Who would guess that one of the country's best collections of Asian art, notably Chinese, would be located in the heartland of the USA?

Built as a gift to the community by William Rockhill Nelson and Mary McAfee Atkins in 1933, the Museum has grown and flourished into one of America's premier art institutions. Its rich collections span the total gamut of the art world, from ancient art to decorative art to modern sculptures; and works from Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The Kansas City Sculpture Park features the largest collection of monumental bronzes by the British sculptor Henry Moore in the nation.

The Museum, located at 4525 Oak Street in Kansas City, is open Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am to 4 pm; Friday, 10 am to 9 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday, noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. 816-751-1278 Recorded Information Line 816-561-4000 Administrative Offices, 816-751-1242 Bookstore, 816-751-1216 Library.

More than 400 tons of buried treasure recovered from a sunken 1856 steamboat awaits you at the Steamboat Arabia Museum in downtown Kansas City.

On September 5, 1856, one mile from its destination, the Steamboat Arabia hit a submerged tree and went down. The fully loaded hull, containing merchandise bound for frontier stores and the personal belongings of the passengers, sank deep into the mud and silt of the river bottom ... and was forgotten ... until today!

Thanks to a group of skilled treasure hunters, the Steamboat Arabia has been resurrected. Their efforts have revealed a true glimpse into what frontier life was like. Boxes, barrels and crates full of frontier merchandise--from buttons to boots, castor oil to cognac, perfume to preserves, and eyeglasses to earrings. Every box was different!

And while digging for buried treasure was fun, the true job lay in the cleaning and preserving of it. There are literally "tons" of items that have already been through the tedious cleaning task, however it will probably be more than 20 years before the entire cargo is ready for display. So the museum is definitely a work in progress, with new items and new displays being created almost daily!

The Steamboat Arabia allows visitors to have a unique perspective of frontier life, seen nowhere else. The museum is located at 400 Grand Ave. in Kansas City and the hours are 10 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Saturday, Noon-5pm on Sunday. Admission for Adults is $9.75, Seniors (age 60+) $9.25, Children (ages 4-12) $4.75, and Children (3 and under) Free. Call 816-471-1856 for more information.

Although it's only been around for 10 years, the Kemper Museum has managed to acquire a very impressive collection of contemporary Art. Works by George O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns and Robert Mapelthorpe are just some of the modern treasures on display for your enjoyment. For special exhibits and more information call 816-561-3737.

Housed inside the 50 room mansion known as Corinthian Hall, The Kansas City Museum is the place to learn about life on the Plains and Kansas City's important role in America's Westward expansion. You can also visit a 1910 corner drugstore with its working soda fountain, or create and forecast your own weather in the museum's Weather Park. Then you can explore the stars and galaxies in the planetarium or take a space flight simulation in the Challenger Learning Center.

The Museum hours are Tues. through Sat. 9:30am- 4:30pm, Sun. Noon - 4:30pm, Admission is $2.50 for adults and $2 for children (3-17) and senior citizens. The planetarium is $3.50, and the Challenger Learning Center is $5. Call (816) 488-8300 for more information.

Inside this restored 1911 mansion you'll find antique toys, miniature collections, more than 80 antique doll houses and furnishings, and selections from Hallmark's Jerry Smith Toy Collection.

The museum is located at 523 5 Oak and is open Wed. through Sat. 10am-4pm and Sun 1-4pm. (But please note, it is closed the first two weeks after Labor Day each year.) Admission for adults is $6; students over 12 and seniors is $5; ages 3-12 is $4 and children under 3 are free. Calling (816) 333-2055 will provide you with more information.

Kansas City played a big part in the history of Black Baseball with the creation of the Negro National League in 1920. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum tells the story of African-American baseball in the U.S. through photo galleries, uniforms, pennants, autographed baseballs and interactive exhibits. The Museum is in the 18th & Vine District on 1616 E. 18th Street. 816-221-1920.

Appropriately located at 18th and Vine, the American Jazz Museum celebrates the legends of Jazz that made Kansas City the Mecca for Jazz enthusiasts the World over. See rare photos, album covers, memorabilia, and personal items from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker and many others. The American Jazz museum is adjacent to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and "The Blue Room" a working Jazz club. So make a whole day (and night) of it!