Take the Amtrak Missouri River Runner from St. Louis Gateway Station to Kansas City Union Station. Plan on roughly 5½–6½ hours on the train, plus boarding time and the possibility of delays; arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. Once in Kansas City, Union Station Kansas City is already your main landmark, so a short rideshare or walk to nearby lodging should be easy, though keep check-in flexible in case the train runs late. If you are driving to the St. Louis station, confirm parking arrangements in advance and allow extra time to unload luggage.
After settling in, spend about 45 minutes inside Union Station Kansas City, especially the grand Beaux-Arts main hall, where the holiday decorations typically make the building particularly atmospheric in December. Then walk across to Crown Center—generally just a few minutes via the station’s pedestrian connections—for an hour of browsing shops and seasonal displays. This is a good low-pressure first afternoon: everything is close together, and you can duck indoors if the weather is cold.
Have dinner at Café Provence in the Crown Center area, allowing about 1½ hours and budgeting approximately $25–$45 per person. Its French comfort food makes a relaxed first-night meal, but check the current Monday or Sunday holiday-season hours and reserve if possible. After dinner, head to the Crown Center Ice Terrace for about an hour of seasonal outdoor skating. The rink’s 2026 operating schedule, session times, skate rental fees, and weather closures should be confirmed closer to the trip; expect roughly $10–$20 per person including rental, depending on the season’s pricing. Keep the evening flexible, since the rink may be busy and you may prefer simply enjoying the lights around Crown Center if temperatures or arrival delays make skating impractical.
Start at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Crown Center, allowing about 2–2½ hours for the galleries and memorial grounds. Because this is a Monday in December, verify the museum’s opening schedule and reserve timed admission if offered; budget roughly $20–$25 per adult. Afterward, take a rideshare south toward The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Country Club Plaza—about 15–20 minutes, traffic depending. Confirm Monday hours before setting out, as museum schedules can vary, and allow around two hours for the collection and sculpture park.
Walk through Country Club Plaza for about 45 minutes, especially attractive in December when the Spanish-inspired district is decorated with holiday lights. Then use a rideshare to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que—Gas Station on State Line, typically 15–25 minutes from the Plaza. Allow extra time for the queue and budget approximately $15–$25 per person; the Z-Man sandwich and fries are the local classics. From there, continue by rideshare to Kauffman Memorial Gardens near Loose Park for a quiet 45-minute stroll, but treat this as weather-dependent: winter access and garden conditions can be limited, and December daylight fades early.
Head from the gardens to T-Mobile Center by rideshare, allowing roughly 20–30 minutes in afternoon traffic and aiming to arrive 60–90 minutes before the event for security, finding your section, and concessions. For a quick pre-event meal, Cosentino’s Market downtown has prepared food and generally runs about $15–$30 per person, though arena food is the simplest option if timing is tight. After the event, use the designated rideshare pickup area and expect a short wait; surge pricing and downtown congestion are common, so confirm the pickup instructions in the T-Mobile Center event information before leaving.
If you are starting near T-Mobile Center, take a rideshare or taxi to the Kansas City River Market—about 10–15 minutes in normal traffic—or use the free KC Streetcar north along Main Street if you have light luggage. Allow about an hour to stroll the historic streets and pick up coffee or breakfast. On a Tuesday, the outdoor market activity is much quieter than on the weekend, so treat the district as a relaxed neighborhood walk rather than counting on every vendor being open.
Continue into City Market, where food counters and small shops provide a good chance for a snack or an early lunch. Vendor schedules vary, especially in December, so keep a backup café or counter in mind. Then spend roughly 1½ hours at the Arabia Steamboat Museum, whose collection of recovered cargo makes this one of the most distinctive stops in the River Market. Verify Tuesday hours and admission before leaving your hotel; budget approximately $15–$20 per adult, and allow extra time for the walk between the market areas and museum.
Head south toward Town Topic Hamburgers for an unfussy Kansas City lunch—classic griddled burgers, fries, and a diner atmosphere, usually about $10–$20 per person. From the River Market, plan on roughly 10–15 minutes by rideshare, or use the streetcar for the downtown portion and walk the remaining blocks. Keep this meal efficient rather than lingering: check your train’s departure time and leave Town Topic Hamburgers at least 60–75 minutes before boarding.
For the Amtrak Missouri River Runner from Kansas City Union Station to St. Louis Gateway Station, take a rideshare or taxi via Main Street, generally 5–10 minutes from downtown; with luggage, book it 30–45 minutes before your required station arrival and allow additional traffic buffer. Be at Kansas City Union Station at least 30 minutes before departure, and expect the rail journey to take roughly 5½–6½ hours, with possible delays.
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