Powell Gardens

I have wanted to try out this place before but the fact that it is the opposite way that I am going when I am in KC and honestly the pics that represent this place, have kept me away. By that I mean - the pics that have been shared her show it to be more of a wedding venue and don't really do a good job representing the actual gardens. My stars for this place are only at a 3 - the parking lot is too far from the entrance - kind of a pain and the frustrating thing is that they could easily convert the path that is rocks and noted for staff only to be for people to get from the parking lot without having to go the long way. Second area that left me leaving a lower score is the cost - $15 for a single person day pass is a lot for a botanical garden. Worth it if you have kids, I think. I mean if I had kids - the amount of time they would want to spend at that splash pad would be worth it. The map was a little confusing to me - I wish that there were more clear signs of where you were or where you were going. I am sure it's not a problem if you have been there before, but I was probably a little cautious as to how far to walk - some of the gardens I have been to are way to spread out and built for people who are looking to walk and get some exercise in. When I go to a botanical garden - I am looking for flowers, butterflies and other wildlife options - I saw the most actively just right out the front door - but honestly it was pretty amazing and really I ended up with about 1000 pics for the day.I will go back another day - now that I know a little more, but probably not more than once a year

We just discovered this lovely place. The gardens are beautiful and well planned. We particularly enjoyed the serenity ofthe chapel as well as the extra hiking area in the back (which was well groomed).

Went for the Dark Forest they had for October and it was magical. We were able to venture into the gardens a couple hours before it started and the lily pond fountains are so adorable and love the different agaves they all have to display, never knew there was so many! The inside area that's meant to be a tranquil warm area with a small pond is gorgeous and felt so peaceful! The Dark Forest was well organized, amazing effects and makeup, the artists really outdid themselves. The bar halfway through was pretty cool but my favorite was the fire dancers! Will definitely be back to see the gardens in the spring as this was my first time attending. All the workers were so sweet and courteous and everything was so clean. The silo you can go up into was so cool and had a great view. Loved the s'mores kits, and the fire pits were a nice touch.

If you're reading reviews on Powell Gardens, I question whether you have had a proper visit because the property truly speaks for itself. Powell Gardens is one of those spots where you fall in love with the place. When my husband & I toured the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, I felt chills just walking the path TO the chapel - let alone being inside the chapel itself. Once guests saw the property and chapel themselves, there wasn't a single question as to why we decided to get married 40 minutes outside of downtown Kansas City. To me, the drive is always worth it. The staff is kind & as knowledgeable as they are passionate about the gardens. We had only our wedding ceremony at Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel & our wedding reception in downtown KC - out of a concern for guests drinking as well as proximity to more hotels. Due to limited October availability, we landed on a Friday evening. Powell allowed us access to the study (getting ready building) from 2-6pm and the chapel from 4-6pm. We decided to have our ceremony at 4:30pm, giving us 30 minutes for sound check and guest arrival. We did not do any additional decor because (1) we didn't want to deal with the set-up and clean-up and (2) the chapel doesn't need it! The chapel fits 90 guests comfortably, and 110 with chairs set-up in the back. We were very nervous about the amount of guests who would show up and, therefore, did not invite all of our reception guests out to Powell for the ceremony. On the day-of, the chapel felt full but no one was left standing outside. We had a handful of ushers (friends) place reserve signs on the front pews, hand payment to the musicians, assist people from the bus and their cars to the chapel, direct them to the restrooms and hand out programs. One challenge we had was when guests arrived, they saw the restroom sign for the study and infiltrated our (private) getting ready suite. We suggest having an usher (friend) stationed near the study at least 40 minutes prior to the ceremony start time to direct guests to the restroom at the rear of the chapel if needed. Unfortunately, due to the drive out to Powell, guests will likely need to use the restroom upon arrival. As ethereal as the chapel is, we highly recommend hiring live music to really elevate your ceremony. We hired a string duo, Forte Quartet, who set-up and played in the rear corner of the chapel. The sound of both the musicians and officiant was incredible, crystal clear, no guests' complaints. We hired a Showtime Transportation limo for the wedding party and an executive bus for guests who traveled (and didn't have a car). The bus went from the hotel to Powell to our downtown reception venue. After the reception, guests were on their own and it worked out fine. All in all, Powell Gardens is well worth it and truly made our wedding day the most magical day of our lives.

Attended an event here and it was my first visit. It is absolutely breathtaking. So much beauty to see and explore. The way it made me feel like I escaped to another destination...seriously magical!

I've heard of Powell Gardens for so long yet never visited until this past Memorial Day weekend. It's a haul to get out this way to be sure, but I think it's a worthwhile venture for nature lovers.We were drawn in by a special performance from the KC Ballet which my aspiring little ballerina loved as much as we'd hoped. For being a ways outside of the actual city, they seem to have great partnerships with KC area groups and businesses.I should mention tickets were $10 per adult and $4 for our five year old. The gardens are nice and the grounds sprawling. Lots of flowers, some water features, native plants, hummingbirds buzzing around. Keep rolling and there are wood chip covered nature hikes for bird watching, and in this case a special 'Fortopia' exhibit with various forts designed with input from kids. It was all very leisurely, not chock full of entertainment, but more just a time to mosey about.The food situation was bad. Apparently there used to be a pretty good restaurant here, but all we found this time was a $14 box lunch and a little burger grill outside with some grouchy customer service and overpriced hockey puck burgers. Definitely plan to bring your own picnic here.With the two kids, we ventured out a ways into the grounds. We didn't quite make it to their iconic chapel, but across the ponds and through the grounds, but then realized we still need to get back. We saw some signage about a trolley "coming in 2022!" but it was nowhere to be found. We ended up walking back along a service road in a slow, beaten down march only to have the trolley show up right as we re-approached the visitor's center. Bummer of timing, and I only share to let you know there IS a trolley, and I have NO IDEA how it is supposed to operate.All in all, I like what it's about and think it's worth checking out. We're lucky to have places like this, the Kauffman Gardens, various parks, and even the KC zoo which allows for lots of walking and nature. I just think I'll likely lean more towards those closest to me in the future.

Sadly underwhelmed after a span of twenty years since my last visit. Not sure of their funding situation, but the lack of effort in even initiating such things as a Japanese garden or rose garden, projects that take decades to realize and as for the roses, could be four times larger than Loose Park, seems unforgivably neglectful of the wards of this magnificent property.

Pretty amazing having the run of the place but my guess is this was due to it being a hot and humid summer afternoon. Despite this our group was treated to a visual feast for the eyes and basically chauffeured around to wherever we wanted. Saw a beautiful wedding, and loved the fairy homes hidden, felt like a bit of magic finding them. The gardens and landscaping makes me want to try my hand at it but so far I can only keep wild flowers alive. Staff had some helpful tips and insights that really felt like VIP treatment. Worth the drive, drink lots of water, plenty of restrooms along the way. Staff helpful and encourage questions. Planning to return for unique events, butterfly festival and Mother's Day will return for!

Beautiful place that I can't believe I've never been to before! I went when the flowers were just starting to bloom and everything was so fragrant! There was an art festival going which had some really cool crafts to purchased, and I wished I had bought some jewelry there!There was also a strawberry festival, but I didn't see it anywhere. This place is a bit of a drive from JoCo, but it's definitely worth it to come here. So beautiful that a wedding was about to take place there right after I left. KC is lucky to have a beautiful garden like this!

Beautiful lights, but all signs of God removed. Even the chapel contained nothing religious. Disappointing.