Reviews of Johnson County Museum (Museum)

Tom Prewitt

When it opened we were so excited to see what it had to offer. Upon entry we bought a year membership with high expectations. Took us about 30 minutes to walk through and we haven't been back over the past year.

Christoforo Morin

Johnson County Museum has a well-maintained, fascinating history of the area. It would be great for children as well as adults with engaging and thought-provoking questions about land, development, and displacement. There are child-centered activities too. This is a great museum for all ages. Closed on Sundays. Exhibits change often. Have a Kidscape area for little ones. The All-electric house brought a lot of memories to mind.

Jill Blakeley

So fun & informative!! Took me back to my childhood & beyond!! A must-see!!!

Will England

Surprisingly nice space. I look forward to exploring it more. Good for event hosting - large conference room and great projector and sound.

JoEllen Berk

Having visited JoCo Museum in its previous location and now in its new location, I would have to say that it has been transformed into an indoor amusement park. Yes, the children may love it, but maybe not those of us who lived a large portion of that history. Initially the timeline is easy to follow but it quickly becomes blurred: many of the pictures are not dated. A sign tells us the all-electric house from the 1950s has been restored but it has lost its authenticity. The kitchen is still pink but it is not the original shade of pink, and the bathroom is still aqua but neither is it the 1950s' shade of aqua. I visited the previous location periodically and enjoyed the house and the other displays. I do not care to revisit the new version.

Nicholette Daniels

We went for a field trip and the kids loved it. The old fashion house exhibit was fun. Took me back to the days of visiting my grandparents.

Dennis Lasley

Clean brought back alot of memories.

Rose Wasko

Grandkids (8-9) loved it. Models by Brad Moore were interesting. My daughter loved all the things that reminded her of her childhood. Loved the electric house. Kids liked the kids room. We bought the season passes.

Mishel Andre

Great fun!

Beth Ming

Amazing to see if you grew up in Overland Park KS!

Patrick Horan

Enjoyable history of the area and fun activities for small children.

ImPaul Law

God place to visit if you LOVE Johnson County and interested in its history. There is "some" nostalgia, but nothing spectacular. "Maybe" in the future, like 30-40 more years, something great will be included in this museum.

Walt Bohn

The Johnson County Museum was a good place to look and go to see

deania blubaugh

Play area for children somewhat unorganized. Great hands on equipment, just needs structure

Tiffany Zeiger

Very nice and clean! Good place to take the kids!

Cflake7000 _

Very nice and updated saw “Zombie Prom” here and I went to my friend’s Bar Mitzvah. Very nice and cool place!

Carrie Ann Raybern

Good

Mike Joyce

A great place to remember days of the past.

Tim ONeil

Lots of nest things going on.

Peter Pakdel

Fun museum with plenty of rich local history. The curator really did a great job with the space in creating a good flow and the exhibit progresses rather seamlessly. The model home is impressive with all the vintage appliances and amenities. It's fun for the kids as well as they have a kid space with a model town for the kids to role play in.

Amanda Love

Very family friendly place. Inexpensive and interesting.

Shannon Wms

The 1950s electric house was amazing! I would love to go back when out isn't so crowded to really explore the museum.

M Moore

treme douses Museum

Justin Adrian

The new Johnson County Museum is lack luster. I am a history teacher at a local high school and I would take my students to their old location, in Shawnee, on a yearly basis. The purpose was to visit the 1950s All-Electric House and have my students understand the period of electricity and how it made the suburban home feel futuristic. We would have guided tours through the home and see how electricity shaped the way people lived. Long story short, I won’t be bringing my students to this new location, as it would take them 5-10 minutes to go through.

Travis Copple

Nice place. Never went to the original location. The house that they brought in is awesome. Exhibits change every now and then. Large area for kids to play.

A R

It looks amazing honestly I loved the structure and the atmosphere but unfortunately I was only there to vote but then realized I was given the wrong information but I do plan to go back and take my children

Kathryn Featherstone

This is a fantastic museum showcasing how cities grew to spread to rural areas, which became suburbs. The 1950's electric house is displayed very nicely. Terrific children's play area, with an open plan and only one entrance/exit. There is a family bathroom and water filling station. Great outing for kids of any age!

