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So many FREE and Cheap Winter Activities
in Downtown Kansas City to enjoy.
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Hop on the FREE streetcar for PART 1 of this series
Discover all the DEALS along the way!
First things First…
Where to Park for
FREE or Cheap?
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Time to Pull Out All the
Stops…Well…
Let’s Start with 4 Stops
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Ready for
FREE, Cheap, Food & Fun!
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🌲🛍️ Merry Market – 5th & Walnut – FREE Admission, Saturdays & Sundays – November – December from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – with live music, local artists, farmer’s market, and a variety of foods and drinks to choose from! Easily accessible from any of the three KC River Market Streetcar stops.
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🍔 City Market Diner – 300 Grand Blvd. – open 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. For those dining before riding the streetcar, try the 2 eggs, meat, & toast for $9.45 or for lunch, a burger for under $10 (sides are extra). For those living in the River Market area click on “Tasty Rewards” in the website to earn 10% off online orders. There is also a link to “sign up for deals” if you are planning ahead.
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🏛️Steamboat Arabia – 400 Grand Blvd. – Closing for good November 2026, so you may want to splurge and checkout this amazing museum of the largest single collection of pre-Civil war artifacts that were discovered in a cornfield by nearby Parkville from a sunken steamboat. Children 4-14, $6.50, Adults, $16.50, and seniors, $15.50. M-Sat – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sundays 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Historic information listed on Clio or download the Clio App.
📜FREE History Scavenger Hunt with the Clio App – Old Square Historical Marker – 400 Grand Blvd. – Learning about history is not only free, it is also a fun way to spend time with family and learn about your hometown area or if visiting, learn about another city. This app along with the Clio website offers a very cheap and interesting way to spend your day learning about the history of Kansas City. Clio offers many other tours in the Kansas City area along with many other cities throughout the United States for FREE. Look in between the City Market entrance and the Steamboat Arabia entrance to find the historical marker. Download the Clio app on your phone.
🍺⚽ Strang Days Brewery– 316 Oak Street – about a block over from the Streetcar stop. This craft taproom with a loyal soccer fan following has art-inspired cans of ever changing choices of brews. Check out their website for events and discounts. Thursday nights are trivia nights.
🕹️Double Tap – 310 Oak Street – Right next door to Strang Days Brewery – Virtual Reality Games and Virtual Reality Escape Rooms, traditional arcade games and deals! Board games and tacos on Taco Tuesdays, $2.50 Beef or Veggie Double Decker Tacos, $3.50 Chicken Double Decker Tacos, $4 House Margaritas, $3.50 Mexican Beers. Wednesday Wings & Trivia Night with $1.25/wing, $15 surprise buckets, and $5 Missouri Bombs. Mondays, $9 Burger, draft, & a shot. Karaoke Fridays, $4 Select Drafts, $4 Quirk Cans, $4 NÜTRL, $5 Florida Bombs, 
Power Hour (10–11PM): $3 Shots!
🖼️Go on a Mural Scavenger Hunt – 310 Oak Street– painted during the SpraySeeMo Mural Festival, this “untitled mural” was created by Arsek & Erase, two Bulgarians with a vision of encompassing what makes up Kansas with corn, a water tower & a crazed pig. Seems spot on and looks like a wild video game, perfectly situated next to a gaming hang out.
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🥡 Chinatown Food Market – 202 Grand Blvd. – A free experience to look around and discover food from different cultures (and maybe find something interesting to try). It started as an Asian food market. Now this large super market caters to Chinese, Vietnamese Korean, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, African, and Mexican palates. M-Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
🍺River Bluff Brewery -201 Main #101 – 🎵 Music Bingo – 7-9 p.m. – FREE every Wednesday – located a block from the streetcar in an early 1900’s fire station that housed wagons, donkeys, and water.
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🕹️ Level One Gaming – 400 Grand Blvd. Suite #420 – A gamer’s delight and a fun place to look around with events throughout the week. Trading card game ($10) and roll playing game events along with learning how to paint miniature figures ($10). Not a gamer and maybe you want to learn. Try out a beginner’s Dungeons & Dragon’s Tuesday game night.
