http://kcyesterday.com/subscribe

KC Yesterday, 4545 Worlds of Fun Ave, Kansas City, MO (2026)

04/07/2026

Opening on April 4th, 1980, The Orient Express was a landmark steel roller coaster at Worlds of Fun that significantly elevated the park’s national profile.

It was considered one of the most advanced coasters of its time, featuring multiple inversions, including interlocking loops and the debut of the “Kamikaze Curve,” later known as a batwing, making it a major innovation in coaster design.

Set within a wooded valley, it combined intense thrills with immersive theming, including gardens, a tunnel, and a detailed station experience.

Despite its popularity through the 1980s and 1990s, incidents and evolving ride standards led to increased maintenance challenges and criticism of its roughness.

The coaster closed in 2003 and was demolished soon after, but it remains an important part of Kansas City’s amusement park history.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

04/06/2026

The Flight 42 Cocktail Lounge was a short-lived but memorable attraction in Kansas City during the mid-1960s.

On April 4th, 1965, a retired Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation aircraft, once operated by Trans World Airlines, was transported on a flatbed trailer from the downtown airport to the corner of 43rd and Main Street, creating a highly unusual bar setting.

The plane, which had previously flown international routes including New York to London, was converted into a cocktail lounge with seating, a bar, and aviation themed décor. Its novelty and immersive atmosphere made it a popular destination for both locals and visitors, offering a rare chance to socialize inside a former passenger aircraft.

Despite its popularity, the lounge operated for only about a year before closing due to financial challenges, and the plane was eventually scrapped, leaving no physical trace of the site today.

Read the full story & see more photos: https://kcyesterday.com/articles/flight-42-cocktail-lounge-kansas-city

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

Historic photos courtesy of Jackson County Historical Society, KC Star.

03/30/2026

Happy Opening Day ⚾️🧢

Opened in 1973 as Royals Stadium, Kauffman Stadium has been the home of the Kansas City Royals for over 50 years.

It was part of the Truman Sports Complex and was notable for being one of the few stadiums built exclusively for baseball during an era of multipurpose venues.

The stadium’s signature feature is the massive outfield fountain display, the largest privately funded fountain in the world at the time of construction.

Renamed Kauffman Stadium in 1993 to honor team founder Ewing Kauffman, it remains one of Major League Baseball’s most iconic and fan-friendly ballparks.

The future of the venue remains unclear as team executives have expressed their desire to vacate the stadium when their current lease expires in 2031.

Shoutout to Daniel Moreno // Kansas City in Photos for the drone shot!

Historic photo courtesy: Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

03/26/2026

Then vs. Now: Winstead's on the Plaza

Winstead's Drive-In was founded in 1936 by Kathryn Winstead in Springfield, Illinois. It was one of the first drive-in restaurants in the United States.

The Winstead family opened several more locations in the Midwest, including this one in Kansas City in 1940. This location is still in operation and has been designated a historic site by the State of Missouri.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

03/18/2026

Then vs. Now: Kansas City's First Stoplight

Installed in the 1920s at Linwood Boulevard and The Paseo, Kansas City’s first controlled intersection signaled the city's growing reliance on automobiles.

Designed by architect Edward Buehler Delk — best known for the timeless design of the Country Club Plaza — the 17-foot-tall traffic light became a local landmark due to its unique structure and placement.

Remarkably, this historic traffic signal remains operational to this day.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

Courtesy: Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO

01/19/2026

On the night of January 11, 1964, during a blinding rain and snowstorm, a single engine airplane struck the upper floors of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Building at 11th and Oak Streets, killing all four people on board.

The pilot, Jack Gorman, was attempting to reach the municipal airport when the plane hit the building near the 28th story, scattering debris over several downtown blocks. The four victims were returning from a hunting trip in Buffalo, Missouri.

At the time, the building was known for its early 20th century design by Henry Hoit and its ornate terra cotta façade. In 1974, a modernization effort covered much of that decoration with smooth stucco panels, leaving only fragments of the original ornament visible today.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

01/15/2026

January 15, 1967: The photograph of Len Dawson smoking a cigarette at halftime of Super Bowl I was taken during the first AFL NFL World Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.

