National WWI Museum and Memorial

About

The National WWI Museum and Memorial sits beneath and around the Liberty Memorial, a stone tower that opened in 1926 on a rise south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The museum's Main Gallery holds the permanent exhibition The World War, 1914-1919, reached by crossing the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge over a field of 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 of the roughly 9 million military deaths in the war.

Inside, visitors walk through five life-size trench reconstructions, follow a chronology wall that anchors the gallery in the war's timeline, and look over a French Renault FT-17 tank disabled by a German shell in 1918. A newer display covers WWI-era field hospitals, and four interactive touch tables let visitors send a coded message by carrier pigeon or track a submarine. Guest Services checks out wheelchairs for anyone who needs one, and the galleries themselves accommodate wheelchair and powered-cart users.

As of 2026 the museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and Wednesday through Monday the rest of the year, closed Tuesdays. General admission runs 19.50 dollars for adults, 15.50 dollars for seniors and military, and 11.50 dollars for youth ages 6 to 15; children under 6 get in free. Climbing the Liberty Memorial Tower costs extra and is not wheelchair accessible: reaching the observation deck means taking an elevator partway up, then climbing 45 more steps.

The museum sits within walking distance of Kansas City's Union Station, served by the KC Streetcar, RideKC buses and rideshare pickup. Free parking, including van-accessible spaces, is available on the south side of the grounds in the U-shaped drive and in the West Visitors Lot off Kessler Road.

Accessibility

The National WWI Museum and Memorial is wheelchair accessible in the main galleries, but the historic Liberty Memorial Tower is not. Guest Services checks out wheelchairs at no charge, and visitors may also bring their own mobility devices.

Free accessible parking is on the south side of the grounds: van-accessible spaces sit at the north end of the U-shaped drive and in the West Visitors Lot, reached from Kessler Road or Memorial Drive. The main entrance is on the south side of the complex, where ramps by the fountain lead down to the bronze entry doors.

Once inside, the Main Gallery accommodates wheelchair and powered-cart users, including the walk across the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge into the exhibit space. The Tower is the one exception: reaching the observation deck requires an elevator ride followed by 45 steps, so wheelchair users cannot reach the top. The museum does not publish specifics on restroom locations, path surfaces, or door widths, so call ahead if you need those details.

The museum has partnered with KultureCity to support visitors with sensory needs, offering sensory bags with fidget tools and noise-canceling headphones, weighted lap pads, designated quiet zones, and scheduled sensory-friendly days with lower stimulation. All videos are closed captioned, assistive listening devices are provided for programs in the Auditorium, and free audio tour tablets are available for visitors who are blind or low vision. Braille and large-print guides can be requested, and ASL interpreters are available with at least two weeks' notice through [email protected]. Service dogs and miniature horses are welcome; other animals are not.

Call 816-888-8100 or email [email protected] ahead of your visit to confirm accommodations, especially ASL interpreting, which needs advance notice. Strollers are allowed everywhere except inside the Tower.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Missouri

• Union Station Kansas City (Kansas City)
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City)
• Worlds of Fun (Kansas City)
• Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium (Kansas City)
• Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (Kansas City)
• Gateway Arch National Park (St. Louis)

Photo credits

• Aerial view of the National WWI Museum and Memorial tower with the Kansas City skyline behind it.: National WWI Museum, CC0 (source)
• Museum entrance with wheelchair accessible push-button door beside National WWI Museum signage.: Daderot, Public domain (source)
• The Liberty Memorial tower rises above the National WWI Museum lawn and city skyline.: Gabe S., CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)