Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
KC Art Deco
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 19, 2010
1. KC Art Deco Marker
Want to find a little culture in Kansas City? Just look up. Our city is filled with extraordinary examples of architectural styles, from beaux-arts to modern. But our assortment of Art Deco-style buildings is our real claim to architectural fame. During the Great Depression, politician Tom Pendergast may have had questionable ethics, but his taste in architecture was superb. He managed to raise enough funds to construct several Kansas City treasures during this difficult period in history, which include City Hall and Municipal Auditorium.
The fascinating, detailed bas-relief designs on these beautiful buildings depict many different aspects of our community and its history. Several years earlier, the city’s residents raised $2 million of their own in just 10 days to build the Art Deco-style Liberty Memorial. The memorial, honoring those who fought and died in World War I, reopened with the help of community donations on May 25, 2002. If you visit, look for the carvings of soldiers who gave their lives for our country. And be sure to check out the light show that still glows nightly on the Kansas City Power & Light building, another excellent example of Art Deco, built in 1931.
Erected by Kansas City International Airport. (Marker Number A3.)
Topics and series. This historical
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Location. 39° 18.801′ N, 94° 41.751′ W. Marker is in Kansas City, Missouri, in Platte County. Marker is at Passenger Kiosk A3, in Economy Parking Lot A, at Kansas City International Airport, 601 Brasilia Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kansas City MO 64153, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Satchel Paige (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Shoe Parties (about 500 feet away); Aromatherapy (about 500 feet away); The Stockyards (about 500 feet away); The Pony Express (about 700 feet away); Heart of the Nation (approx. 0.2 miles away); All That Jazz (approx. 0.2 miles away); City of Fountains (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kansas City.
More about this marker. The Economy Parking Lots' passenger kiosks each have unique historical markers and flashy artwork to help passengers remember where they parked.
Also see . . .
1. Historic Kansas City Foundation. Website homepage (Submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Kansas City Architecture.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 19, 2010
2. KC Art Deco Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 19, 2010
3. KC Art Deco Marker Artwork
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.
4. Economy Parking Lot A Entrance
Photo Courtesy of the Historic American Buildings Survey, 1973
5. LITTLE THEATER TOWARD STAGE - Municipal Auditorium
Postcard by Curteich, 1935
6. Kansas City Power and Light Building, By Night
Postcard by Curteich, 1935
7. Liberty Memorial, by Night, Kansas City, Mo.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 616 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 6, 2015.
