Excelsior Springs and Nearby Attractions

There are many interesting things to do in Excelsior Springs and the greater Kansas City area. Spend a fun-filled day with attractions and activities below that match your interests.

Excelsior Springs has many activities planned throughout the year for you to enjoy. Annual festivals include Gatsby Days, Waterfest, Bar-B-Que Contest and Fly-In on the River. Businesses decorate for the Christmas holiday, and there is a beautiful Hall of Trees exhibit inside the world’s longest mineral water bar. Other holiday events include a Holiday Homes Tour, Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, and a holiday parade and caroling. Popular year-round events include Art Crawls in various downtown galleries and businesses as well as Girls’ Night Out.

Downtown Excelsior Springs boasts some wonderful boutique shops, spas, and family-owned restaurants. Take a walk down Broadway and explore some of them! Enjoy an incredible meal and friendly service at Ventana Gourmet Grill, which is our very favorite restaurant in town (don’t miss Wendy and Jill’s homemade cheesecake, which is better than any we’ve ever tasted!).

Find deliciously-scented handmade soaps at Mind, Body and Soap Co (we are simply in love with their products!). Stop in at Willow Spring Mercantile, where you can have lunch, listen to live music, shop for interesting local products, find delicious coffees and teas, or sample some wonderful Missouri wines (Jim and Daphne have a wealth of knowledge about local wines and will help you find one you love!). Then head down to Loves Bling or Bliss for the ultimate shopping experience! You’ll find an incredible array of clothing, decor, and accessories in this very cool shop. If you’re an art lover, you shouldn’t miss the Molly Roberts Studio. If you would like some fabulous spa treatments while you’re visiting, you should try New Age Skin Care Spa for wonderful European facials, wraps, and more!

If you’re a wine-lover, why not enjoy our local vineyards? Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery is a family-run vineyard and winery located just minutes from the Inn. The Van Till Family Farm and Winery is bringing back the “good old days” in taste, nutrition, and the enjoyment of great food and wine with their “farm-to-table” philosophy. Delicious “Wood-Fired Oven” Pizza is served year-round on the beautiful garden patio from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 8 p.m. Enjoy sampling their authentic Missouri wines in the wine shop Tuesdays through Saturdays! The newest entry is Four Horses and a Dog Winery, which has quickly grown to become an area favorite. The latest You’ll want to mark your calendar for the third weekend in June for our annual Wine Festival! If your taste runs more to beer than wine, you’ll want to check out the new Dubious Claims Brewing Company, the first microbrewery in Excelsior Springs! Dubious Claims also now shares a space with WoodChux Axe Throwing!

To view the latest events in Excelsior Springs, visit the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce events calendar.

To find out what’s going on in Kansas City, visit the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
or VisitKC or check out Missouri happenings by going to VisitMO.

Nature Lovers
Do you love the great outdoors including birdwatching, hiking, parks, and beautiful scenery?

The Inn on Crescent Lake boasts two small crescent-shaped lakes where guests can enjoy fishing, paddle boating, or relaxing in the hammock under 100-year-old pine trees. Enjoy wandering with your loved one on the inn’s nature trail, where you might see wild turkeys, deer, turtles, or a blue heron fishing on the banks.

Go biking or hiking at the beautiful Watkins Mill State Park just four miles from the inn. The park boasts more than four miles of paved bike trails, beautiful scenery, a historic woolen mill, and a lake for swimming and picnics.

In Kansas City, tour the beautiful scenery and gardens at Powell Gardens. Or enjoy watching the wild animals at the Kansas City Zoo.

Sports Enthusiasts
Whether you like to play sports or watch sports, there are many things to do near by!

Schedule a tee time at the beautiful public golf course in Excelsior Springs called Excelsior Springs Golf Club. Several golf tournaments are held here each year including the Gregg Williams Tiger Golf Classic, Chamber of Commerce tournament, Good Samaritan Center Spring Scramble and the vintage Hickory Stick Golf Tournament.

For more than 50 years, the Mineral Water Bowl football game has been played in Excelsior Springs and now features top NCAA Division II teams.

Or try your hand at bowling at Victory Lanes right here in Excelsior Springs. Enjoy horseback riding at Bell Oaks Stable in Smithville or in Independence at Misty River Equestrian Center.

