USA Guide
The Great Plains
Downtown
Kansas City is doing a good job of reinvigorating its downtown, and wandering past the restored lofts and small businesses of the Garment District, between Sixth and Ninth streets, makes for a pleasant way to reach City Hall, 414 E 12th St (Mon– Fri 8.30am–4.15pm; free), a fine Art Deco building with an observation deck on its thirtieth floor. Also downtown is the historic district known variously as River Market or City Market, on the banks of the Missouri. As well as colourful shops, cafés, and a lively farmers' market at Fifth and Walnut streets, there's a good museum in the complex, The Treasure of the Steamboat Arabia, which tells the story behind the 1988 salvaging of a side-wheeler that sank on its way to Council Bluffs in 1856 (400 Grand Blvd; Mon– Sat 10am–5.30pm, Sun noon–5pm; $12.50; www.1856.com). Perfectly preserved artifacts – china, guns, gold, and Kentucky bourbon, to name a few – afford unexpected and intriguing insights into frontier life.
Opening time: Daily
Price: Free