Donnie Adams

Absolutely wonderful! Spent 4 1/2 hours there taking it all in ♡

Casey Copeland

My family loves to go here to play in the kids area, for kids probably 5 and under its a great time. They have multiple buildings, businesses and things that make up a small town! The nice thing is they provide seating in the middle for parents to easily watch their kiddos membership and day passes are both very affordable. If your looking to get out of the house to entertain the little ones and relax a bit this is a fun option!

Chris Karlin

Really nice presentation of the history and potential of the area.

Brenda Champagne

Fun and interesting. Kids love the interactive play.

Brandi Morales

This was a great way to spend tbe morning with 7 year olds.

Merri Yount

Very interesting. The electric house is a lot different now that it is inside

Todd Schmidt

As a transplant, truly enjoyed this museum!

nanette breer

Wonderfully fun. Brings back so many memories!

Theodore John

Great meeting space. Video and microphones were excellent. Recommend for 100 people gatherings.

Kate Downey

The new KidScape is great! Perfect for preschool or elementary imaginative play, but my 1yo loves it too.

casie blevins

Love the new location but not thrilled about it not being free anymore. I didn't like the changes made to the 1950's All Electric House. I understand that they were necessary but it lost much of its charm by changing the floors and chopping up the rooms. The old location had an actual front and back yard and patio. It felt like a house in a time warp. The new set up feels more like a sterile museum. Too bad.

Caleb George

Cool place to spend a few hours with the kids. The main part does cost to go through, which in unfortunate. It was fun F to go through on a free weekend, but since it was free it was ridiculously crowded. Parking was terrible as well, but the overall feel would be way different with less people. I'm sure it would be better on a refular day, if your willing to pay for it.

Kristi Tomas

My son and I had a great time! Loved it!

Sara Sara

Kid friendly a must go.

Keith Walley

Great little place to bring the kids for a birthday party.

Chrissy Rayl

Very interesting displays from years past. The house replica brought some of us to tears. It was like going to Grandma's house when we were little. Loved it!

Patricia Voss

My kids had a wonderful time anyone who has children I suggest that you take a chance on this Museum there's a section just for children that's like a little town and like it take for hours

Michael Greene

Very friendly staff. Great place to take the family on a rainy day.

Mindi Leftwich

They put on a great program for the scouts! Girls loved it!

Stephanie Chaponniere

We visited Kidscape, it was a cute area for kids to run around and play pretend. Lots of dress-up items in every area. A 1 year old will have fun running around (just watch out for the bigger kids running too!) but it really seems to be better for 2 & up (in my opinion).

Michael McSpadden

Great place for our toddler to play. He loves the house to explore and the children's area was very nice.

Thomas Sutter

Outstanding local museum. Very reasonably priced. A MUST SEE for Builders and Boomers who grew up in Johnson County.

Joe Amy Valdez

Wedding reception was nice

Michael Laird

My toddler loves to play here!

Tseeb Herr

A lot of history. If you're interested in the city's history, definitely come check it out. Plus, they have an area for children!

Vicky Gunkel

Took my sister, and all 11 grandchildren and their moms. We had a blast! The Wizard of Oz attraction that's here for a time was great and the all electric 50's home fascinating and retro-fun for me and my sister. This place even hosts events and theatre at resonable cost.

Sterling Bobbitt

A very good museum, exploring life along one of the more important social fault lines in our country's history; the edge of slave vs. free states. History did not stop there, of course, and the way society moved through prejudice is also shown. The "new" electric house exhibit is a must for parents to share with their children, and the kid zone is brilliant!

7 Bob Walkowicz

It will bring you a feeling of small towns,and you can see the growth of your own times.

Linda Belden

The Johnson County museum is a must for anyone who grew up in the area. Fabulous interactive displays and artifacts, and a play area for the kids.

Jason Randall

My family went on the free day last week and had an amazing time. Kiddos made some great artwork!!

