Ingram's June 2026

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Big Slick

Kansas City Chiefs

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE

BEST ART GALLERY Few institutions in Kansas City inspire the reflexive, cross-demo graphic loyalty that the NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART commands. Established in 1933 and holding more than 40,000 works spanning cultures and millennia, the museum on Oak Street remains one of the country’s most respected encyclopedic collections—and general admission is free. A campus redesign proposal envisions recentering the grounds around the muse um’s 22-acre sculpture park, with a $160 million budget funded entirely by private donations per museum announcements. EVA REYNOLDS FINE ART earns Silver as one of the city’s lead ing independent commercial galleries. LEOPOLD GALLERY takes Bronze , its long-standing presence in Kansas City’s fine art market making it a trusted destination for collectors. BEST CHARITABLE EVENT BIG SLICK coasts to Gold —the annual celebrity weekend or ganized by a group including Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, and Rob Riggle that has raised millions for Children’s Mercy Hos pital through celebrity softball, bowling, and screening events. JAZZOO earns Silver : the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s largest annual fundraiser, held each year on zoo grounds with food from dozens of metro restaurants and caterers, live entertainment, and a black-tie-with-a-wild-twist dress code. Proceeds fund the daily cost of feeding and caring for the zoo’s nearly 10,000 animals and support educational programming through the Zoo Learn ing Fund. TREADS & THREADS speeds away with Bronze ; The University of Kansas Health System’s black-tie gala at Kansas Speedway has raised more than $30 million since 2002 to expand and improve care at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehen sive cancer center.

BEST CASINO HARRAH’S NORTH KANSAS CITY earns Gold as the metro’s leading gaming destination—a full-scale casino hotel on the Mis souri River that has invested steadily in its dining, entertainment, and gaming floor. HOLLYWOOD CASINO earns Silver , its en tertainment programming and gaming variety keeping it a strong second. AMERISTAR takes Bronze —the riverside resort prop erty whose hotel, dining, and gaming package still attracts a loyal following in the KC market. BEST DAY TRIP WESTON wins Gold , and decisively. The Platte County town sits less than 40 minutes from Downtown Kansas City and packs an improbable amount of character into a small footprint: 19th century architecture, working distilleries, wine trails, and an in dependent retail corridor that feels genuinely removed from the metro’s commercial uniformity. BRANSON earns Silver for its density of entertainment options at a manageable drive south. LAWRENCE takes Bronze —the University of Kansas campus, Mass Street, and an independent music and dining scene that makes it the most compelling college-town day trip in the region. BEST FAMILY OUTING/VENUE The KANSAS CITY ZOO earns Gold as the metro’s default answer for family outings—202 acres in Swope Park home to more than 1,300 animals, plus the Sobela Ocean Aquarium, a 650,000-gallon facility with 34 habitats and nearly 8,000 aquatic animals that opened in 2023. Its year-round programming, sea sonal events, and child-friendly design make it the city’s most visited family destination. TOP GOLF earns Silver , the gamified driving range format having built a devoted multigenerational following. No Bronze in this category.

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I ng r am ’ s

Kansas City’s Business Media

Best of Business Kansas City 2026