Veterans Day
How to Commemorate Veterans Day in Kansas City
Discount Admission and Special Activities, Saturday, Nov. 7 — Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020
Join us in honoring veterans with special activities, free public ceremonies on the grounds and free general admission for veterans and active duty military to the Museum and Memorial, Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. In addition, general admission is half price for the public on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Buy your tickets online.
On Veterans Day, Americans are encouraged to commit themselves to the cause of peace and to honor the Nation’s veterans for their courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. The Museum and Memorial hosts commemoration events every November, highlighting the connections between Veterans Day and World War I.
Tips for Commemorating Veterans Day
From “8 Ways to Express Appreciation on Veterans Day,” courtesy of Military.com
- Show Up – Attend a Veterans Day event in your area.
- Donate – There a number of organizations that support veterans.
- Fly a Flag – Not sure of the proper etiquette? Look here.
- Ask Someone About their Service – Questions such as “What did you do in the military” and “How long did you serve” are great starting points.
- Write – Send a postcard, letter or email.
- Don’t Confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day – Veterans Day is a time to thank people for their service. Memorial Day is meant to reflect on those who gave their lives during service.
- Visit a VA Hospital – Many host special events on Veterans Day.
- Get Outdoors with a Veteran – Admission to national parks is free for everyone on Veterans Day.
Learn more about the Origins of Veterans Day
Veterans Day Activities
Wednesday, Nov. 11
LEGACY JUMP
When: 7:30 a.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard
What: Organized by the Bird’s Eye View Project and led by Purple Heart Recipient, former Navy SEAL and extreme sports enthusiast, Ryan “Birdman” Parrott. An All Veteran Group parachute team will tandem skydive a veteran from each war – World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan War & Iraq War, as well as Sept. 11 – and land on the Museum and Memorial’s Southeast Lawn. Parrott will cap off the event with a symbolic WWI Soldier & “Missing Man” BASE Jump from the 217-foot Liberty Memorial tower.
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
When: 10 a.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard
What: Join us for a moving ceremony honoring our nation’s veterans with a keynote address from Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Mayor Quinton Lucas will deliver a special reading. This year’s abbreviated ceremony will be outdoors to ensure we can celebrate our veterans safely. Please dress warmly, practice social distancing and wear a mask. FREE to the public.
View the livestream of the ceremony, starting at 10 a.m. CST. Watch Video ›
LIVING HISTORY VOLUNTEERS
When: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard and Paul Sunderland Bridge
What: History is brought to life with our Living History Volunteers who will be available for social distanced pictures. FREE to the public.
Cars 4 Heroes Ceremony
When: 11 a.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, North Lawn
What: For 24 years, Cars 4 Heroes has provided free, basic, reliable transportation to Veterans, First Responders and their families, that otherwise are not able to obtain transportation for themselves. Join us for a moving ceremony as the organization hands over the keys of 11 cars to deserving individuals.
WALK OF HONOR DEDICATION CEREMONY
When: 2 p.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard
What: More than 100 new Walk of Honor ggranite bricks will be dedicated during a special ceremony. The Walk of Honor is divided into three sections: bricks dedicated solely to those who served in World War I; bricks dedicated to veterans of any military service; and bricks that honor civilian friends, family or organizations. Walk of Honor bricks are dedicated twice each year during Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies. FREE to the public.
View the livestream of the ceremony, starting at 2 p.m. CST. Watch Video ›
Kansas City Symphony Performance
When: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.Where: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Southeast Lawn
What: At a time when audiences cannot visit indoor venues, the Symphony is taking the music on the road to reach music lovers and families in every corner of the metropolitan area. Kansas City Symphony’s new outdoor stage on wheels, the Mobile Music Box, will be on the Museum and Memorial's Southeast Lawn for a 3 p.m. performance. FREE to the public.
SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS
Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI
Where: Wylie Gallery
What: WWI exploded in the late summer of 1914 and though underrepresented in the histories, women were working hard in war industries, nursing, transportation and fighting for equal rights. Women’s fashion also played a surprisingly important role during WWI, especially in France. Learn why fashion was more than simply a means of personal expression in the new exhibition Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI – a new chapter of the history of the war at the Museum and Memorial.
100 Years of Collecting
Where: Exhibit Hall
What: The National WWI Museum and Memorial began collecting directly from the First World War in 1920 and has amassed the most comprehensive Great War collection in the world. In a tremendous stroke of foresight, the organization’s founders determined that the collection should be inclusive of every nation that actively participated in the war. 100 Years of Collecting provides a window to examine incredibly diverse objects and documents, as well as the opportunity to see how this monumental collection came to fruition.
100 Years of Collecting – Art
Where: Memory Hall
What: 100 Years of Collecting - Art examines striking works related to the First World War, including pieces from the U.S., Germany, France and the U.K. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with 100 Years of Collecting in Exhibit Hall and provides the opportunity to view diverse works collected in the past century from across the world.
Votes & Voices
Where: West Lobby Gallery
What: On Aug. 26, 1920, after more than a century and half of activism, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, officially barring discrimination of voting explicitly based upon one’s “sex.” The passage and ratification of the amendment was deeply influenced by women’s significant involvement on the battle and homefronts during World War I coupled with unrelenting political organizing. Votes & Voices explores some of the history of the women’s suffrage movement and its connections to the Great War, largely from the perspectives of the women who fought for democracy at home and abroad.
VETERANS DAY Driving and Parking
Please note that there will be nearby early morning street closures from 7 - 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The surrounding streets affected include: Kessler Road, Memorial Drive, W. Pershing Road from Kessler to Main, Main Street from Pershing to Memorial Drive, Wyandotte Street from 31st to Memorial Drive and West 29th Street from Broadway to Wyandotte.
Sponsored by
Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI
Where: Wylie GalleryWhat: WWI exploded in the late summer of 1914 and though underrepresented in the histories, women were working hard in war industries, nursing, transportation and fighting for equal rights. Women’s fashion also played a surprisingly important role during WWI, especially in France. Learn why fashion was more than simply a means of personal expression in the new exhibition Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI – a new chapter of the history of the war at the Museum and Memorial.
100 Years of Collecting
Where: Exhibit HallWhat: The National WWI Museum and Memorial began collecting directly from the First World War in 1920 and has amassed the most comprehensive Great War collection in the world. In a tremendous stroke of foresight, the organization’s founders determined that the collection should be inclusive of every nation that actively participated in the war. 100 Years of Collecting provides a window to examine incredibly diverse objects and documents, as well as the opportunity to see how this monumental collection came to fruition.
100 Years of Collecting – Art
Where: Memory HallWhat: 100 Years of Collecting - Art examines striking works related to the First World War, including pieces from the U.S., Germany, France and the U.K. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with 100 Years of Collecting in Exhibit Hall and provides the opportunity to view diverse works collected in the past century from across the world.
Votes & Voices
Where: West Lobby GalleryWhat: On Aug. 26, 1920, after more than a century and half of activism, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, officially barring discrimination of voting explicitly based upon one’s “sex.” The passage and ratification of the amendment was deeply influenced by women’s significant involvement on the battle and homefronts during World War I coupled with unrelenting political organizing. Votes & Voices explores some of the history of the women’s suffrage movement and its connections to the Great War, largely from the perspectives of the women who fought for democracy at home and abroad.
VETERANS DAY Driving and Parking
Please note that there will be nearby early morning street closures from 7 - 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The surrounding streets affected include: Kessler Road, Memorial Drive, W. Pershing Road from Kessler to Main, Main Street from Pershing to Memorial Drive, Wyandotte Street from 31st to Memorial Drive and West 29th Street from Broadway to Wyandotte.Sponsored by