National Historic Landmark

Liberty Memorial

Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
Listed
October 5, 2000
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
00001148

About this property

The National World War I Museum and Memorial is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial, it was designated by the United States Congress in 2004 as the country's official museum dedicated to World War I. In 2014, as part of the Centennial recognition, Congress added the designation as the country's official war memorial. A non-profit organization manages it in cooperation with the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. The museum focuses on global events from the causes of World War I before 1914 through the 1918 armistice and 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Visitors enter the exhibit space within the 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) facility across a glass bridge above a field of 9,000 red poppies, each representing 1,000 combatant deaths. As of 2025, the museum’s collection includes more than 350,000 items, making it one of the largest World War I collections globally. The museum was closed in 1994 for renovations and reopened in December 2006 with an expanded facility to exhibit an artifact collection begun in 1920.

Location

100 W 26th St.
Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
39.08031, -94.58601

Categories

ARCHITECTURELANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARTSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Liberty Memorial

This page lists Liberty Memorial. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Liberty Memorial report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

United States Post Office-Kansas City
Industrial
0.3 mi
Union Station
Civil War
0.3 mi
Sweeney Automobile and Tractor School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Squibb, E.R. and Sons, Building
Industrial
0.4 mi
Union Station (Boundary Increase)
Civil War
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Kansas City Skirmish 1861
1861Civil War
1.4 mi
Price's Raid — Battle of Westport
1864Civil War
2.1 mi
Battle of Byram's Ford
1864Civil War
2.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Liberty Memorial listed on the National Register?

Liberty Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 5, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Liberty Memorial?

Liberty Memorial is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Liberty Memorial a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Liberty Memorial has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Liberty Memorial?

The period of significance for Liberty Memorial is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Liberty Memorial?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Liberty Memorial will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Jackson County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Jackson County.

Explore JacksonCounty ›

More historic places in Missouri

Browse all historic places in Missouri.

View Missourihistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Missouri history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Missourihistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Liberty Memorial will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report