Kansas City Highlights Tour
including the Steamboat Arabia Museum

June 30, 2005
9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Everything’s up-to-date in Kansas City! A driving tour of Downtown Kansas City Missouri will acquaint guests with the historic buildings, the new skyscrapers, the newly erected Federal Courthouse and the recently completed Government Square. A stop at the Lewis and Clark Point offers guests a vista of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers and the magnificent new monument to the famous explorers and companions.

One of the most delightful surprises this city holds for you is the unique and exciting Steamboat Arabia Museum. A “one of a kind” museum, the Arabia will amaze guests beginning with the tales of its recovery and continuing with the unusual exhibits. The Arabia sank just north of Kansas City in 1856 and rested under 40 feet of sand, silt and mud until excavated in 1988. Over 200 tons of the original cargo was recovered, and after hundreds of hours of restoration and preservation, many of the items are on display in the Museum. This collection of pre-Civil War artifacts is the largest in the country and features china, perfume, jewelry, leather goods, hardware, textiles, preserved food products, a rare Indian bead collection and much more. Guests will view the recreated 171-foot deck and 28-foot paddle wheel, as well as several recovered items used on the original steamboat. A 15-minute video presentation tells the story of the “Great White Arabia” from her last voyage on the Missouri River to the presentation of her treasures in the Museum.

Our driving tour will now continue on to the Crown Center area where guests will have an opportunity to view the beautifully restored Union Station where over 80% of the service men and women from World War II passed through. Located to the south of Union Station is the magnificent Liberty Memorial, which was also recently restored. This monument was dedicated to those who lost their lives in World War I.

Another area on our tour will include historic Westport once a trading post for wagon trains headed west on the Oregon, Santa Fe and California Trails and today the area features the hottest nightspots in the city along with several great restaurants and unique boutiques.

The famous Country Club Plaza is much more than a suburban shopping center - it is an outdoor museum. When J.C. Nichols built this shopping area in the early 1920’s, he created an architectural masterpiece fashioned after beautiful Seville Spain. This 14-square block outdoor shopping center features mores that 170 shops, boutiques, restaurants, lounges, theaters and outdoor gallery of art. The tree-lined streets of this delightful area serve as a backdrop for the many fountains and imported statuary that are found on the Plaza (as locals often call it). Time will be allotted guests for shopping/lunch on their own.

Lastly, a drive along Ward Parkway, the city’s most beautiful boulevard will acquaint guests with the homes and estates of several of the city’s most prominent citizens.

THIS TOUR INCLUDES:
• Motorcoach Transportation
• Driving Tour of Kansas City
• Tour of the Steamboat Arabia Museum
• Professional Tour Guide
• Coordination Services

COST OF THIS 5 HOUR TOUR IS $37 PER PERSON
Based on a minimum of 30 participants, per motorcoach