Johnson County Museum

The Johnson County Museum is a great example of a thoughtful use of space. I was pretty young when the King Louie building was in its prime but I know it held importance for many in the community so it's wonderful to see it repurposed as an arts and heritage space. To start with, the museum itself is great, it's super well thought out, and tells the story of the region and of Johnson County, and the growth of the KC suburbs. This story is complex, and filled with some less savory history, so I am especially proud of this museum for not shying away from the truth of this history and having sections of the museum dedicated to redlining, and moments of inequality here. My favorite part of the museum is the electric house, which was moved into the space to preserve a unique time in Johnson County history when the burbs expanded and became modernized. It's honestly worth the price just to see that house preserved as well as it is. If you are a parent, this place gets even better as your admission includes Kidscape which is a great indoor play area for kiddos between the ages of 18 months and 7 I'd say. They do a good job of keeping this space clean and for the price, it's one of the better deals for places to take kids on a cold day in KC. Finally, this space also houses a theatre and we go here for ballet classes which is great. All in all it's a wonderful asset to the community and I'm glad it's here.

First time I've been in the building. I went in for early 2024 election voting. Bright and cheerful atmosphere. I was able to look around a bit. Museum has mural, history of Johnson County. Huge open space for kids to learn and participate in fun activities,

Very nice display of the history of the area, modern and interesting reading and artifacts. My grandkids especially love the play town area and the electric house. I also like the seating in the top level and the staff is nice and welcoming.

Only come here for kidscape, a fun little play area downstairs full of imagination play scenes and outfits. Great if you have younger kids. Not sure the cost of a membership, but a day pass is fairly cheap and definitely worth it.

This is the best kid-friendly, hidden gem of Overland Park. It's a beautiful and bright space that invites children to explore with their hands but is still very informative for adults. The museum itself is an exploration of OP's history. Love. There are also hands-on activities that kids can try out as they learn about the past. There's a bean bag toss where kids learn about newspaper routes and how the paper was delivered, an example of the home in the 1950's where you can ring the doorbell and open the fridge to see the capacity, and an old school typewriter. That's just a few interactive things you'll find in the museum. I've been taking my son since he was one. He's 2.5 now and STILL enjoys walking through the museum portion. There's also a dedicated children's play area called Kidscape. It's SO nice. A small space with different sections for open-ended play: hospital, diner, "grocery store," apple picking, puppet show theater, train table, a little "jail," construction area, and boat to go fishing. We spend 1.5-2 hours there every time. It's really great for little kids and toddlers. I bought the annual pass and it's worth every penny. You aren't allowed to eat in there so just head upstairs in the lobby/common area for a lunch break. I also know they have a lot of different programs for kids AND adults ranging from art to movement. I'll probably enroll my son when he's a little older. We love this museum. It's the best on a rainy or cold day or if you don't have anything planned and are looking for something to do with the family.

This review is based on Kidscape only.Smaller than expected so don't expect it to be a full children's museum but it's still a great space for younger children to play. They designed it like a little town with a burger/ice cream shop, farm, post office and more. It's best for toddler age children. My 2 year old loves play food and kitchenware so he has a lot of fun here. We typical spend 1.5 to 2hrs here. It's a great place to take the little ones in the area that's pretty affordable as well.

I have to say, this place is surprisingly great. I have no ties to KC so the sentiment of it being the old King Louie is lost on me, but as far as a clean/safe place to take kids to play...hands down the best. There is a wide open kids space with a market area, ice cream shop, park, theater, school, jail, and hospital. It can get a bit chaotic when a school group comes in, but if you go first thing in the morning it's cheap and a perfect way to kill a couple hours. It's like Wonderscope but clean and all in one open space for the kids to run free and be creative. The museum itself is cool, and a nice place to walk through to find out a little more about JoCo.Give this place a go, you won't be disappointed.

They have a kids area with exhibits imitating different professions such as doctor, farmer, school teacher etc. My kids seemed to enjoy the exhibits but I think it could have been bigger. Other than the kids area the main attraction is the all electric house. Just wish the museum was bigger. The whole museum takes less than 1.5 hours to complete including kids area. The gift shop was small but had some cute unique items.

Museums have always fascinated me. This was a spur of the moment decision to visit. There was a $5/adult admission fee and you get a wristband to wear. The actual museum is downstairs via elevator or stairs. I'm one of those people who always walk to the left of where I am so I walked backward for a few minutes before realizing it was chronological to the right. This isn't clear but not exactly rocket science. It was around 2pm on a weekday so mostly empty. They offer tours but I'm not sure if you pay for them or how often they're offered. The room that celebrates the 50th anniversary is really cool. It has the traditional and modern gifts for wedding anniversaries. Definitely recommend.

What an interesting and curious addition to our city. Visited this museum to see the Redlining exhibit which was an incredibly eye-opening and enlightening experience. The museum curator of interpretation gave us a guided tour which made the experience even better. I agree with Liz B's review if you're interested in mid-century this is the place to visit, but also if you're interested in learning more about the history of KC this is the place to go.