2 of the ‘world’s greatest places’ are in Kansas City, Time magazine says. Here’s where
Two of Kansas City’s newest attractions were named a top place to visit by a national magazine.
CPKC Stadium, home of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current, was named one of the 100 world’s greatest places of 2024 by Time magazine. The stadium is the first ever built for the purpose of women’s sports and sits along the Berkley Riverfront.
Joining the stadium on the list is The Rabbit hOle, an interactive children’s literature museum in North Kansas City.
Time magazine’s list featured 100 spots all around the world split into two categories: places to visit and places to stay. Both of Kansas City’s selections, which officially opened on the same week in March, fell under places to visit. The list included hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums and parks.
CPKC Stadium
The $120 million stadium largely funded by private money broke ground in October 2022 and now holds 11,500 fans. Many of the games hosted in its inaugural season have sold out, and the Current have only lost one game this season so far.
Time magazine highlighted the stadium for its world-class facilities, including two grass pitches, a FIFA-approved turf pitch, and dedicated spaces for athletes’ wellness, recovery and weight training. Fans visiting the stadium can enjoy local restaurants like Billie’s Grocery, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Yoli Tortilleria.
“Situated on the banks of the Missouri River, CPKC Stadium is the centerpiece of a transformative development project at the Berkley Riverfront—an $800 million initiative that will eventually include the 118-room Origin Hotel (the first on the city’s riverfront, set to open this month), a new beer garden, an extension of the KC Streetcar, and a riverfront promenade,” Time said.
“CPKC Stadium deserves to be recognized as one of TIME’s World’s Greatest Places,” KC Current President Raven Jemison said in a statement.
The Rabbit hOle
Before being recognized by Time, The Rabbit hOle was named to People magazine’s “25 Things To Eat, See and Do This Summer” list for its interactivity. Nearly every exhibit includes some activity, including several featuring tunnels and spaces to crawl through. On the wall of every exhibit sits a rack of multiple copies of the book for kids to pick up and read.
The building at 919 E. 14th Ave. in North Kansas City — a four-story, 150,000-square-foot former warehouse — hosts a labyrinth of 45 different immersive exhibits, each representing a different children’s storybook. Stories featured at The Rabbit hOle include “Alice in Wonderland,” “My Father’s Dragon,” and “Goodnight Moon.”
“Since opening this March, we’ve had more than 60,000 visitors from nearly every state and all over the world,” co-director Pete Cowdin said in a statement. “The Rabbit hOle is unlike anything, anywhere.”
“Kids can crawl, hop, jump, slide, pick up an old-school phone and hear a story, and, of course, curl up with a good book,” Time said. “It’s this setting that sparks the real magic—when a child can pad into the softly lit Goodnight Moon green room, with its floating red balloon and yellow rocking chair, and softly whisper, ‘Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.’”
More of Time’s greatest places
The Kansas City attractions are included on the list with these sites, among others:
- Olivia Foundation in Mexico City
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida
Mt. Cook Lakeside Retreat in Lake Pukaki, New Zealand
Casa Lucia in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ivomo Tea Cooperative in Gisakura, Rwanda
Time magazine is selling copies of their world’s greatest places to visit in 2024 issue for $9.99 before shipping and other fees.