Catch the 2015 World Champion Kansas City Royals for a major league baseball game at Kaufmann Stadium. Watch the NFL’s 2020 Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium. Or tour the world-famous Negro League Baseball Museum , where legends like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck O’Neil are remembered.

Supporters of the Arts
Do you enjoy visiting museums and going to theaters?

Visit one of Kansas City’s many fine museums and theaters including the Nelson-Atkins Museum, KC Ballet, Kemper Museum, Starlight Theater, New Theater, or the Unicorn.

Music lovers rejoice!
In Kansas City, visit one of the many places to relive the history of music or listen to live music including the American Jazz Museum, KC Symphony, Lyric Opera, and Starlight Theater. If you’d like to stay closer to the Inn on Crescent Lake, you can enjoy awesome barbeque and live blues and classic rock at the Ice House Blues Garden right next to Wabash Barbeque. The summertime schedule starts in mid-May.

History Buffs
Are you a history buff at heart? There are many historic sites right in Excelsior Springs and in nearby towns. Founded as a spa resort in 1880, Excelsior Springs still offers a unique atmosphere in architecture, parkways, and people.

Attractions inside the City of Excelsior Springs include the Hall of Waters, a magnificent Art Deco building that features a community history tour inside the water bar area. Adjacent to the Hall of Waters is the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives, another magnificent building designed by Louis Curtiss. This bank is where Frank James was known to have made “deposits” instead of “withdrawals.” Several films have been made using the original bank’s vault as a backdrop. Inside the old Francis Hotel is an art gallery, more museum displays and historic archives.

Drive just a couple of miles and visit the infamous Jesse James Farm to relive the history of the Wild West. The museum holds a treasure of Jesse James and James family artifacts, including three of Jesse’s guns, the boots he was wearing when he was killed and the family Bible, with inscriptions written in Zerelda James’ own hand.

Just 15 minutes from the Inn on Crescent Lake, visit Lexington where the famous Battle of Lexington is re-enacted each summer.

Travel just 20 minutes and visit Independence, home of President Harry Truman, and visit the Truman Library and Truman Home.

In Kansas City, you’ll be able to visit the Steamboat Arabia Museum and visit one of the largest collections ever of the Civil War era. Discover how life was on a famous steamboat back in the 1800s.

Fun Seekers
Just 20 minutes from the inn are loads of fun and excitement for you thrill seekers!

From April through October, visit Worlds of Fun, a huge amusement park with roller coaster rides guaranteed to thrill. You can also explore the waves and water slides right next door at Oceans of Fun.

Try your luck at one of the many casinos all within 25 minutes: Ameristar Casino, Harrah´s North Kansas City Casino, Argosy Kansas City Casino, and Isle of Capri Casino.

You can also tour the Harley-Davidson Plant to see all the latest Harleys!

For an evening of fun, visit the new Power and Light District and Sprint Center, with a courtyard that will hold 1,000 people, surrounded by restaurants and bars.

Shop Til You Drop
For unique local stores that will give you undivided personal attention, visit Olde Towne Antique Mall, Willow Springs Mercantile (where local wine tasting is its own experience) and the Wooden Spool.

If you’re going into Kansas City, admire the fountains and shops at the Country Club Plaza or enjoy the many stores at Zona Rosa.

Restaurants
Within a two-mile radius of the Inn on Crescent Lake are many delightful restaurants for your dining pleasure.

Applebee’s – Mainstay cuisine
El Maguey’s – Authentic Mexican cuisine
Elms – Hotel Inspired cuisine and entertainment
Hunan – Excellent Chinese food and will deliver to the Inn
Ray’s Diner – Authentic 50’s diner – enjoy their cheeseburgers for lunch
Van Till Farms – The Van Till Family Farm and Winery is bringing back the “good old days” in taste, nutrition, and the enjoyment of great food and wine. Lunch is served Tuesday thru Saturday. Delicious “Wood Fired Oven” Pizza is served year-round on the beautiful garden patio, every Friday night from 5:00 – 9:00 pm and Saturday afternoons from noon till 5:00 pm. See website for dates of other exciting events.
Ventana Gourmet Grill– Tempting American/Italian dishes with a piano player on Friday and Saturday nights. Save room for the cheesecake!
Wabash BBQ– Award-winning BBQ and guaranteed large portions

Uber

Elaina – 816-797-7967