Some cities like to claim they’re fun, but Overland Park is the real deal.
Overland Park offers so many fun things to do and beautiful sites to see.
You can go and immerse yourself in many outdoor pursuits, such as parks, swimming pools, hiking trails, and botanical gardens.
Just because Kansas is not a household name for art doesn’t mean Overland Park lacks culture.
Gallery after dazzling gallery dots the landscape of this beautiful city, featuring museums that boast highly acclaimed collections of art famous across the whole state!
If children are coming along on your visit, don’t worry – there are plenty of museums and rustic farms in the area to entertain them while you relax, knowing that they’re having fun too.
Below, you’ll find the most popular amazing things to do in Overland Park!
There’s a hike and bike trail in Overland Park that stretches from Foxhill South Park to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The Indian Creek bike and hiking trail is up to 17 miles long, with 10 miles of the course located within Overland Park.
You have many options for hiking terrain when you start your trip on this well-maintained path.
The trail is a terrific place to take a leisurely bike ride or hike, depending on how you like to spend your free time.
It’s also a great place to do some exploring and appreciate the green areas in Overland Park, Kansas, that you wouldn’t usually get to see because it’s nearby.
This excellent community amenity provides some much-needed exercise which is beneficial for all ages and skill levels.
Paulmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Easily one of the fun places to take your children, the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead transports you back in time to feel what life was like for settlers during a period of American history known as “Frontier Settlements.”
This unique attraction has it all!
Children can play inside and ride beautiful horses with professional farmhands escorting their carriage.
While they’re at it, they’ll have the chance to check out more than 250 animals up close.
Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com
There’s also Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead’s one-room schoolhouse, where they’ll get to learn about regional agriculture.
They can also stop by the Kanza Indian Encampment, where membership is free, and do more to keep themselves entertained.
So go ahead and bring your family!
Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com
One of Kansas City’s newest art museums, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, is constantly updated with the latest and greatest art.
This gallery prides itself on highlighting up-and-coming artists in addition to those who are more established in the industry.
The art collection features many art pieces in a wide range of styles to cater to various tastes.
You won’t be disappointed with all the paintings, photographs, and sculptures on display from different artists that all deserve your attention as an art lover.
The works showcased in the collection mostly revolve around contemporary art.
Overland Park’s Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is ideal for art enthusiasts who want to know some of the latest art innovations recently observed in the country.
Admission to the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is free every day, except Monday.
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
The moment you set foot inside Q39 South, you’ll find yourself in a warm and inviting space where friendly hosts welcome you.
And you’ll also find yourself mesmerized by the purring din of tender, juicy meat that expert chefs delicately prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Exhilaratingly fresh Kansas City-style barbecue permeates through the restaurant and fills every nook and cranny.
An adoring team works tirelessly as if their lives depended on it to prepare mouthwatering chef-inspired favorites!
You will find more than enough delectable dishes to choose from on offer, such as the Mr. Burns Sandwich with smoky pork belly and spicy slaw served on a pretzel bun (yep, you read that right!).
Also, ensure to taste the blends of brisket with moist toppings like cheesy chili grits or mustard greens.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply sharing a meal with friends or family, Q39 is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy quality time spent together in an open, airy, and rustic environment.
The American Jazz Museum seeks to highlight Kansas City’s blossoming jazz scene, a solid musical foundation progressing heavily over the past decade.
This Museum is the first of its kind and features several interactive exhibits, film screenings, demonstrations, and performances from nights with some of the city’s best up-and-coming talents.
The Museum houses an extensive range of collectibles and memorabilia from the best jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and many more.
It includes instruments like Ella’s famous dress, which she wore during her concert performance of “Love Letters” to Louis’s trumpet that he used to perform live with his very own band.
Even though you’ll find so many unique items, there’s a part of the Museum dedicated to showing people what goes into performing live music: The Blue Room Jazz Club!
It has nightly live shows where you can watch professional performers play all your favorite jazz hits!
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
When you go to Topgolf, you’ll find a lively environment where the buzz of overlapping voices over HDTVs echoes through tall ceilings and the busy restaurant and bar floor.
Another thing that will impress you when you enter the first Topgolf facility will be the climate-controlled hitting bays and the state-of-the-art HDTVs found in each bay.
Topgolf features microchipped golf balls where each time a player takes a swing, the scoring system would automatically track how fast each player’s ball is traveling and its total distance and accuracy.
Players get points for every successful shot.
Additionally, after several rounds of competition at this venue, you may also want to have some drinks with your friends to continue the fun all night!
Among the list of alcoholic beverages available at Topgolf Overland Park are signature cocktails, such as margaritas, sangrias, and mojitos.
One way to get to know a new place is by learning its history.
Johnson County Museum of History & All Electric House will acquaint you with Johnson County’s history in general.
This place details specific facts about some of the most important events that happened over time.
