The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Always a great place to visit, the museum is so big and I fatigue quickly so I only choose 1 gallery to see and even that I can’t see everything. I love that the museum is free so that I can visit often. This past Saturday was my first time attending the low sensory morning and it was great being able to be there at a time when the museum is not crowded and the noise level was tolerable for me. I am Autistic so these events make it possible for me to go to the museum.

This was reccomeneded to us by some local family, and the museum didn't disappoint! Michael, at the front, gave us a beautiful run down and encouraged us to go through the exhibits chronologically! We reccomend hitting the statue garden in the early morning or bring shade for the sunny afternoon! Several exhibits gave me goosebumps from their beauty and history! I also suggest trying to food, their serving times vary, so check the schedule to make sure you don't miss lunch. The staff said we HAD to try the chicken salad and tomato soup, I was blown away! The chicken salad had a fruity taste thay complimented the chicken! THE SOUP WAS TOO GOOD! I was fighting my boyfriend for the last of the bowl we split. If you're a local, you have a gem! If you're not from the area, THIS IS A MUST!

This museum was one of my first visited places when deciding to move to Kansas City. It was beautiful and very organized, spacious and clean. I would love to visit again soon. It made a good impression on me and pushed me to move to this city. There are several floors with magnificent art/explanations behind the artists’ work as well as a fully stocked gift shop with some very unique finds. It’s great for a personal day, date night or family occasion.

The museum is so beautiful. Beautiful architecture and magnificent exhibits. Would really love to visit again soon. I highly recommend everyone visiting Kansas City to visit this beautiful museum. I enjoyed and loved it so much.

It's hard to believe that this is free. All you have to do is go online and reserve yourself an entry time. It's an amazing museum with many works by well-known artists. Just be aware that it is so large, there's almost no way you can see it all in one day. It is surrounded by a park that has bunch of sculptures, including the iconic badminton birdies. The park is a great place to enjoy a picnic on a beautiful day. They even have beverage stands for a water soda or adult drink while you enjoy the nice weather. It's a definite must when visiting KC.

A must see in Kansas City this is an incredible museum. Plan on spending the day viewing paintings, sculptures and the beautiful architecture of museum itself. Parking: Parking garage.

We walked around the grounds enjoying the weather and outdoor artwork. Got there after hours but would love to come back and go into the museum. Visited on Public holiday … More

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Greatly enjoyed the Art Deco exhibit. General admission is included with the Art Deco tickets so you don't have to schedule an additional general admission. I found this confusing on the website. Always enjoy visiting the Nelson-Atkins!

This is a must do in Kansas City, KS. It's a huge plot w several building and outside sculptures walks fountains and shuttlecocks. The shuttlecock is the city's symbol.Between the 3 buildings it will take more than one visit to get it all in. It truly has everything Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, Monet and so many many more. Plus they have a beautiful Cafe with a huge fountain in the middle of it. I can't wait to come back.

Fantastic experience! Wide variety of exhibits. I believe everyone will find something that interests them. We enjoyed outside as much as inside. Save some time to play the miniture golf course they have on the grounds. My favorite exhibit was the suits of armor. Everything was well displayed. Very clean. Plenty of staff on hand willing to answer questions. Make this a destination if you are in Kansas City.

Beautiful large neoclassical building with a great mix of art and sculptures. I would recommend spending a good amount of time on the second floor for Asian art, which I found to be very interesting. The center of the building has these huge black marbled pillars which gives a grand feel. Overall an outstanding experience for free admission.

If you are a true lover if art and haven’t been here, what are you waiting for?? No invite needed!! The Nelson is always having something big going on inside or outside. The Sunday we went, we decided to escape the real world and go to the 1930s to see the Art Deco Exhibit, Mini Art golf and the Nelson Lawn Event going on as well. Outside music filled the air, as did oversized bugs and food, food trucks as well as ice cream trucks, African dances, and the mini golf art. Inside was the special event of the art deco series now through January as well as the regular art to see all the time. The deco exhibit had some amazing 1930s cars, gowns, videos, electronics, and so much more! They had an old-time vacuum that could be purchased for $60 or so. Wouldn’t that be a nice break these days? There was art by one of our local black artists from decades ago who is extremely famous. Perhaps you can use that for a trivia quiz question during your tour! Some of the paintings shown are always displayed in the museum. So many cool things and not enough time!. The museum is always free but you do have to pay for a special exhibit or things that go on outside such as the mini golf. The lawn event was free however of course you pay for food drink and drank, etc. The first 30 minutes of parking is free and aany time after that it is $12 per hour. You better move along quickly! The museum is neat and clean. The bathrooms were a little overflowing with trash however the most important place you need to plant your behind was clean. Ladies if you are wearing a backpack, you will be asked to wear it on your shoulder or to the front of you. Don’t leave without checking out the phenomenal gift shop full of pieces made by local artists, jewelry, cards, posters/art, games/puzzles, & a plethora of much more. Get the history behind the bottle cap lids piece of art just a short distance from the gift shop. The pic shown below with a man holding two flattened lines of bottle caps, is to show you up close how they created this! It took years and a TON of bottle caps. Bet they had fun making that….with a few drinks along the way! When looking for something free, educational in a fun way, head down to the museum! Def catch photos of the statues inside and out, the oversized birdies, the silver tree, & more…all things I’m telling u to take a photo of yet I didn’t this time whoops! Enjoy!!

