcq/article252371028.html|title=In Kansas City style: How this Midwest hub became the barbeque capital of the world|last=Wells|first=Michael|date=September 14, 2022|website=[[The Kansas City Star]]|access-date=August 1, 2023}}</ref> The [[American Royal]] each fall hosts what it claims is the world's biggest barbecue contest.

[[File:P072914PS-1794 (14992509108).jpg|thumb|[[President Obama]] visits [[Arthur Bryant's]] barbecue.]]
Classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an inner-city phenomenon that evolved from the pit of [[Henry Perry (restaurateur)|Henry Perry]], a migrant from [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] who is generally credited with opening the city's first barbecue stand in 1921, and blossomed in the [[18th and Vine Historic District|18th and Vine]] neighborhood. [[Arthur Bryant's]] took over the Perry restaurant and added [[sugar]] to his sauce to sweeten the recipe a bit. In 1946 one of Perry's cooks, George W. Gates, opened Gates Bar-B-Q, later [[Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q]] when his son Ollie joined the family business. Bryant's and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants; native Kansas Citian and essayist Calvin Trillin famously called Bryant's "the single best restaurant in the world" in an essay he wrote for ''Playboy'' magazine in the 1960s. [[Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue]] is also well regarded. In 1977, [[Rich Davis]], a psychiatrist, test-marketed his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it [[KC Masterpiece]], and in 1986, he sold the recipe to the [[Kingsford (charcoal)|Kingsford]] division of [[Clorox]]. Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce, whose recipe popularized the use of molasses as a sweetener in Kansas City-style barbecue sauces.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Kansas City has several [[James Beard Award]]-winning/nominated chefs and restaurants. Winning chefs include Michael Smith, [[Celina Tio]], Colby Garrelts, Debbie Gold, Jonathan Justus and Martin Heuser. A majority of the Beard Award-winning restaurants are in the Crossroads district, downtown and in Westport.