Shot by LIFE magazine photographer Bill Ray, the image shows Dawson seated in the locker room with a bottle of Fresca at his feet, calmly taking a break as the Chiefs trailed at halftime. At the time, smoking among athletes was common and socially accepted, including inside locker rooms during games.

The photo was not published in 1967 and remained largely unseen for decades after the Chiefs lost the game, due in part to restrictions tied to the photographer’s locker room access.

It resurfaced in 2014 and quickly became iconic because it highlights how dramatically sports culture and health awareness have changed.

Today, the image is remembered as a candid snapshot of early professional football and one of the most enduring visuals in Kansas City sports history.

🏈 Read the full story here: https://kcyesterday.com/articles/len-dawson-cigarette

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

01/12/2026

On January 11, 1932, an explosion tore through the lobby of the Midland Theatre, then known as the Loew’s Midland, marking one of the most tragic events in the building’s history.

The blast killed Frank Alexander, a young janitor who had discovered what he believed was a discarded package beneath a balcony seat shortly after a show ended. As he carried it downstairs toward the lobby, the dynamite inside detonated, damaging the lobby but narrowly missing departing patrons.

The bombing was not random, but part of a series of theater attacks tied to bitter labor disputes between rival projectionists’ unions in Kansas City during the early 1930s. In total, eight theaters were bombed over several months, though the Midland explosion proved deadlier than intended. The men responsible were quickly arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

Today, small pockmarks from the blast can still be seen along the walls near the north staircase, and the story of Frank Alexander remains a tragic part of the Midland’s history.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

01/09/2026

On January 9, 1892, a devastating fire destroyed Academic Hall, the University of Missouri’s original and most important building, in what remains the greatest catastrophe in Columbia’s history.

Built between 1840 and 1843 on land donated by James S. Rollins, Academic Hall was designed by architect Stephen Hills and served for decades as the center of academic, administrative, and student life on campus. The fire, believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring, spread rapidly despite volunteer firefighting efforts, and by midnight the massive structure was reduced to ruins.

The loss was so severe that state leaders seriously debated moving the university out of Columbia altogether, while much of the library, artwork, and museum collections were destroyed. In the aftermath, the university committed to rebuilding on its original site, leading to the creation of Francis Quadrangle.

Only six Ionic limestone columns from Academic Hall survived the blaze, and their future was uncertain for more than a year. Though some officials wanted them removed, alumni and citizens rallied to protect them, recognizing their symbolic value.

Today, those six columns remain standing at the center of the David R. Francis Quadrangle Historic District, serving as the most enduring and recognizable symbol of the University of Missouri.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

12/28/2025

THE LONGEST GAME IN NFL HISTORY
CHIEFS vs. DOLPHINS
December 25th, 1971

On Christmas Day 1971, Kansas City's Municipal Stadium hosted a legendary NFL game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, a contest destined to become the longest in NFL history (a record that still stands today)!

The game, under the command of celebrated coaches Hank Stram and Don Shula, started with the Chiefs, a recent Super Bowl champion, establishing a 10-0 lead. However, the Dolphins, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese, fought back, tying the game at 10 by halftime.

In the fourth quarter, the Chiefs pulled ahead 24-17, only to see Miami tie it up with just 1:25 left, thanks to a clutch touchdown from Griese to Marv Fleming, forcing overtime.

Halfway through the second overtime, Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian seized his moment, nailing a 37-yard field goal. This kick sealed a 27-24 victory for Miami, ending the epic 82-minute and 40-second battle.

The game not only broke the previous record for the longest NFL game, but was also the last Chiefs game at Municipal Stadium, with Arrowhead opening the following year.

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

Photo: Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated

12/28/2025

More Christmas scenes from historic Kansas City 🌃🎄🎁

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

12/26/2025

Christmas in Kansas City 🎄🎅🎁

📸 Petticoat Lane near 11th and Walnut in downtown KC

➡️ Want to learn more about the history of Kansas City?
Instantly unlock the Top 10 Then vs. Now photos of KC when you sign up for my free weekly newsletter! It's completely free: kcyesterday.com/subscribe

KC Yesterday

04/07/2026

04/06/2026

03/30/2026

03/26/2026

03/18/2026

01/19/2026

01/15/2026

01/12/2026

01/09/2026

12/28/2025

12/28/2025

12/26/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category