This is a gorgeous museum in a stunning setting. The galleries invite lingering, but the museum is also sized to make shorter visits reasonable and satisfying. The grounds are pleasing and comfortable. Well worth a visit--or a return visit. The museum is free but welcomes donations, and donations are certainly a worthwhile contribution!

Very cool museum. Have meant to get here for years when I come in from out of town. Didn't get to experience the whole museum due to limited time but what I saw was well worth it. Took a nice walk around the grounds to see some of the sculptures. Will definitely be back for the full experience.

I've been coming to this place since I was a young girl. I have always loved the front with the garden and huge bronze sculptures that we used to climb on. I also loved the period rooms and an Asian theme. I love furniture so I also love to see the pieces from different countries and periods of time. I also love to run outside and enjoy the art outside. If you are an art lover, this is definitely a must-see.

Free with online reservation/ticket. Others who know more can speak to the beauty of the artwork. I was awed by their consideration of female patrons. Humans taking care of humans, good to see. One fun thing for a teacher to see is sensors for seismic activity

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Where else could you visit a museum and see Monet, Picasso all for free! This is a go to place to spend some time visiting beautiful paintings, sculpture and other artwork. I doubt you could do this all in one day, locals - check it out in multiple visits. Visitors to the city, plan ahead as to what you want to see and it can be overwhelming with the size of this place. Staff are helpful in getting you are the exhibits!

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This is an amazing art museum. The museum has many great artworks from artist such as Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. The museum is well laid-out and contains artwork from classic European artist to modern American artists. The museum also has a great sculpture collection. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and eager to assist if you have any questions. Outside of the museum is a great place for a picnic or activities outdoor activities, such as a glass maze. I highly recommend this museum for a day trip.

I was here only so my daughter could take senior pics (that's her in the back lol) but this place is gorgeous. They have an adorable put put golf you can rent times and clubs right outside on the lawn. The gardens, the art, the huge lawn that is filled with people, it is such an experience, and this is just outside!!! The real gems are inside. This is worth a visit.

Enjoyed my first visit at the Nelson-Atkins. The Smartify app was nice to use for a map. Great collection of Native American art on the 2nd level.

Had a great afternoon exploring the gallery. The person at the front was very helpful when she learned it was our first time there. She showed us the map, and walked us through the exhibits that are there. It's fascinating to see all of the art and items on display, and even though I'm not very well versed, I found it to be very exciting to see everything. Spent about 2.5 hours there, but easily could have been there longer. My 15 year old son had a great time too.

Very fun! Highly recommend if you have just a day of nothing else to do, because you can easily spend a couple of hours here! One of my favourite places to go!

The put put course is great for come on its own! The inside is great! I couldn't believe it was free. They have such a diverse amount of art, from different countries, to different types. Glass, clay, painting, cabinets! You could spend hours here.

Fantastic museum! The museum was built in the early 1900s, and the architecture inside was so beautiful. They have incorporated pieces into the actual building, and have a wide variety that everyone will enjoy. The cafe was peaceful and beautiful, with decent prices. The grounds surround the museum were great, and the sculpture garden was fun to walk around in.

The value proposition of this place as well as how extensive it is makes this totally worth it. The good: absolutely amazing breadth of pieces here. The museum architecture itself is quite impressive. It's free!! The meh: bags cannot be worn on your back. They do have a coat / bag check though. The bad: very few free parking spaces, paid parking runs about $12.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a Kansas City treasure! It has a collection that invites one to return again and again to discover a painting, sculpture, mosaic, or artifact you have yet to notice. Their special exhibitions are also worth catching before they move on to museums all over the world.

Been coming here for 30 years & it's always interesting to see the changes they are making. The sculpture park is a great break between the Main building & the Contemporary Exhibits, chance for the kids to stretch their legs. Also a nice place for a picnic. I have to say the glass maze is wild! Highly recommend but watch your step! Love the changes but definitely miss the Rodin exhibit that was on the second floor balcony.

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A wonderful art museum. Rivals the St. Louis Art Museum in many ways. Lovely architecture and very good exhibits. Only downside is that the layout can be a bit confusing for first timers and some of the smaller gallery rooms on the first floor and can feel claustrophobic. Other than that, it is lovely to visit and really a good experience. I really loved the ancient art sections and the Japanese room.

This is one beautiful and spacious museum! I love the different art pieces from different cultures and races! It is way bigger on the inside than the outside. There are guards that are watching you when you are gazing so no touching the artwork. They don’t hulk you around but you will see them upon and exiting rooms. Love the layout of the place,there is not enough picture to fully capture all what you will experience!