===Points of interest===
{{main|List of points of interest in Kansas City, Missouri}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Description
!Photo
|-
|[[Country Club Plaza|Country Club Plaza District]]
|This district was developed in 1922 featuring Spanish-styled architecture and upscale shops and restaurants. Nearby are the [[University of Missouri–Kansas City]], the [[Kansas City Art Institute]], the [[Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art]], and the [[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://countryclubplaza.com/tourism|title=A Kansas City Tradition|website=Country Club Plaza|access-date=February 6, 2024}}</ref>
|[[File:Country Club Plaza 2 Kansas City MO.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[18th and Vine]]
|Home of distinctive [[Kansas City jazz]], the [[Negro Leagues Baseball Museum]], the [[American Jazz Museum]], and the future home of the MLB Urban Youth Academy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://populous.com/news/2016/04/20/populous-designed-kansas-city-mlb-urban-youth-academy-breaks-ground/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829133123/http://populous.com/news/2016/04/20/populous-designed-kansas-city-mlb-urban-youth-academy-breaks-ground/| archive-date=August 29, 2016 | title=Populous-designed Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy Breaks Ground |date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> Several jazz clubs and venues include the Gem Theater and the Blue Room.
|[[File:Negro League Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Crossroads, Kansas City|Crossroads Arts District]]
|Home to several restaurants, art galleries, and hotels. First Friday is a monthly event with pop-up galleries, food trucks, venue deals, and music events. [[Kansas City Union Station|Union Station]] and the [[Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts|Kauffman Center]] are here. Union Station has varying exhibits, including at [[Science City at Union Station|Science City]].
|[[File:TWA Headquarters (4719002602).jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Westport, Kansas City, Missouri|Westport District]]
|Originally a separate town until annexed by Kansas City, it contains several restaurants, shops, and nightlife options. Along with the Power and Light District, it is one of the city's main entertainment areas. The [[University of Kansas Hospital]] is close to the district, just across State Line Road.
|[[File:Westport Square Kansas City MO.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Kansas City Power & Light District|Power and Light District]]
|A new shopping and entertainment district within the Central Business District, it was developed by the Cordish Companies. The [[T-Mobile Center]] is a major anchor and the [[Midland Theatre]] is a concert venue.
|[[File:PLD KCLive.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[River Market, Kansas City|River Market District]]/ [[Berkley Riverfront Park]]
|Kansas City's original neighborhood on the Missouri River contains one of the country's largest and longest lasting public farmers' markets in the nation, and the [[Steamboat Arabia Museum]]. The new streetcar line's northernmost loop through the River Market with three stops around City Market. Pedestrians can take the Town of Kansas Bridge connection to the Riverfront Heritage Trail to [[Berkley Riverfront Park]], which is operated by [[Port of Kansas City|Port KC]].
|[[File:River Market KCMO1.JPG|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Crown Center]]
|Developed by [[Hallmark Cards|Hallmark]], it is a short walk from the [[National World War I Museum and Memorial]] (Liberty Memorial).
|[[File:Crown Center 1 Kansas City MO.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[West Bottoms]]
|The West Bottoms originated primarily as stockyards and for industrial uses, but is slowly being revitalized with apartments and shops. It has [[Kemper Arena]].
|[[File:GoldenOxKC.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|Kansas City, North
|Several attractions are north of the Missouri River. Zona Rosa is a mixed-used development with shopping, dining, and events. The [[Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport]] features the Aviation History Museum. [[Worlds of Fun]] and [[Oceans of Fun]] are major amusement parks of the midwest.
|[[File:MambaLiftHillWOF.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Swope Park]]
|Swope Park has {{convert|1,805|acres}}, a larger total space than [[Central Park]], with several attractions including the [[Kansas City Zoo]] and [[Starlight Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)|Starlight Theatre]] is the second largest outdoor musical theatre venue in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kcparks.org/attraction/starlight-theatre/|title=Starlight Theatre Attractions – KCparks.org|website=kcparks.org|access-date=May 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515183404/http://kcparks.org/attraction/starlight-theatre/|archive-date=May 15, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sporting Kansas City]] practice at the soccer complex.
|[[File:KCMO Zoo Nima 09.JPG|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|}

===Religion===
[[File:Kansas City Missouri Temple 11.jpg|thumb|[[Kansas City Missouri Temple]]]]

50.75% of Kansas City area residents have a known religious affiliation. The most common religious denominations in the area are:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/metro/missouri/kansas_city|title=Religion in Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri|work=bestplaces.net|access-date=August 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317022021/http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/metro/missouri/kansas_city|archive-date=March 17, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

* None/no affiliation 49.25%
* [[Catholicism|Catholic]] 13.2%
* [[Baptists]] 10.4%
* Other [[Christianity|Christian]] 10.3%
* [[Methodism|Methodist]] 6.0%
* [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] 2.7%
* [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-day Saint]] 2.5%
* [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] 2.3%
* [[Presbyterianism in the United States|Presbyterian]] 1.7%
* [[Judaism]] 0.4%
* [[Eastern religions]] 0.4%
* [[Islam]] 0.4%

===Walt Disney===
In 1911, [[Elias Disney]] moved [[Disney family|his family]] from [[Marceline, Missouri|Marceline]] to Kansas City. They lived in a new home at 3028 Bellefontaine with a garage he built, in which [[Walt Disney]] made his first [[animation]].<ref name="dnr.mo.gov">{{cite web|title=Disney, Walt, House and Garage|url=http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/78001654.pdf|work=dnr.mo.gov|access-date=March 3, 2015|archive-date=January 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117034639/http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/78001654.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1919, Walt returned from France where he had served as a [[List of ambulance drivers during World War I|Red Cross ambulance driver]] in [[World War I]]. He started the first animation company in Kansas City, [[Laugh-O-Gram Studio]], in which he designed [[Mickey Mouse]]. When the company went bankrupt, Walt Disney moved to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] and started [[The Walt Disney Company]] on October 16, 1923.