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🖼️”I 💖 the River Market” Mural (3rd & Walnut) – by Dani Roma, Tony, & Ellie the Art Pup – is meant to be an interactive mural. So eat the pizza, play with the Corgi, hold the coffee cup, and lick (well…pretend to lick) the ice cream. Another mural to find!
📜FREE History Scavenger Hunt (Cont’d) with the Clio App – Pearl Hill & Early Kansas City (3rd & Walnut Street) – Believe it or not, there used to be bluffs located in this area of downtown Kansas City. Pearl Hill was a very wealthy place to live at the time. Learn more and see pictures on the Clio website about this area in the late 1800’s when Kansas City was discovered. Look for the “City Market” sign or the “I love RM” mural while riding the streetcar. This is the area where Pearl Hill was located.
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🛍️🌲Merry Market – 5th & Walnut – FREE Admission, Saturdays & Sundays – November – December from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – with live music, local artists, farmer’s market, and a variety of foods and drinks to choose from! Easily accessible from any of the three KC River Market Streetcar stops.
🧩Breakout KC – 114 W 3rd #102 – 7 Escape Rooms – discounted price M-Thursdays, $30 a person. Cheaper than regular price and fun! There’s also a kid experience room for those age 7-14. A very short walk from the 4th & Delaware streetcar stop.
For those History Buffs Like Me, there’s this Building!
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📜FREE History Scavenger Hunt (Cont’d) with the Clio App – At the corner of 3rd & Delaware, you may catch a glance of the white writing on a large red brick building off in the distance with the words “William Volker & Co.”, a furniture business that made a fortune @ 3rd & Main. Why is this important? Well… if you have a chance, read about William Volker; what an amazing man. He was a business man, but more importantly a philanthropist who did so much for the people of Kansas City. His legacy lives on in the University of Kansas, Liberty Memorial, the Nelson and more importantly, in the hearts of the countless people he helped throughout his life. Pictures and more history on Clio. Download the app here.
🍺🏈311 Delaware – Block 15 Tavern & Exchange – Sports Bar – located in the lower level of the Ebenezer Building, this drinks only bar is lively, has lots of tv’s, and a lot of drink specials. Happy hour 5-8 p.m. and daily specials. Open Wed – Sunday.
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📜FREE History Scavenger Hunt (Cont’d) with the Clio App – Pacific House – 401 Delaware – As you get off, ride by, or wait for a ride on the streetcar, history is just steps away. The Pacific House was used by the Union as a headquarters during the Civil War. It also served as a hotel for many decades and now it is home to loft-style apartments. Find out more and see pictures on Clio.
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🪴rOOTS KC – 412 Delaware – The family name is “Oots”, hence the name “rOOTS”. When it is cold outside, what better way to warm up then to be surrounded by green plants. Drop by rOOTS and enjoy the atmosphere and maybe take home a green friend. There are some plants listed on their website for under $10. Open until 7 p.m. (Sundays, closed at 6 p.m.) so swing back by on the streetcar to pick up your green friend before they close so you don’t have to carry your cheery winter plant around and it stays warm. They are closed on Tuesdays.
🍕 Il Lazzarone – 412-A Delaware – Neapolitan pizza. Happy hour $6 Marinara pizzas and $6 Margaritas, 20% off all drinks.
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☕ Thou Mayest – 412-B Delaware – serves up coffee, tea, hot chocolate and more in a quaint and cozy atmosphere. They also sell coffee beans. This is a very, very short walk from the streetcar stop so it may be worth it to pay the $5 – $7 for a cup of well made coffee as a treat on a cold winter’s day. Word has it, it can get pretty busy sometimes, so it must be good! If you don’t like coffee, there’s ice cream next door. 10% off drip coffee with a reusable mug. Thinking ahead, sign up for exclusive offers (bottom of website).
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🍨Betty Rae’s Ice Cream – 412-D Delaware – with 9 locations around the KC Metro Area and 4 more coming in 2026, you may already have tried the yummy ice cream served at Betty Rae’s. If you haven’t already signed up for their rewards, here is the link. Who says ice cream isn’t good during the winter months? Not me!
