In preparation for the recent Memorial Day, the grounds of the Liberty Memorial were ablaze in red, white and blue flags, as they were on the dedication day on November 11, 1926. These grounds have been the social gathering place for Kansas Citians for over a century. When Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial in 1926 the crowd size was around 150,000 people. (Keep in mind the population of Kansas City was a little more than double that number in 1926.) In 2015, when the Royals won the World Series, 800,000 people gathered at the memorial. Then when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2024 the crowd size swelled to more than a million. The memorial continues to be a place which attracts the community and builds community.
Across the way is the Kansas City Union Station which opened in 1914. The station opened just in time to become a crucial hub for transporting troops, food, material and weapons for the war effort for WWI. The hill overlooking Union Station seemed the logical location for a memorial for the Great War. At the close of WWI in 1919, a local campaign to raise money to build a memorial began. A whopping 83,000 local people donated 2.5 million dollars to fund the project in just 10 days. The town was/is emotionally involved with this project. Over decades, with changing lifestyles and flight to the suburbs, both the Union Station and the Liberty Memorial fell into disrepair. Once again Kansas Citians opened their wallets to restore and maintain both structures to their former grandeur. Their efforts have paid off. They are spectacular.
Liberty Memorial was built in the Egyptian Revival style of architecture. That style along with the original structures have been preserved. Tucked beneath the memorial, a museum was added in the early 2000s which informs you as to the horrors of WWI. The construction of the museum did not compromise the original environment/style. The original 1926 tower rises up 217 feet above the courtyard. An elevator takes you up to a stairway which leads to an observation platform with a 360 degree view of KC. Below you will find two massive sphinxes on the courtyard. One faces east and the other faces west. They are called Memory and Future. They shield their eyes to the horrors of war both past and future. The memorial is a dramatic and lovely place to take a walk, have a picnic or learn about the history of World War I, and remember all those who were participants.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
