Liberty Memorial Tower lights up National WWI Museum

By Megan Linder

 

The National World War I Museum located in downtown Kansas City attracts upwards of 300,000 visitors each year and is admired by locals and tourists. According to the Kansas City Star, visitors in 2016 came from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. The museum itself is filled with art galleries and many historic artifacts from the war. However, the aspect that seems to be most popular with visitors is the Liberty Memorial Tower.

The site for the Liberty Memorial was dedicated in 1921 and built between 1923 and 1926. It was later restored and reopened in 2002 after the completion of the renovations. The cylindrical tower is 36 feet in diameter at its base, and tapers to 28 feet at the top. In order to go to the top of the tower, visitors have to pay a small fee in addition to their admission. Guests have to wait in line for the elevator that fits a maximum of seven people. After exiting the elevator there are 45 steps to climb to the observation deck. Once you reach the top you are able to walk around the entirety of the deck to see different viewpoints of the city.

Last week, Vikki and her son Joseph visited from Lincoln, Nebraska. Joseph said he had been to the museum with his eighth-grade class but felt he wasn’t able to see it all and wanted to spend more time going through each exhibit. They decided to go through the museum on the first day and then go in the tower the next. They both were very impressed with the museum as a whole especially the views from the tower.

“There was a lot I did not know about like why the war started and so forth so I thought the museum had a lot of great information,” said Vikki “I also was surprised by the views from the tower and I would definitely come back.”

The tower may be remarkable during the day, but is even more eye catching at night. The display is called the “Flame of Inspiration” and is created by steam and lighting effects emitted from the top of the tower. The tower also features lights at the bottom to illuminate the entire structure.

The courtyard where the tower sits is also popular because the large area that is suitable for groups of any size. The museum hosts events in the courtyard which draw patrons from all over the Kansas City area. The next event, Taps at the Tower, will take place June 17- 23 and will include music and a brief ceremony while visitors can enjoy a sunset picnic.

 

 

Works Cited

Kansas City Star. (2017). National World War I Museum in Kansas City breaks attendance record — again. Retrieved from Kansas City Star: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article124537539.html

National WWI Museum and Memorial. (2018). ELEMENTS OF THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL. Retrieved from The National WWI Museum and Memorial: https://www.theworldwar.org/explore/museum-and-memorial/elements-museum-and-memorial

 

Museum Visitors:

Vikki and Joseph