Hallmark Visitors Center, Kansas City (must see)

Located in Crown Center, the Hallmark Visitors Center lets you take an inside look inside one of Kansas City's most creative and identifiable companies.

The museum and exhibits walk you through the company's 100-plus year history. Learn how the founder, J.C. Hall, transformed the company from postcards in shoeboxes to its current form as a billion-dollar brand made of many different businesses.

Exhibits include company specials, like examples of their keepsake holiday ornaments through the years, as well as nostalgic looks at the company's past. They have a complete collection of the custom-built Christmas Trees that employees made for founder J.C. Hall every year. You might be inspired to make your own custom Christmas tree! You can also shop for the perfect ornament or keepsake in the gift shop.

Why You Should Visit:
Watch a bow machine make the perfect souvenir bow right before your eyes. Barbie fans will love taking selfies with a life-sized Barbie doll. Families can take part in an artifact search. Hallmark fans will appreciate the inside look at what makes this company special: making connections with your loved ones.

Crown Center has many other family-friendly attractions worth seeing, like the Coterie Theater, the Ice Terrace, Legoland Discovery Center, Kaleidoscope, and the Sea Life Aquarium.

Tips:
Check to see if their Hallmark Live programs are running. These are talks given by the company's most creative and talented individuals.

This is a free museum that has self-guided exhibits. It's the perfect stop if you want a quick look or if you want to spend all day there. Pace it however you like. Guided tours are available for groups of 15 or more.