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🖼️ JT Daniels Mural Art – 412 Delaware – Bright and vibrant, check out the difference the mural made on the side of the building to add interest and color and invite customers in to enjoy some ice cream. The artist has other murals in the River Market area. Find more 🖼️ on this post. All part of the FREE Mural Scavenger Hunt!
🍔Car 551 – 426 Delaware – how about eating on an old-fashioned 1947 streetcar after riding the new KC Streetcar? Look no further than Car 551. They are serving up brunch deals for $10 and under. The lunch sandwiches are $17 and under and include chips and a drink. Try some cheesecake for dessert or gooey butter cake. I couldn’t find the dinner menu on their Facebook page. I hope it’s posted soon. The food looks delicious with generous portions!
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🖼️José Faus, Jesus Ortiz, and Alisha Gambino Mural Art – 115 W. 5th St., KCMO – Lewis & Clark Expedition, 1804 – located on the west side of the River Market Antiques Building. Enjoy the mural scavenger hunt and looking through the 30,000 square feet of antiques.
🖼️ The building across the street has “The Wolf Pack” Mural – you can discover more murals with this mural tour.
Streetcar Stop #3: KCMO, River Market (5th & Walnut)
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🌲Merry Market– 5th & Walnut – FREE Admission, Saturdays & Sundays – November – December from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – with live music, local artists, farmer’s market, and a variety of foods and drinks to choose from! Easily accessible from any of the three KC River Market Streetcar stops.
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🍕Minsky’s – 427 Main – M-F 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lunch Specials, $7.99 slice of pizza, side salad and a drink. Featured & Weekly lunch special slices ranging from $3.59 – $3.99. Happy Hour M-F 3-6 p.m. with 50% off select food items with the purchase of a drink. $4 domestic drafts, $5 premium & craft drafts, well drinks, & wine. Join the VIP club to keep “in the know” about special offers.
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☕Dragonfly Tea Zone – 409 Main – Download the app and receive a free large bubble tea or smoothie just for signing up. In the mood for something warm? There is also hot tea, coffee, and lattes available. Make sure to earn rewards by having the QR code on the app scanned when ordering.
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🍖Pigwich – 20 E. 5th – open 11 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. – Large selection of handcrafted sandwiches from locally sourced ingredients, most $10 & under. Sign up for their newsletter for upcoming events and exclusive offers. (pop-up on home page). Featured on Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives with Coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs. Stop in next door at the Local Pig and shop a large selection of fresh meat as the main course for dinner at home.
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🍭The Candy Wizard – 400 Grand Blvd. #4 – Large selection of candies ranging from taffy, rock candy, chocolate, to sugar free options. There is also a large selection of local souvenirs. This could be a cheap place to stop for a small treat for the kids and for yourself. Also a fun place to browse while staying warm. Who knows, you might also find a unique souvenir like I did!
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👨🍳Brown & Loe – 429 Walnut – Happy Hour 3-6 p.m., M-F, with drink and food selections priced $10 and under. Built in 1920 as a former bank, Brown & Loe Produce operated out of the 2nd floor. The restaurant continues to be loyal to area farmers by serving ingredients sourced locally.
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👨🍳Enzo – 20 E. 5th – 20% off selected small plates, wines by the glass, beer, & well cocktails from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tues-Sat for happy hour.
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☕🍔Opera House Coffee & Food Emporium– 500 Walnut – This place has it all! Daily specials at great prices, right next to the streetcar stop, lots of menu choices, and history to boot (see the Gillis Opera House history below)! All the specials come with a side and drink for $10.99. Monday – Hamburger, Tuesday -Tacos, Wednesday – Wings, Thursday – Gyro, Friday – Philly. Sign up for Oh! Rewards and get 15% your first meal as soon as you sign up. Minimum $20 purchase for 15% off. Happy hour M-F, 3-6 p.m. with $2 off cocktails, $1 off shots and beers, and 25% off appetizers.