The 1950s All-Electric House, for example, gives insight into what life was like back then while incorporating exhibits degrees of progress throughout the years.
Immerse yourself into another time period by seeing how everyday people lived and entertained themselves in middle America.
Changing exhibits can be found in the museum’s art gallery.
There are interactive activities in ‘The KidScape’ learning center so that children can learn about this quaint town!
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
Nature enthusiasts can discover more than 800 different plants of every shape, size, and color in this 300-acre urban green space.
The Monet garden is a phenomenal place inspired by Claude Monet’s water lily pond in Giverny, France, among the Overland Park Arboretum’s themed gardens and natural landscapes.
The Japanese Garden reflects Japan’s most famous art pieces, including small bridges and shrines carved into the rocks.
The garden also has an area for catching up on reading books or playing games.
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
There’s a maze at the Children’s Discovery Garden that will challenge young learners and explorers and a Frog Pond where you can meet the frogs up close and personal!
The Shrinking Tunnel is one of the hit attractions during summertime for kids, as well as a Sky Watch with a decked-out bench swing.
There are so many other extraordinary things these gardens hide for families to discover while adventuring through miles of hiking trails, as well as multiple places to stop by on the way for picnics.
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
If you’re looking to enjoy a unique view of Overland Park in Kansas City, then consider taking a hot air balloon ride with Old World Ballonery.
Flying trips throughout the Kansas City Metro Area, Old World Ballonery makes sure their passengers enjoy the most outstanding views in all of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri.
Taking a hot air balloon ride in the early morning or late afternoon hours will provide you with amazing views of all that Kansas City and Overland Park have to offer.
The trip itself will take you around the area so that you can see the sites in both lightened and darkened settings.
You’ll fly on a hot air balloon with champagne breakfasts and sunset meals, too.
Of course, there is also the option to enjoy a champagne toast as part of this experience!
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
The Oak Park Mall has so many things to experience and enjoy!
The mall is a two-floor wonderland for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
The Oak Park Mall spans over 1.5 million square feet in a streamlined and modern appearance, housing four department store anchors – Nordstrom, J.C. Penney, Dillard’s, and Macy’s.
Consumers can choose from nearly a dozen different dining options, including everything from fast food to barbecue to Chinese fare, in addition to anything else that might pique your palate for lunch or dinner.
City of Overland Park from Overland Park, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kids love to visit the exclusive American Girl store, the LEGO Store, and the Disney Store.
You can find all their running shoes or apparel at Finish Line and new fashions at EXPRESS or Abercrombie & Fitch.
Microsoft is a great go-to brand for computer geeks, too – they’ve got 20 brick-and-mortar locations around the world.
There is a beautiful variety in Oak Park Mall: from fashion and jewelry to books and natural cosmetics; there is something for everyone!
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
The Farmers’ Market in Overland Park is one of the oldest in Kansas!
It’s the ideal destination for those looking to purchase high-quality, fresh produce.
The market has been around for over three decades, but it has never lost its importance.
Nor has it lost touch with its mission statement – to bring together local farmers to sell their produce directly to customers who visit the market.
The produce isn’t just grown regionally – many growers come from nearby communities as well, so you know they are trustworthy and reliable!
There’s even a taste test stall located on-site just outside the main entrance where cooks offer you samples of their dishes or drinks.
Live music performances are also held on the occasion, helping to make it one of the most successful markets in the region.
CiEll / Shutterstock.com
Kansas City’s Arabia Steamboat Museum is a fitting tribute to one of the most famous fairs held there during this period.
The river workers accidentally discovered the 1856 time capsule while digging the Missouri River in 1987.
The museum now houses the world’s most extensive collection of frontier supplies of that same year.
Ian Peter Morton / Shutterstock.com
They tell visitors the story of this exciting period in history by displaying items from their time capsule and telling stories about that period.
You can schedule a guided tour of the attraction, which takes about an hour and a half.
A docent will brief you on all that you need to know.
A visit to iFLY, an indoor skydiving facility, means there’s sure to be an experience to remember.
This experience isn’t like the usual skydiving activity of jumping out of a plane and the equipment that goes with it, such as parachutes and harnesses.
That’s why it feels more like flying than falling.
You’ll glide, soar, and twist in the air with no parachute, jump, or connection back to Earth beneath your feet.
You get to do this independently on a horizontal wind tunnel where you stand upright with minimal assistance and fly.
That makes for a highly safe form of skydiving which anyone can enjoy without experience or long wait times.
You’ll immediately feel like a superhero as you walk away from your first class session, having some serious bragging rights!
EQRoy / Shutterstock.com
When you visit the Museum at Prairiefire, you’ll discover the best of this region through pride-worthy local history exhibits and awe-inspiring technology shows.
The building features a variety of rooms with themes designed to engage young children, such as in the Discovery Room.
You will also find the Great Hall layout that features appropriate tech showings that are information-based or event entertaining.
