# Free things to do with kids in Kansas City this week

> Yes, plenty is free with little kids in Kansas City this week: we found ten free outings, including West Wyandotte Library Trunk-or-Treat, Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Overland Park and Kids Create Art: Spooky Crafts, plus seven library programs. Eight free days and events are coming up, including two museum or zoo free days, each with its date. And four places never charge admission, like The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center.

- Last checked: 2026-10-19
- 10 free outings this week; 8 free days and events coming up; 4 always-free places
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/
- Indoor play (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/indoor-play/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/llms.txt

## Free days and free events coming up

- **Crown Center Ice Terrace opening day** at Crown Center Square, Crown Center Square. When: Fri Nov 6. Time: See Crown Center. Price: Free skate on opening day. The rink's season runs through March 14. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Bank of America Museums on Us weekend** at Science City at Union Station, National WWI Museum and Memorial, and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City. When: Sat Nov 7, Sun Nov 8, Sat Dec 5 and Sun Dec 6. Price: Free general admission for Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank cardholders (one per card, with photo ID). Only the cardholder gets in free, so bring the card and an ID. Official page: https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/museums-on-us-partners (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Christmas in the Park** at Longview Lake (starts at Frank White Jr. Softball Complex), 3901 SW Longview Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64081. When: Nov 25 – Dec 31, 2026. Time: 5:30–10 p.m. Sun–Thu; 5:30–11 p.m. Fri–Sat. Price: Free; donations at the exit. 39th year; more than 1 million lights and 200+ animated displays built by Jackson County Parks + Rec. Weeknights early in the season have shorter lines. Official page: https://www.makeyourdayhere.com/Event-Calendar/39th-Annual-Christmas-in-the-Park (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting** at Crown Center Square, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27, 2026. Time: See official page. Price: Free. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/mayors-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa Visits at Destination North Pole** at Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Showplace, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2026. Time: Mon–Thu 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun noon–6 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Price: Free visit; own photos free; professional photo packages from $12. New walk-through candy-cane forest exhibit leads to Santa's village. Indoors. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/santa-visits-destination-north-pole (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa's Arrival at Crown Center** at Crown Center Shops, Grand Boulevard entrance / Atrium, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27, 2026. Time: 10 a.m. (about 15 minutes). Price: Free. Santa arrives by horse-drawn carriage, then heads to Destination North Pole. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/santas-arrival-crown-center (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa's arrival** at Crown Center Square, Crown Center Square. When: Fri Nov 27. Time: See Crown Center. Price: Free. Santa visits continue at Crown Center through Dec. 24. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events (checked 2026-10-18)
- **$5 admission with EBT, WIC or SNAP at Wonderscope** at Wonderscope Children’s Museum. When: Any open day. Price: $5 per person with an EBT, WIC or SNAP card; $10 annual memberships for qualifying families. Official page: https://wonderscope.org/visitor-faqs/ (checked 2026-10-19)

