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America's only World War I museum to reopen
In a world filled with explosions and evildoers, America needs a good war museum.
It's getting one -- old but impressive nevertheless -- on May 25, when The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO, reopens for business.
The Liberty Memorial and its 217-foot-tall Eternal Flame tower were dedicated in 1921. 200,000 people reportedly attended the ceremonies. By 1994, however, the place was falling apart, nobody was visiting, and the buildings were finally closed out of fear that parts of them would fall down and kill the few people who bothered to show up (which included us: we especially liked the walk-thru replica WWI trench with battle sound effects.)
Times have changed and, after a $45 million restoration, the folks who run the Liberty Memorial have high hopes that it will be a hot ticket once again. Its collection of World War One memorabilia is so vast that it can't be exhibited even in the restored 1921 structure, so an additional $45 million will be spent on a huge underground -- bombproof -- addition that will add 32,000 square feet to the Memorial's display space by 2004.
The Memorial's rededication ceremony will include replica World War One dog tags for attendees and a relighting of the Eternal Flame atop the tower.
America's few surviving WWI veterans are all over 100 years old.
[05/19/2002]Liberty Memorial Tower
- Address:
- 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO
- Directions:
- South side of downtown. Look for the concrete Liberty Memorial Tower. I-35 or I-70 to the Broadway exit. South on Broadway, then left on Pershing Road. Right on Kessler Road to the Liberty Memorial Tower and Museum.
- Hours:
- Daily 10-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 816-888-8100
- Admission:
- Adults $16.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
It is great, but the museum is even better. Have an afternoon available to see everything in the museum. It is free entry, but they do take donations.
[Kim Clark, 12/03/2013]World's Largest Shuttlecocks:- Address:
- 4525 Oak St., Kansas City, MO
- Directions:
- I-70 to I-670. I-670 exit 2Q (McGee St.). Head south on Main St. almost four miles. Left onto Brush Creek Blvd, then quick left onto Oak St. The Shuttlecocks are widely spaced across the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art grounds.
- Phone:
- 816-561-4000
We went to see these, and they're pretty awesome. My husband was upset that we paid $5 to park at the "free" art museum, so we decided to go in. It is a wonderful museum. Lots of great collections and pieces. Worth the trip!
[Connie, 08/07/2013]I have to take exception with the assertion that "Shuttlecocks" is in "bad taste" and that critics hate them. ART critics love them. People with narrow, mistaken, ideas about what makes art hate them. Pop art isn't for everyone. At the least, "Shuttlecocks" is very important work by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, arguably the most important Pop Art sculptors in the world.
[Hugh Williams, 09/02/2005]- Kansas City, Missouri - World's Largest Shuttlecocks
The Nelson-Atkins Museum has balls, er, birdies for this one. In a very daring move, they installed a number of monstrous badminton shuttlecocks on the museum grounds. Each "birdie" is eighteen feet tall and weighs two and a half tons. Critics hate them saying they are in bad taste. Bad taste, the perfect ingredient for a roadside attraction!
[Frank Brusca, 06/10/2002]
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April 2006 - Photo added.