Hi, all.  Dottie here.  As the end of summer approaches and that “back to school” feeling is in the air, I decided it was a great time to give my family a little history lesson.  If you’ve been following me, you know that I have been to many fascinating historical sites and museums right here in Kansas City, but for those of you who are visiting our city and would like to try a quick day trip, you should check out the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.  Within a short drive from our fantastic hotels, the museum offers a few hours of educational entertainment for all ages.

We started our tour by checking out the 217 foot tower on the Liberty Memorial Deck.  A quick ride up the elevator positions you to take in a panoramic view of the Kansas City skyline.  The sphinxes on the deck are also quite interesting, and symbolize the horrors of the war as well as the unseen future. 

Our next stop was the glass bridge inside the building.  The kids were thrilled to walk over the glass bridge, which spans a field of poppies which represent lives lost in the war.  Our history lesson began with a short but informative movie about WWI, and then we were able to walk through all of the exhibits, which span the years 1914-1919.  The many interactive tables, galleries full of objects from the war, and scenes set up with audio of soldiers make the museum not only educational, but also entertaining. The special exhibit was “Man & Machine: The German Soldier in WWI,” which featured various machines of the war.  The exhibition runs through 2011, but there are many other activities and special events coming up as well. 

Of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the museum store, which had reasonably priced souvenirs, and the museum café, where we bought candy bars that were popular during WWI.  All in all, we had a very enjoyable day at the WWI Museum and we plan on returning for their next exhibit.  I’ll see you there!

-Dottie