## Free this week

- **West Wyandotte Library Trunk-or-Treat** at West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N 82nd St, Kansas City, KS 66112. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 2pm–4pm. Price: Free library event. Ages: 0–12. The library's annual trunk-or-treat in the east parking lot. Treat bags are provided, costumes are welcome but optional, and it moves inside if the weather turns. Official page: https://www.kckpl.org/event/west-wyandotte-halloween-event-82754 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Overland Park** at Downtown Overland Park, 7950 Marty St, Overland Park, KS 66204. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 2pm–4pm. Price: Free to stroll; treats from district businesses. Ages: 0–12. Costumed kids walk the downtown blocks and collect treats from local shops. Official page: https://www.downtownop.org/events/trick-or-treat-event (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Apple Party at the Main Library** at Kansas City Kansas Public Library – Main Library, 625 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101. When: Sun Oct 25. Time: 2pm–3pm. Price: Free; registration optional. Ages: 3–12. Craft stations for National Apple Month, including beaded pipe-cleaner apples, apple-slice painting and an apple tree to color, plus games. For kids 3 and up with their families. Official page: https://www.kckpl.org/event/apple-party-96764 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Spooky Cottages for Families** at De Soto Library, 33145 W 83rd St, De Soto, KS 66018. When: Thu Oct 22. Time: 4:30pm–5:30pm. Price: Free; registration required. Ages: 4–12. Each family builds and decorates a haunted cottage on a base made by the library's MakerSpace. Official page: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a74b129c7e02e3d006e5018 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Hello/Hola Storytime** at Central Resource Library, 9875 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212. When: Fri Oct 23. Time: 9:30am–10am & 10:30am–11am. Price: Free, drop in. Ages: 0–6. Stories, songs, fingerplays and movement in English and Spanish. Official page: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a74b01dcca66c2f00a8a2e2 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Movin' and Groovin' Rhyme Time (Oak Park)** at Oak Park Library, 9500 Bluejacket St, Overland Park, KS 66214. When: Fri Oct 23. Time: 9:30am–10am & 10:30am–11am. Price: Free, drop in. Ages: 0–5. Songs, classic rhymes and fingerplays for little ones, built to get the whole room moving. Official page: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a74b01acca66c2f00a8a2d4 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (Cedar Roe)** at Cedar Roe Library, 5120 Cedar St, Roeland Park, KS 66205. When: Tue Oct 20. Time: 10am–10:30am. Price: Free, drop in. Ages: 0–6. A flexible storytime with stories and songs for the whole family. Official page: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a74af9988e9bf280035f0c6 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Evening Family Storytime (Shawnee)** at Shawnee Library, 13811 Johnson Dr, Shawnee, KS 66216. When: Tue Oct 20. Time: 6pm–6:30pm. Price: Free, drop in. Ages: 0–6. The same flexible family storytime in an after-work slot. Official page: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a74b0620d65ac360044d286 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Kids sBOOKtacular Party** at Mid-Continent Public Library – Parkville, 8815 Tom Watson Pkwy, Parkville, MO 64152. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 11am–1pm. Price: Free; registration required. Ages: 6–12. An eerie tale, Halloween games, crafts and spooky book picks for kids 6 and up. Costumes are optional. Official page: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/120785/kids-sbooktacular-party (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Kids Create Art: Spooky Crafts** at Mid-Continent Public Library – Riverside, 4510 NW Gateway Ave, Riverside, MO 64150. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 11am–noon. Price: Free; registration required (register children only). Ages: 6–12. A Halloween craft hour for kids 6 and up, with all supplies provided. Official page: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/120330/kids-create-art-spooky-crafts (checked 2026-10-19)

## Always free

- **The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art**, Midtown. A free art museum with a sculpture park. Official page: https://nelson-atkins.org (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center**, 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110. Free, with exhibits and short trails. Official page: https://mdc.mo.gov/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Lakeside Nature Center**, 4701 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132. Free, and an easy add-on to a Zoo day. Official page: https://lakesidenaturecenter.org/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Loose Park**, 5200 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64112. Free, with a pond to walk around and lawns to run on. Official page: https://kcparks.org/places/loose-park/ (checked 2026-10-18)

## Free library storytimes

- **Mid-Continent Public Library and Johnson County Library**: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Baby, toddler and preschool storytimes at branches across the metro, with many branches on both sides of the state line. Calendar: https://www.mymcpl.org/

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### What’s free to do with kids in Kansas City this weekend?
This week we found ten free outings for ages 0–6, including West Wyandotte Library Trunk-or-Treat, Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Overland Park, Kids Create Art: Spooky Crafts and Apple Party at the Main Library. See [free this week](https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/#this-week); the list is rebuilt every Thursday.

### Are there free museum or zoo days in Kansas City?
Bank of America Museums on Us weekend: Sat Nov 7, Sun Nov 8, Sat Dec 5 and Sun Dec 6. $5 admission with EBT, WIC or SNAP at Wonderscope: Any open day ($5 per person with an EBT, WIC or SNAP card; $10 annual memberships for qualifying families). Dates come from each venue’s own page; see [free days and free events](https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/#free-days).

### What free holiday events are there for kids in Kansas City?
Christmas in the Park, Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting, Santa Visits at Destination North Pole and Santa's Arrival at Crown Center are free this season. Dates and times are on each card under [free days and free events](https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/#free-days).

### Where can we go for free any day in Kansas City?
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Lakeside Nature Center and Loose Park don’t charge admission. Some charge for parking or special exhibits; the cards say so where the place does.

### Are library storytimes free in Kansas City?
Yes. Mid-Continent Public Library and Johnson County Library runs free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Times change by branch, so check the calendar linked below.

### How do you check these free listings?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 19, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday for dated events and once a month for free places. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).