Kansas City Nightlife Isn’t Midwestern Typical - Kansas City Bars and things to do.

If you think Kansas City goes to sleep when the sun goes down, think again. This Midwestern town is anything but typical with nightlife that’s jumping seven nights a week. Plus, with more venues opening all the time, the momentum for Kansas City’s nightlife doesn’t seem to be slowing a bit.

The city is famous for its live jazz music and this fact isn’t lost on the club scene, which features a number of venues that offer jazz on a nightly basis. Live music doesn’t stop with jazz either. Clubs here feature music as diverse as big band and Zydeco, and rock and swing. Clubs that pack in the crowds are found throughout the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area, with each community offering a little something unique.

The area is also home to an active arts scene that helps keep residents busy after the sun goes down. With live theater performances found all over the metro area on different nights, painting the town red after watching a ballet or hearing the symphony is as much a possibility as finding live jazz on any given evening.

One of the biggest anticipated draws for those wishing to kick up their heels after dark is the soon-to-open Kansas City Live! This seven-square-block entertainment, office, retail and residential district is expected to transform downtown into the city’s hotspot, attracting full-time residents, some major employers, sightseers and more. The district will include open storefronts, brick-paved sidewalks and a permanent performance stage for live entertainment. The idea behind the district is to create a place for people to work during the day and live and enjoy city life after dark.

The Crossroads District is one of the favorites in downtown for those with a penchant for the arts. This loft district is home to a number of formerly vacant buildings that have been renovated for use as restaurants, clubs, shops, galleries and homes. The district hosts monthly First Fridays, which take place on the first Friday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is a gallery hop of sorts where patrons of the arts are free to tour galleries at a leisurely pace and jump aboard free trolleys to arrive at their next destination.

Other hotspots on the Kansas City nightlife scene can be found dispersed in downtown, Westport and at Country Club Plaza. They include:

• The Lyric Theater, 1029 Central, this theater is used by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Ballet. Performance schedules vary here, but this theater is one of the hearts of Kansas City’s arts scene.
• The Midland Theater, 1228 Main St., is also used by the ballet and is the site for numerous concerts, musicals and more. This theater dates back to 1927.
• Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St., is known for its jazz concerts and a children’s series of performances.
• Club at Plaza III in Country Club Plaza at 4749 Pennsylvania, provides live jazz music to dinner patrons.
• The Blue Room, 1600 E. 18th St., is known for its jazz as well.
• Riverboat gambling is available on several non-cruising boats including the Argosy, Harrah’s Casino and Ameristar Casino.

Nightlife doesn’t stop outside the bounds of downtown as evidenced by Westport and Midtown. These areas are home to such clubs as The Hurricane, 4048 Broadway. This venue is known for its eclectic mix of live music that ranges from Zydeco and swing to rock and blues. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, is known for having the area’s largest wooden dance floor and offering free dance lessons once a week.

Communities throughout the metro area offer their own brand of clubs, theater performances and more. Independence, Overland Park and others are also known to keep lights burning in their entertainment districts long after the sun sets.

If a bustling nightlife is important to you, you won’t be disappointed in the number of things to do in this metro area after dark. From world-class dining to live theater and an active club scene, Kansas City has proven itself to be one of the Midwest’s best places to be after the sun goes down.