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📜FREE History Scavenger Hunt (Cont’d) with the Clio App – Gillis Opera House – 500 Walnut – It should be no surprise that the burgeoning “River Quay” area as it was referred to back in the day with the wealthy elite building houses on Pearl Hill wanted entertainment. Built in 1883 at the bequest of Mary Gillis Troost, the niece of William Gillis, one of the four original fourteen founders of Kansas City, stated in her will to have the Opera House built (1883). An unexplained explosion occurred in 1925 and the current building was built in its place with a small theatre with retail and office space. More pics and information on the Clio tour. You can also download the Clio app.
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🌮528 Walnut – KC Taco Company – Happy Hour 3-6 p.m. M-F and all day Wednesdays – beer, margaritas, & sangrias. A two minute walk from the 5th & Walnut streetcar stop.
🍺🏒The Blue Line – 529 Walnut – A hockey and sports bar – $3.50 wells & domestic drafts, $5 margaritas and wine, $2.75 tacos, during Happy Hour, M-F, 3-6 p.m. and daily specials throughout the week for $9.99 and under. A short two minute walk from the streetcar.
🍺Harry’s Country Club – 112 E. Missouri – Happy hour drinks $9 and under and country club snacks $11 & under, M-F, 3-6 p.m.
Streetcar Stop #4: KCMO, Downtown (North Loop – 7th & Main)
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Disclaimer: The venues listed below, except for the “Muse of Missouri Fountain” are NOT along Main Street and are weather permitting venues to visit within a short walk of the North Loop streetcar stop.
🚗After you cross over the highway from the River Market you are now officially downtown in the North Loop where Delaware Street merges with Main Street. This might be where you parked in one of the free lots listed above.
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👻🎵🍸 302 W. 8th – From the North Loop, if the weather permits, take a 5 minute walk (west) to enjoy “The Phoenix” located in the KC garment district in the old Phoenix Hotel. Formerly the Valerius Saloon est. 1888 by Frank Valerius and sold to a tenant, Madame Linna Laws, a lady of the night, in 1920 who kept the bar, but rented rooms upstairs. It transformed in the 90’s to a music and restaurant venue hosting live music, happy hour 4-6 p.m., and a 👻 few ghost stories. Happy hour drinks are $6 and weekly specials.
🍝🍷 Anthony’s Restaurant & Lounge, 701 Grand Blvd – $5 Happy Hour, Tues-F 3-6 p.m., food, wine, & well drinks. A 5-minute walk to the east if the outside elements cooperate.
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♟️🍺 Pawn & Pint – $7 Board game entry – 613 Walnut – 3 minute walk – check out the calendar for trivia, puzzle, Dungeon & Dragons, paint n’ takes, family fun days and much more!
📜 KC is known as the City of Fountains so it seems fitting that there is a fountain located on Main Street. Between 8th and 9th street is the “Muse of Missouri Fountain” or also known as the David Woods Kemper Memorial. Dedicated December 2, 1962 by James Sr. & Gladys Woods from the wealthy Kemper/Commerce Bank family to their son who died in WWII. Learn more and see pictures on the free Clio history website or download the app here. Free Fountain Scavenger Hunt.
📜 FREE History Scavenger Hunt (Cont’d) with the Clio App – There is a lot of history on this slice of green space on main street where the “Muse of Missouri Fountain” is located. If you have not noticed, (which I didn’t until reading about the history), there are not many place for a median on such a busy street in the downtown area.
So why is there a median in the middle of Main Street and why does Delaware Street merge with Main Street? It is because up until the 1950’s, Delaware Street and Main Street were two different streets; the green space where the fountain is use to be the heart of the city called “The Junction” and a the Vaughn Diamond Building stood here between both streets. The pictures on Clio are very cool to look at and to take a trip back in time where this point on the map was “the place to be” in Kansas City
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PRO SAVING TIPS
- ✔️ Plan ahead for your visit to save time and money.
- ✨ Sign up for social media alerts and newsletters for exclusive discounts.
- 📱 Check promo codes or apps for special deals before purchasing tickets.
- 🛒 Consider gift card bonuses or bundle passes for additional savings.
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