Be amazed by a gigantic replica of the Tyrannosaurus Rex guarding the entrance of the Museum at Prairiefire.
S Becker / Shutterstock.com
The Museum at Prairiefire also offers a VR Experience that allows you to venture into space or even explore beneath the sea’s waves.
And if you’re traveling with a tamer crowd, check out its collection of traveling exhibitions to broaden your horizons!
The building itself comes with a design that uses transparent material that allows people to see the internal “fire” from outside.
What’s more, is that NASA was behind the building’s unique Diachronic glass design.
When exiting the building, you might want to take a photo of the Museum at Prairiefire in front of you.
EQRoy / Shutterstock.com
The American Royal Museum and Visitors Center has a lot of great exhibits, both interactive and hands-on!
If you’d like to know more about farming in Kansas and its history, several tour options are available for you.
You can take an interactive historical tour with local staff members who know their way around the museum maze, showing you all of the deliciously interactive photos along the way.
You can enjoy this wonderful place and see many things there, including your favorite wild animals and the ones you know less about, such as a rodeo exhibit.
There’s also one escape room where you can compare your weight with those of steers, chickens, and hogs.
You should most certainly not pass up the opportunity to visit this wonderful place if you visit Overland Park.
And be ready to learn more about what it was like for so many years back in pioneer days!
OverlandParkCC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In November 2002, Overland Park Convention Center began serving the community.
Located in downtown Overland Park, the property spans 26 acres.
The Overland Park Convention Center has more than 60 original works of art and cutting-edge communication technology.
OverlandParkCC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Convention Center is a 254,000-square-foot building with an exhibit hall spanning 60,000 square feet linking the Edwin C. Eilert Ballroom.
It also features a 15,000-square-foot conference room space.
Every year, the Overland Park Convention Center hosts a wide variety of fantastic artisan exhibits and seasonal events you must not miss.
A stunning curving wall of the KWVA Memorial, dedicated to the Korean War’s missing and dead, lies at the intersection of 119th Street and Lowell.
Privately contributed memorial paving stones, accessible through the Chapter, are placed along the route between the black marble seats and the memorial wall.
The site’s granite formations symbolize the battlefields of Korea.
The memorial’s 38 steles at its entry represent the 38th parallel, which separates the Korean peninsula.
The Kansas City area’s Korean community has been incredibly supportive of this endeavor.
Lewis & Shirley White Theatre, also known as The White Theater, is Kansas City’s cutting-edge community theater for the performing arts.
The White Theatre, a non-profit organization, hosts broadway shows, theatrical productions, once-in-a-lifetime events, and educational programs.
In the stunning White Theatre, you and your loved ones can always find something exciting to watch.
The White Theatre is a showcase for cutting-edge performances in a wide range of art forms, including those of renowned musicians and dancers and actors, and readers.
Enjoy Kansas City’s best concerts, productions, and performances at this state-of-the-art theater.
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
Aubrey Vineyards has earned a name for producing high-quality wines in the Midwest.
Subtle balancing acts between individual taste components show the fruit’s most outstanding qualities.
The 35-acre Vineyard and Winery estate started when a family from Johnson County purchased 200 acres of property in Overland Park’s southern neighborhood.
So far, the family has planted nine varieties of grapes on more than 12 acres of the vineyard.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the scenic journey past the vineyard provides a welcome reprieve.
Beyond the expansive grape setting reminiscent of Napa is its tasting room.
The large patio is perfect for outdoor entertainment, with various seating arrangements illuminated by string lights.
When you enter its tasting room, a charming fusion of modern elegance and rustic charm, complemented by stunning vistas, welcomes you.
Over 15 wine varieties are available, in addition to a daily tasting of three or five samples.
Located in the heart of downtown Overland Park, Kansas, Petersons Antiques has been owned and operated by Lloyd and Wilma Peterson for over 35 years.
They have the help of two generations of family members and four experienced and capable staff.
Petersons Antiques aims to provide Kansas City with the finest selection of American antique furniture.
Petersons Antiques also provides its clientele with the finest professional furniture restoration services.
Petersons Antiques offers a wide variety of antiques, including but not limited to furniture, clocks, glassware, lamps, china, pottery, toys, collectibles, and miscellaneous items.
Whether you’re traveling to Overland Park as a family, a couple, or all by yourself, Overland Park will keep you occupied.
You can go skydiving, hang out at museums, or watch live theater performances!
Or how about enjoying the outdoors?
Ride a bicycle around town or explore some of the beautiful trails that are available; follow one through for a while, and you’ll be sure to turn up at other new exciting attractions, such as a state park or someone’s private estate!
Or, you could pay the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens a visit if you like.
And if that’s not exhilarating enough for you – why not go hot air ballooning over the city with your family or friends?
Not only does it grant you an incredible scenic view from above, but it also comes with a nice bottle of champagne to share on the air!
Best Things to Do in Olathe, KS
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
