We’ve been to Kansas City before, but this was our first time fully exploring Overland Park — and it’s safe to say…we fell in love! Several times during our trip I found myself saying, “How am I going to fit everything I want to do into our time here?! We already need to come back!”
From beautiful parks and hands-on attractions to amazing food and genuinely kind people, Overland Park made for such a great family getaway. One of the best parts? It’s only about three hours from us in Northwest Arkansas, making it an easy weekend road trip.
Whether your family loves being outside exploring nature or prefers indoor fun and interactive activities, there are so many things to do in Overland Park. Here are a few of our favorite spots from our recent trip!
Where to Stay:
Marriott Kansas City Overland Park
We absolutely loved staying here. The hotel felt clean, safe, comfortable, and very family-friendly. One of the biggest highlights for our family of five was discovering they offer double king rooms — I honestly didn’t even know those existed, and it made SUCH a difference for us. They have an indoor/outdoor pool, gym, and easy parking. The location was also convenient to many of the attractions we visited throughout the weekend.
Family-friendly Attractions:
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead
We had such a dreamy morning spent at this attraction. If we lived nearby, we would absolutely become members here. Families can bottle-feed baby goats, fish with old-fashioned cane poles, mine for gold, race pedal tractors, watch a cow be milked, ride a horse-drawn wagon, watch a real-life blacksmith, and explore the farmstead grounds. You could easily spend an entire day here. Don’t ask me how many bottles we bought to feed the baby goats because honestly… I lost count. This ended up being one of our favorite stops because there is so much to do, and it’s incredibly affordable for families. Admission is only $5, and children ages 2 and under are free. Activities like feeding goats, mining for gold, and fishing are available at an additional low cost.
Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
We had such a beautiful afternoon exploring the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens! The biggest highlight for our family was definitely the Train Garden. My son completely lit up watching the trains travel over bridges, through tunnels, and around the interlocking tracks. He could have stayed there forever. The grounds are peaceful, scenic, and perfect for slowing down and enjoying nature together. Don’t miss the colorful Monet Garden while you’re there. This would be a lovely spot to bring a picnic and just enjoy some time in the gardens. Admission is also very affordable, with free admission for children 5 and under, $3 admission for ages 6–17, and $7 admission for adults.
This may be one of the most unique buildings I’ve ever seen. Before we even walked inside, the exterior completely caught our attention. The building is covered in Dichroic glass, which changes colors depending on the angle and sunlight. Fun fact: the material was originally invented by NASA for astronauts to use in outer space. Inside, our kids especially loved the Discovery Room upstairs, which is full of hands-on science exhibits, interactive activities and live animals. Admission is just $5, and children ages 2 and under are free.
The Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City
If you have younger kids, this is a must-visit. It’s similar to the Amazeum but also different enough that it’s worth exploring! Wonderscope features 30,000 square feet of hands-on indoor fun plus outdoor STEAM activities focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The exhibits are incredibly interactive and imaginative. Kids can pretend to grocery shop, serve tables at a restaurant, explore a real treehouse, hop aboard a riverboat, play in transportation-themed exhibits, experiment with water engineering, and create arts and crafts. My son specifically loved that you can climb into a school bus, as well as play and control a train. There were so many thoughtful details throughout the museum, and it’s the kind of place kids could explore for hours.
This was another huge hit with our kids. Strang Park is one of Overland Park’s newest parks and also the city’s first inclusive playground. It’s fully fenced, which made it feel especially stress-free with younger children. My kids asked multiple times if we could go back.
The playground features a 30-foot tower and slide, in-ground trampolines, cargo climbing nets, sensory play areas, and a toddler playground with adorable Farmers Market-themed structures. This is the perfect stop when your kids need to burn off some energy.
Where We Ate
I genuinely wish we could have eaten here multiple times during our trip. Strang Hall is perfect for families because everyone can choose something different. Whether you’re craving pizza, sushi, burgers, tacos, Asian fusion, there are so many options all in one place.
Some of our favorite dishes were the Napa Kale Crunch Salad, Carne Asada Fries, Crispy Brussels Pizza, and Red Curry Chicken Drummies. The patio area is such a fun atmosphere too, with plenty of seating and yard games for the kids.
Flying Cow Gelato
Right next to Strang Hall’s patio is Flying Cow, and it ended up being the perfect dessert stop. Who doesn’t love gelato? The kids loved the birthday cake gelato, while the peanut butter flavor was our favorite. Their gelato is made fresh daily and has a rich, creamy flavor while using less butterfat than traditional ice cream. They also offer toppings from their sister store, Annedore’s Fine Chocolates.
We had such a great breakfast here. They even brought us complimentary biscuits and gravy because it was our first visit, which was such a thoughtful touch. I loved the fresh juices, and the breakfast tacos were so good. Meanwhile, my kids were completely thrilled about the pancake flight. Definitely a fun breakfast spot for families.
McLain’s Market was the perfect start to our morning! This ended up being one of our favorite food stops of the entire trip. Everything we tried was delicious — from the lattes to the pastries to the breakfast options. I especially loved the “girl breakfast,” where you get to try a little bit of everything, and the outdoor kid-friendly area made it even better for families. Make sure to order one of their vanilla cup cookies!
This was such a fun way to end the day as a family. Tap Ins combines food and entertainment with indoor and outdoor mini golf, yard games, and a relaxed atmosphere that works great for both kids and adults. They offer 37 holes of mini golf, and after dinner we spent time hanging out on the patio while the kids played. We had fun switching back and forth between the indoor and outdoor mini-golf courses as well. It’s the kind of place that makes family travel feel easy and fun.
After spending our time in Overland Park, we completely understand why so many families love visiting and living here! There’s such a good mix of outdoor fun, interactive attractions, great food, and family-friendly affordable options — all without feeling overwhelming or overly crowded. It’s the kind of destination where you can stay busy all day, make incredible memories together, and still leave saying, “There’s so much more we want to come back and do.” And for us in Northwest Arkansas, the easy three-hour drive makes it an easy yes!
