Pedestrians stroll past an Easter bunny sculpture named Bess along West 47th Street at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025.
Emily Curiel
ecuriel@kcstar.com
Few humans live past 100 years old, but what about bunnies?
For the soft, furry kind, their lifespans are relatively short. They may be lucky to hop around for 10 years. If you’re thinking about the sculpted bunnies that can be found every Easter at Kansas City’s Country Club plaza, they’ve hit the centenarian mark already and are still going strong.
Each spring, the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City welcomes the return of the iconic Easter bunnies, a group of nine, six-foot-tall, 200-pound, fiberglass-coated figures that add a unique springtime charm to the area’s street corners and sidewalks.
For more than a century, these Plaza Easter bunnies have been a familiar sight, eliciting reactions ranging from amazement to amusement, and even a touch of fear, as they emerge for the season. Early in their lives, the sculptures had red light bulbs in place for their eyes which lent a certain “creep factor” to their presence. Their eyes are no longer light bulbs but they still have a red tinge to them.
The Plaza Easter bunnies at one time had red light bulbs for their eyes. Those were replaced but some people still think their eyes are eerie. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
The iconic Plaza bunnies weren’t always Plaza fixtures. The bunnies date back to 1922, when they were created for a display at the Crestwood Shops on 55th Street and Brookside Boulevard.
One of the Easter bunnies stood outside of Crown Drug Store in the Crestwood Shops in 1922. The bunnies were originally constructed of plaster of Paris, chicken wire and horse hair. The original sculptures are now protected with a fiberglass coating. State Historical Society of Missouri
As in year past, the bunnies are displayed with the Wonderland Animals, a collection of cartoonish animal sculptures that came on the scene in the 1970s. See a map of the bunnies’ locations.
An Easter bunny sculpture casts a shadow on a wall at the Country Club Plaza. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
As Easter approaches, they remain a beloved tradition on the Plaza. This year, this “fluffle” (one of the collective nouns for bunnies) will take their place at the Plaza from March 24 to April 20.
One-year-old Arielle Melendez plays beside Amy, an Easter bunny sculpture, along West 47th Street at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
In a nostalgic move, The Star recently photographed the Plaza bunnies and are presenting them here in black and white photographs along with photos from historical archives. Maybe they’re a little less scary in black and white? Check out these bunnies that were likely enjoyed by your grandparents or even your great-grandparents.
A visitor entering the Cheesecake Factory glances at an Easter bunny sculpture named Peter at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
A group of children stands near an Easter bunny statue at Crestwood Shops in 1923. The bunnies were on display outside the Crestwood Shops for nine years before moving to their long-time home on Country Club Plaza. State Historical Society of Missouri
Nicolas, an Easter bunny sculpture, is displayed along Mill Creek Parkway at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
An Easter bunny is placed in the small triangular park in front of the Country Club Plaza Theater in 1951. The State Historical Society of Missouri
Kate and Brian, a pair of Easter bunny sculptures, greet visitors outside Seasons 52 along Ward Parkway at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
An Easter bunny surrounded by eggs in one of the bunnies’ first years on Country Club Plaza. The State Historical Society of Missouri
Amy, an Easter bunny sculpture, is displayed along West 47th Street at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Easter Bunny “Kate”, located in the courtyard on northeast corner of Ward Parkway and Broadway, in 1989. Kansas City Public Library
Two Easter bunny sculptures are displayed along Wyandotte Street outside the Cheesecake Factory at the Country Club Plaza on Monday, April 14, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
Emily Curiel, is a visual journalist at The Star. With a broad scope of coverage, Curiel navigates subjects including breaking news, sports, features and long-form narratives. She is a first-generation graduate from San Francisco State University and a native of Los Angeles.
