While many of us are rooting for Taylor Swift and her rumored beau, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, still more of her fans could be considering a trip to the Midwest.
If you are a Swiftie or just looking for a unique trip to Kansas City, Missouri, aka the "City of Fountains," we have some suggestions of where to go!
TODAY.com put together this list based on personal experience and with the help of our friends and fellow Swifties at the local NBC News affiliate, KSHB.
Where is Kansas City?
For starters, we feel it's important to note that Kansas City is split between the states of Missouri and Kansas.
Technically, Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, remain two separately incorporated cities, but together (along with several other surrounding cities and suburbs) they make up the Kansas City metro area.
Where to eat in Kansas City
For Swifties in town to follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift, you can start by checking out Prime Social. That's the cocktail bar that Swift and Kelce reportedly went to after her first Chiefs game on Sept. 24 for an after-party — KSHB reported Kelce actually rented out the space for the gathering. Fittingly, the establishment is located on Pennsylvania Avenue, named after Swift's home state.
Kelce and Swift reportedly were also recently spotted on a date at Piropos Restaurant, a high-end Argentinean steakhouse with views of the city.
For any meat-eating folks visiting Kansas City for the first time, we'd be remiss not to mention the excellent barbecue. Kansas City is known for its sweet and thick tomato-based barbecue sauce and burnt ends — the flavorful pieces of meat cut from the “point” half of a smoked brisket. Burnt ends reportedly gained their fame from Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, a legendary restaurant in Kansas City.
Joe’s KC is another barbecue classic — born out of a gas station, there are now several locations across town. It's known for the legendary Z-Man sandwich, which has brisket, smoked provolone cheese and onion rings.
Gates BBQ is another option with several locations in the area. Staff yell, "How may I help you?" at customers when they walk in, a gag something our friends at KSHB said "no visitor is ever ready for."
There are several Jack Stack BBQ locations around Kansas City, including conveniently at the Country Club Plaza shopping center, which is a typical stop for tourists. Though the eatery has been around since the 1950s, it recently was the talk of the town for reportedly catering a postgame party at Kelce's house.
Q39 is a newer barbecue restaurant that several of our local friends recommended. There are loads of atypical dishes offered — like bacon-wrapped shrimp and a smoked pork banh mi, for example — and you can choose your own mix-ins like roasted tomatoes or sausage for the mac and cheese.
If burgers are more your style, several of our Kansas City friends suggested Tay’s Burger Shack, an affordable and low-key shop that unintentionally shares part of its name with Swift.
If you want to eat some chicken with "seemingly ranch" just like Swift, check out Mother Clucker. The Nashville-style hot chicken is an option for Swifties who want to pay homage to her country roots.
Westport Ale House is another fun stop — on certain days it’s more of a sports bar but on Thursday nights you can catch locals doing the Kansas City Two Step, a popular style of dance unique to the area.
Sail Away Wine in North Kansas City has more than 72 wines on tap, and customers can serve themselves as they go with their "wine passport." The bar also serves beer, food and spirits.
For the more literary-inclined, visit Afterword Tavern & Shelves for a combination bookstore and craft cocktail bar. It also has board games to borrow and play with your friends while you enjoy your drink.
The Blue Line Hockey Bar is a classic sports dive bar with loads of televisions showing just about every game known to man — not just hockey. It serves classic bar food and has a great (read: cheap) happy hour menu.
Percheron is a seasonal rooftop bar at Crossroads Hotel. It features great skyline views, but be aware that no kids are allowed after 8 p.m. It's first come, first served unless you have a party of six or more, in which case a reservation is encouraged.
What to do when visiting Kansas City?
Obviously, anyone visiting during football season should check out a Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium. Not only might you catch a glimpse of Swift cheering on Kelce, KC native Paul Rudd is also a huge fan.
Of course, if it's baseball season, a Kansas City Royals game is also always a hit. (And Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle and Eric Stonestreet are devout supporters of them too!)
Kansas City is also home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which is dedicated to preserving the history of Negro League baseball in America.
Next door to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, you'll find the American Jazz Museum, which pays tribute to the greats like Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, among others.
The historic Union Station is a grand building featuring both permanent and temporary exhibits, a planetarium and science center, and shopping.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is known for its large collection of Asian art, and admission is free. Be sure to get your timed entry tickets ahead of time and know that the museum is only open Thursday through Monday. Even if you don't have time to go inside, you can always snap a photo outside with the giant shuttlecock sculptures.
The nearby Country Club Plaza — or just "the plaza" to locals — is a shopping destination. From Barnes & Noble to Tiffany & Co., there's something for everyone here. After a long afternoon of hitting the shops, grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants located in the outdoor mall.
For those interested in learning more about the city itself, you can check out the Kansas City Museum, which is open Thursday through Sunday. Formerly a private mansion, Corinthian Hall has been recently renovated and tells the story of the city.
For the devout Swifties, you can also visit Swift Street in North Kansas City. The town temporarily put up signs in June ahead of Swift's" Eras Tour" stop at Arrowhead. On the southwest corner of Swift Street and Armour Road, one sign read “Honorary Swift Street (Taylor’s Version)” and the other said “Honorary Cornelia Street.”
It's also near Sail Away Wine, the wine bar we mentioned earlier!
You don't need to drive your own "Getaway Car" if you're staying downtown. The city operates a free streetcar service that comes every 15 minutes or so and makes a loop to many of the destinations we've mentioned here.
The staff of KSHB contributed to this report.
