Museum Tips

Why can’t we touch the art?
Even clean hands leave fingerprints that degrade materials over time.

Please tell your children they can protect the works of art by just using eyes, ears, and minds! Remember to stay at least an arm's length away from art objects.  


What about food? Food and drink attract bugs that can cause damage, so please no food or drink in the museum.

Instead, join us in Rozzelle Court Restaurant, our 15th-century Italian style courtyard!

Restaurant Hours
Lunch: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday
Dinner: 5-10:30 p.m., Friday
Brunch: Noon-3 p.m., Sunday

Kid’s Menu

On a nice day, pack a picnic and eat outdoors in the Kansas City Sculpture Park!

What can we bring with us? Backpacks, bags or large purses must be carried by hand or worn over one shoulder. Or, they may be stored for free in the Bloch Lobby Coat Check.

Can we bring sketchpads? Families can bring paper and pencils and sketch your favorite art objects in the museum. Please, no pens, paint, crayons or markers allowed.

Are family restrooms available? Yes, they are located on the Lobby Level near Atkins Auditorium. Changing stations are located in every woman’s restroom and in the men’s restroom on the Plaza level of the Nelson-Atkins Building.

What about Games?

A trip to the Nelson-Atkins can be a lot of fun! Try playing some gallery games to develop your children’s interest in art.

Look and Remember
Have your child pick their favorite art object. Ask them to look closely at it for two minutes. Next, have them turn around while you ask them questions about the art object. Start with easy questions to test their memories. Gradually become specific to make the game more challenging! Then change places and take turns.

Twenty Questions
Have your child secretly choose an art object within a gallery. Begin to ask “yes or no” questions until you discover the art object your child picked. You only get twenty questions!

Postcard Game
Swing by the Museum Store and have your child pick out a few of their favorite postcards. Then go on a hunt to find the art objects in the museum. The postcards are souvenirs of their visit and can be collected in an album.

Sketch in the Galleries
Take a seat and have your children sketch a few of their favorite art objects. Encourage them to look closely at patterns, shapes and lines. 

How can I encourage my children to look?

Ask questions that allow children to use their imaginations.

  • What is the story being told in the painting?
  • What is the person in the painting thinking?
  • What colors do you see in the painting? Are the colors exciting or peaceful?
  • Why do you think the artist wanted to paint this scene?
  • How do you feel when you look at this sculpture?
  • How would the sculpture move if it came alive?
Ask questions that allow children to use their imaginations. Have them imagine what the people in the painting ate for breakfast, what their homes look like, what happened just before or after the scene or what the characters are saying to each other.

Accessibility?

Wi-Fi:  Available throughout the museum.

Family Bathrooms: Located on the Lobby level near the Atkins Auditorium.

Changing Stations: Located in every woman’s restroom and in the men’s restroom on the Plaza level of the Nelson-Atkins building.

Art by Children!

Ford Learning Center Student Gallery

When you visit the Nelson-Atkins, make sure to stop by the Student Gallery, located in the Ford Learning Center. The Student Gallery displays artwork created by students, age 3 and older, in studio classes at the Museum. See the variety and individuality of creative choices made by children as they explore the processes of painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and more. A new selection of artwork is installed three times a year.