Where to honor veterans around KC
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Museums, cities and veterans groups across KC are holding ceremonies, concerts and a parade on Veterans Day to honor those who served.
Why it matters: About 105,000 veterans live in the metro, and many of Wednesday's events are free or discounted for them and their families.
🏛️ A century on the hill
The National WWI Museum and Memorial hosts a free public ceremony at 10am in its auditorium, with Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower III, commanding general of Fort Leavenworth, giving the keynote.
- President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial on Nov. 11, 1926, before more than 150,000 people, according to the museum.
- Veterans and active-duty service members get free museum admission, and spouses and dependents with ID are included. The public pays half price.
✨ Lights on the memorial
The "Liberty's Beacon" light show projects onto the Liberty Memorial every 15 minutes from 6pm to 10:30pm through Wednesday, its final night.
- Each show runs about 8 to 10 minutes, with artwork from three artists rotating throughout the evening.
- The museum suggests watching from the North Lawn, and visitors can bring a blanket or a picnic.
📜 The Constitution comes to KC
The museum also opens a new exhibit that same day, called "The Words that Bind Us," featuring one of 14 surviving official 1787 prints of the U.S. Constitution.
- Seeing it requires a free timed ticket, which you can reserve on the museum's website.
- It runs through May 31, 2027.
🎖️ Leavenworth's long march
The 107th Leavenworth County Veterans Day Parade runs from 10:30am to 1pm in downtown Leavenworth.
- Organizers bill it as the largest and oldest continuously held Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi River.
🎺 Music in Independence
The Truman Library in Independence hosts a patriotic concert band performance at 11am. At 1pm, author Kathy Poulsen Romero will discuss her book, "Letters from Heartbreak Ridge," with fellow author Matthew Algeo.
- Romero's book draws on more than 70 letters her father wrote to her mother while serving in the Korean War.
- Adult admission is $12, kids 12 and under get in free, and veterans and active-duty military get a discount.
The bottom line: You don't have to go far to thank a veteran.