Going to Kansas City World Cup 2026: Attractions East of Kansas City Stadium

Cheaper accommodations and intriguing destinations await fans staying East of Kansas City Stadium going to Kansas City for any of the six World Cup matches Kansas City will be hosting during FIFA World Cup 2026.

Whether you enjoy the great outdoors, history, shopping, or dining, there are plenty of enticing options. The following are my personal recommendations based on 35 years of experience living in Eastern Jackson County (EJC) outside of Kansas City. (The following is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to be.)

Lake Life and Eighteen holes

Eastern Jackson County is blessed with an abundance of lakes, trails, and outdoor spaces.

Blue Springs, 17 minutes from KC Stadium, features Fleming Park, home to Blue Springs Lake and its sister, Lake Jacomo. Both have a marina, where mildly powered boats, kayaks, and fishing gear, etc, can be rented, and both are surrounded by various shelter areas and enjoyable walking/hiking trails.

Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs’ neighbor to the south, features Longview Lake, which has all the above amenities, plus a golf course.

Golf courses are in abundance in Blue Springs with Blue Springs Golf Club, Adams Pointe Golf Club (the most secluded), and Stone Canyon Golf Club (the narrowest fairways) – designed by Greg Norman – all within four miles of each other.

Happy trails, for two wheels or two legs

Golf courses and lake trails can provide peaceful isolation, but if you seek to truly get away, Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area is the place. Named for Burr Oaks Creek, the 1,071 acre conservation in North Blue Springs features a conservation center and “large limestone boulders and outcrops, restored prairies and woodlands, and a trail complex (walking/hiking only) that will guide visitors through many of these unique features.” I prefer parking at the deepest part of the area, then hitting the various trails available.

But, like many of you, I love to get out my two wheels and feel more like I can fly. It’s a release, like a kid again. Little Blue Trace in Independence (Blue Springs’ more westerly neighbor and thus closer to the stadium) is my go-to bike trail (walkers/runners admitted). This 18.7-mile trail of crushed stone and pavement winds through urban and rural areas, under highways, over railroad tracks, and along farmed fields and areas of wildflowers. Entry points include: Blue Mills Road; Ripley Junction; Bundschu Road; M-78 (Hartman Heritage Center parking); Necessary Road; Phelps Road (Kansas City).

Lee’s Summit features the Rock Island Trail, a 13-mile segment of the larger Katy Trail, that connects Lee’s Summit to Kansas City Stadium at I-70. The most popular trailhead due to its amenities is Charles David Hartman Memorial Park Trailhead at 700 SW Pryor Road. Hartman is the main southern trailhead.

Appetite appeased

Hiking, Biking, a round of golf, can all induce not only thirst – hydrate people! – but hunger.

Eastern Jackson County has you covered with Kansas City BBQ and more. Near that Hartman trailhead in Lee’s Summit is Jack Stack, a KC BBQ staple on the bit upscale side. Near Jack Stack is a personal non-BBQ favorite: Red Door Woodfire Grill. Both feature cool décor (advantage Red Door), while Jack Stack has a cool outdoor space and Red Door, of course, has a wider menu.

Not too far down adjacent Chipman Road is Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant, although not unique to Kansas City, it is wine tastings paired with very good food in a cool environment. Hard to beat. And the pours are generous. Lee’s Summit’s downtown (more on that later) is where Third Street Social’s unique and delicious menu can be found.

And none of that covers some other cool EJC food spaces… as we enter the random part of our food program:

Independence: Café Verona, a quaint Italian restaurant tucked in historic Independence Square. And don’t miss Gates BBQ, one of the legendary KC joints off US Hwy 40.

Blue Springs: Bean Counter Café, a great place for breakfast and coffee located in downtown Blue Springs. Lamar’s Donuts: To die for… that’s all I need to say.

Lee’s Summit: Marina 27 at Lake Lotawana is an upscale steak and seafood restaurant in a relaxed, yet beautiful setting, whether you dine inside or outside on the vast patio on the water. Live music often provides ambiance on the patio as you catch the sunset and the cool winds off the lake. Marina 27 has been my choice for many birthday dinners.

Retail therapy and World Cup watch parties

Lee’s Summit dominates the shopping arena in Eastern Jackson County. The best downtown in the area surrounds Third Street. A bevy of restaurants, arcades, bars, and unique shops and boutiques can make for an enjoyable morning, afternoon, or evening. And now Greenstreet – “a vibrant outdoor gathering space featuring a Farmers Market, live performances, and lively community events” – is open and will be hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 watch parties.

Off Chipman Road are Summit Woods Crossing and Summit Fair, offering a wide variety of chain stores, niche shops, services, and restaurants.

Independence, Blue Springs, Grain Valley (just East past Blue Springs) all provide shopping areas and downtowns as well. Here are my recommendations for shopping in those areas: Bass Pro Shop off I-70 in Independence is always a unique experience, as is Queen Bee Boutiques just down 40 Highway in Blue Springs. Just south of I-70 in Grain Valley is The Brass Armadillo, a large antique mall where each street offers compelling memories and unique items and collectibles.

And I have to mention Main Street Pinball in Grain Valley: What a fun place filled with a large variety of old and new pinball machines. Check it out! link

The History trail

Eastern Jackson County’s history is directly tied to the nation’s history. Independence is home to the 33^rd president of the United States, Harry S Truman. The Truman Library and Museum underwent a renovation a few years ago and is much better for it. Check out the details of the end of World War II and the reconstruction Truman navigated while president. Truman’s former home holds tours and is just off Independence Square, an area that has a smattering of shops and restaurants that play on the history of the area and beyond.

Blue Springs is home to Missouri Town Living History Museum that brings mid-19^th Century Missouri to life via 30 acres of “original buildings, period-dressed interpreters, heritage livestock, and heirloom crops”. Tours are self-guided.

After 35 years living in EJC, those are my picks (Ok, the walking trail at Unity Village in Lee’s Summit and the bike/walking trail at Lake Remembrance in Blue Springs are good places to get away too.) Get out and enjoy the area whether you are going to Kansas City for a short while or a lifetime. You will find Eastern Jackson County is a pretty cool place to stay and to stay… .