Kansas City has, for a long time, be a central point for adventure-seekers. Mayor Vital James has been a longtime advocate for the queer community, and the city follows suit in its lively bar culture, down-to-earth feel, and air of possibility. We’ve curated the best of local queer to-dos so you can experience the city authentically and make the most out of your Pride season.
STAY
Hotel Indigo Kansas City Downtown
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101 West 11th Street | Kansas City, MO | 64105
(816) 213-8000
Renovated from a 1930s-era building featuring a 12-story tower that used to be home to train offices, the decor is a reminder of Kansas’ railway past. Stay in the heart of prohibition-era speakeasy town and the city’s rich history. Near to the Crossroads Arts District, this area is an enclave for galleries, bars, films, boutiques, and other buzz-worthy parts of Kansas culture.
EAT
3756 Broadway Blvd | Kansas City, MO | 64111
(816) 931-2482
This is the best come-down spot (or come-up spot, really) for many local queer folks after a long night out. The homey 24-hour diner features your favorites like breakfast omelette specials and pancakes, but also southern classics like biscuits, chicken-n-waffles, and a prime rib breakfast burrito.
SEE
1616 E 18th St. | Kansas City, MO | 64108
(816) 474-8463
The American Jazz Museum is a largely under-appreciated national treasure. They host frequent performances, rich programming, and frequently spotlight your favorite queer black women in Jazz like Gladys Bentley, Bessie Smith, and Ethel Waters.
GO
1809 Grand Blvd | Kansas City, MO | 64108
(816) 215-2954
This new addition to Kansas’ jazz club scene used to be a bar with many lives: a queer-crowding dance scene, then a swinger’s paradise, an underground sex club, a hip-hop spot, until it finally shuttered. This casual reimagining of the space has brought the queer crowd back in with stiff drinks, good jazz, and never a cover charge.
DO
Kansas City Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
4050 Pennsylvania Avenue | Kansas City, M0 | 64111
(816) 200-2059
June 21st - 28th
This 19th annual event spotlights the best and brightest of Kansas City’s arts scene, and some of the best queer film in the Midwest. Nab tickets, get some popcorn, and hop around the festival to support budding queer voices.
The businesses listed are independent of Hotel Indigo and no endorsement or affiliation is intended or implied.
