What are some of the best free or cheap entertainment options in Kansas City and surrounding areas?|170845

My roommate and I (ages 23 and 25) are looking for something fun to do this summer, but we_re both on a tight budget. What is the best free and/or cheap entertainment around Kansas City (we live on the Missouri side).

Cheap?

A Royals game is fairly inexpensive, 7 dollars for tickets, then you could split the parking fee.

There are parks along the river that you could go and walk around in; Parkville, up north of KC, for example, has an excellent park and the town is pretty neat to walk around in, too.

And, as everyone has said, the Plaza and Zona Rosa are also neat to explore.

Here_s the website for 33 free things to do in the KC area. If it_s music you_re looking for, please let me know and I_ll let you know where I go because I don_t have any extra money either.

Here_s the site for your 33 free adventures:
http://kansascity.about.com/b/a/256895.h��


Enjoy!!

The Shakespeare Fest in Southmoreland Park by the Nelson Atkins Museum is always a good idea. They perform a free play every night (except 4th of July) beginning in late June and running through Mid July. This year they are performing Romeo and Juliet. They ask for donations but admission is free. Take a bottle of wine and enjoy Shakespeare under the stars!

Try going to the Legends on Friday or Saturday nights.... You can walk around the Mall and sometimes they have live bands and different things you can do.

Spend some time at the Country Club Plaza. Park your car and spend an afternoon/evening walking through the whole district. The buildings and fountains are beautiful. The window-shopping and people-watching can both be fun. If you go early enough in the day, you can eat at a nice restaurant (I love the Cheesecake Factory) off of a lunch menu and save some bucks. If that_s still too much, go a block east and grab a bite at Winstead_s (a throwback to 1950s style diners) where you can get a steakburger and a float for a reasonable price. The onion rings are killer.

Keep going another block east of that, and spend some time at the Nelson-Atkins art museum. They accept donations, but that can be just a buck or two. The Nelson has European and American masterpiece paintings, and examples of ancient and medieval, Asian, and Native American works of art.

Speaking of Native American, if you can travel an hour or so west of KC, drop in on some of the local Indian casinos. You don_t have to gamble, and there_s no cover charge. I would really recommend Harrah_s Prairie Band Casino, about 20 minutes north of Topeka. There_s always something going on there. They have a great buffet, and also a smaller restaurant where you can a buffalo burger 24/7. In fact, that_s another point... the casinos never close. This is also powwow season, and the local tribes will each be sponsoring one over the next couple of months. There_s generally a $7-8 a head charge, but you can easily spend a day at one -- or at least all evening.

Drive north to Atchison, KS (about an hour from KC); visit the Amelia Earhart Home (a small charge), or the train museum (with many authentic train engines and cars that you can walk through). Take the trolley through Atchison for a tour of the local haunted houses (this town has been called _the most haunted town in America_ by the Discovery Channel).

Head over to Cabela_s. Spend some time walking through their aquarium. See the diorama of the African veldt, the wildlife mountain in the middle of the store, and the hall filled with record-breaking deer antlers.

Go to Lawrence, KS and walk up and down Mass Street. This is a shopping and entertainment district for a major university town. Lots to see and do. If you can afford to splurge a little, get lunch at The Mad Greek. Later, work off the Greek food by driving to the public access lookout tower south of town, and climbing to the top. The view is great, and the price is free (except for some huffing and puffing).

Just a few ideas.

Go down town and checkout the Streamboat Arabia,Cabela_s, Nebraska Furnature Mart, The Plaza, Nelson Atkins museum,

Why don_t you go to the Plaza area. Its really nice. By village inn, there a lot of restaurants, shops, people. Hope this helps.

If you_re into art and architecture, you could check out all of the fountains.... Not exciting enough? Hey, you said free lol

cherochap stole all my ideas... he pretty much said it all.
zona rosa up north is a fun place to walk around also.

In the summer, there a various carnivals and festivals that have free concerts. I know that Merriam, KS has a live band play at the Farmer_s Market on Wednesday nights.

Try this website: www.visitkc.com