The Union Station Kansas City is always referred to as a well designed landmark of Kansas City. It plays host to various cultural and entertainment events every year. Covering about 850,000 square feet of land, it is capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people. It's an old train station the history of which can date back to 1914.
Today, you can still catch you train at the Amtrak stop of Union Station Kansas City. But at the same time, the Union Station is also home to Science City. As a result, it becomes a wonderful combination of train station and museum.
Located at 30 West Pershing Road Kansas City, Missouri, the Union Station Kansas City is easily accessible by various transportation tools. If you opt to drive there, parking must be your first concern. Don't worry! It is a breeze to park in this area as there are a number of parking garages and lots located within short walk of the Union Station.
1) The Union Station Parking Garage - This garage is situated on the west side of the Union Station and offers four parking levels. Driving visitors can get into this garage from W. Pershing Road. It's operated by Standard Parking which you can contact by calling 816-471-7275.
As for parking rate, the maximum for daily parking is only 10 dollars. Parking within 30 minutes would be free of charge. After that, it would cost you 1 dollar for every half an hour.
2) The Freight House District Parking Lot - You can find this garage on the north side of the train tracks. Located between Broadway and Main Street, its entrance is placed off Baltimore Street.
3) Hallmark Employee Parking Lot - Driving visitors to the Union Station Kansas City can choose to park in Hallmark Employee parking lots as well. They are located between Gillham Road and Main Street. These parking spaces are available to visitors free of charge.
Street Parking options are also available in this area. Just be patient to find a suitable place for your vehicle. Or you can choose to park at some nearby restaurants or hotels if possible. Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbeque's parking lot is a great option. If you park your vehicle there, it's very convenient to get to the Union Station Kansas City via a skywalk and you even don't need to step outside.
Parking and Public Transportation Information
http://www.unionstation.org/parking.html
Another concern of driving visitors must be directions. To make sure you would not be lost on your way to the Union Station Kansas City, remember to confirm its location and find the best route for you to get there before you head out. If necessary, try to use Google Maps or other tools to get the right directions.
If you're driving from the North, Northwest or the Airport, turn onto I-29 and then continue straight on 169 until it becomes Broadway Street. Go ahead to through the Broadway Bridge and then turn onto Pershing Avenue. Bear to the left when you come across the first stoplight. Then follow signs to drive into the Union Station West Yards Parking Lot. And the Union Station would be on your east side.
As for these who come from the Northeast, it's necessary to head south on I-35. And then go through the river to turn onto the Downtown Loop. Exit 20th Street and bear to the left when you come across Broadway. Then stay straight on Pershing Avenue. And turn left at the first stoplight. Follow signs to enter the Union Station West Yards Parking.
When you drive from the Southeast, remember to take I-71 and keep heading north. Turn onto I-70 or I-670 toward west to get access to the Downtown Loop. Then take I-35 and when you see 20th Street, turn to Broadway. Bear left to get onto Pershing Avenue. Bear to the left at the first stoplight and follow signs to get into the Union Station West Yards Parking.
For visitors from west, it's recommended to head east on I-70 and then turn onto I-670. Keep going south on I-35 until you come across 20th Street. Bear to the left when you see Broadway and then turn to Pershing Avenue. Take the first left turn to park in the Union Station West Yards Parking Lot.
Driving visitors coming from Johnson County need to take I-35 and keep going north until you see Southwest Blvd or Pennway. Stay on Pennway for a while and then turn onto Broadway to Pershing Avenue. Take a left turn at the first stoplight and then follow signs to drive into the Union Station West Yards Parking Lot.
Visitors driving from the east are suggested to stay on I-70 to turn onto I-670. Exit the Downtown Loop to turn onto I-35. Head south on 20th Street and then turn to Broadway. Bear right to Pershing Avenue and then turn left at the first traffic lights and follow signs to find the Union Station West Yards Parking Lot.
For further information and detailed directions, visitors can choose to call 816-460-2020.
If you choose to take public transportation, a few options are offered for you.
1) Bus: As to buses, you can turn to Kansas City's bus system which provides several bus services for this area. Plus, the Metro would make a couple of stops at the Union Station every day. Visit the Metro's official website for detailed information.
Track Buses Information on Metro's Web Site
http://www.kcata.org/
2) Train: Visitors from other cities or even states can try to take advantage of trains. There are at least two trains that would depart for or arrive at the Union Station Kansas City every day. If you live in Chicago or Los Angeles, the Southwest Chief would be your best choice. And travelers from St. Louis, Lees Summit, Sedalia or Jefferson City can utilize the Missouri River Runner which operates between Kansas City and St. Louis.
For More Routes or Schedules Information
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage
3) Taxi: If you've already arrived at some nearby attractions or just accommodated at local hotels, you can also get to the Union Station by taking taxis. Call 816-444-4444 to get in contact with the Checker Cab. For more options, you can call 816-471-5000 to reach out to the Yellow Cab or inquire the Advanced Suburban Taxi by calling 913-209-9393.
Most travelers arriving at the Union Station would be willing to walk around and make a visit to the Science City or experience Model Railroad. If you are interested, keep reading to find more information about these two attractions.
Hours Information: Although the Union Station Kansas City would be open to the public from 6 a.m. until midnight, operation hours of Science City and Model Railroad are different sometimes.
Visitors will be welcome to get into Science City and experience both KC Rail and Model Railroad from January 18th through February 20th as well as on President's Day (February 21st). Plus, these attractions would be available from Noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays and from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays. When it comes to Thursday and Friday, visitors can have a great time from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
However, Science City and KC Rail Experience would be unavailable on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when visitors can only experience the Model Railroad from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Times and dates might be changed for any reason, check the official website to get the latest information.
About Admission: Visitors can get into or out of the Union Station Kansas City building free of charge, but fees do apply to patrons to the attractions.
A trip to Science City would cost you 10 dollars and it takes 7 dollars and 6 dollars to experience KC Rail and Planetarium respectively. Ticket price for Extreme Screen is 8.5 dollars for adults while 7 dollars for seniors and children aged 3 and older.
Free Model Railroad Experience is available for any Union Station ticket holders. Ticket prices for various shows taking place at City Stage would vary by time and date. For detailed information, click the following link to check schedules.
Upcoming Events of City Stage Theatre
http://www.unionstation.org/theater.html
For those who are interested in more than one attraction, there is a method to save on admission. If you've got a ticket for Science City, it would only take you five more dollars to visit every additional attraction like Planetarium, the Extreme Screen or Rail Experience.
Coming in groups of more than 15 people would also give you a chance to save money on admission fees. Just remember to call 816-460-2020 to make a reservation for your group prior to you visit. As for group pricing, you can check the official website for details.
Or you can choose to purchase a membership which can provide you a number of benefits including free admission to all these Kansas City attractions. Plus, members can enjoy discounted ticket to the Theatre. Movie ticket would only cost you 5 dollars.
Hours and Admission Information about Science City, KC Rail and Model Railroad
http://www.unionstation.org/visitorinfo.html