Nathan Driscoll

The best exhibit is the 1950s electric house. Absolutely great to see what were considered state of the art attributes. Some of the things inside the house would be nice to have in today's houses such as the outdoor patio speakers that were tied into the television in the living room which could be viewed through a picture window in the rear of the house, or the "built-in" nightlights in the baseboards all over the house, which turned on when an electric eye on the outside of the house recognized it was getting dark outside. I strongly urge everyone to go see this exhibit.

Bonnie Drake

Baby shower was awesome! Interesting museum for kids and adults.

Dennis Putinski

The Works omelet was superb and delicious.

Greg Wagner

Another very well done and managed facility by JoCo. Meeting and gathering spaces are plentiful, programs abundant and historical exhibits on par with Smithsonian. Worth the trip with whole family to this little gem.

Jessy Moore

Kids loved it

Benjamin Gray

The museum was great! I was so excited to see the all electric 1954 home and it delivered! Full of very interesting museum and anecdotes from around the area.

Gigi Woodman

Great place, well done!

Megan Zirkle

Awesome place! Will be back for sure.

Rick Peters

Knowledgeable place to visit. Enjoyed it all and I'm not from here.

Brittany Winnike

Great community space and small museum for a quick visit. Many interesting events offered for families.

Nancy Holm

If you want a blast from the past. Also early history of Kansas state, counties and entrepreneurs history early to present. Will have different special exhibits. Occasionally have free days, should call ahead.

Dave Skalick

Loved it. They had all the iconic items the made up JoCo.

Betty Moore

Good affordable play area for kids from toddler to 9-10 yrs old. My grandkids are girls 4 & 9.

Andrea Weiner

My children love going to play at the children's museum. Very clean and happy place. Sometimes it does get a little busy.

Ignatius Akenga

Serene

Rachel Horvath

The Kids area is fun and has many various places for all ages to explore! The electric house is fun and interesting to walk through.

Susana Gancedo

Perfect for young children to play and parents.

Richard Owens

Nice place for music daughter's wedding reception.

robyn weeks

Nice new museum about JoCo.

Dann Michelson

What a great place! Very family friendly. The museum is interesting and Kidscape is amazing!

Frank Karycinski

This is a nice surprise. Much more to see and learn here than expected.

Kansas K

A well-organized and educational museum.

Anthony Allman

Very clean and a lot of great stuff to see!

Alisa Del Real

Love sharing the history of Johnson County with my kids. Its a fun colorful museum to take the kids and they can look without worry. The interactive parts and looking at the 1950's house it is great. They think the house phone is cool.

Denise Snyder

I was pleasantly surprised at how well this museum is put together. I recommend it to anyone who would like to learn about Johnson County Kansas. Includes a great 1950's all electric home. My son and I spent more than 3 hours enjoying the exhibits.

Kate Clark

I love the new kid space! Really large and clean. Only one door for entry/exit makes watching kids easy. Chickens and eggs still there and now with a super cool ice cream parlor, too.

Michael Gile

The kids had a lot of fun playing in all of the kid areas. I enjoyed learning about the history of Johnson County.

Seán Riley

Kidscape is a neat little area but it cost $13 for me my wife and my 2 year old to play. The old location was free. This just seems overpriced for the play area provided. Charging $5 for adults is crazy.

Elizabeth Marin

It is small museum. It has a area for kids in the basement.

Auddy G.

They do a great job telling the true history of Johnson County! All Electric House is awesome! KidScape is super free learning fun for the kiddos...all around great fo the whole family!

Frank Drake

It was ok!

Muriel Greenawalt

If you were raised in Johnson county this is a must .

Rosemarie Magee

Building is awesome. Brunch was served... Ran out of food. Group I was with didn't realize there was more food under the serving tables. 3 of the host group ran out to get more juice, coffee, sweet rolls. Not a single problem with staff at facility. The group I was with didn't have someone present when food delivered... If they had someone there, this incident would never have happened.

Jason Puett

Only the upstairs exhibits are free, neat history representation of Johnson county Kansas

Jim Arndt

An interesting place, the museum is nice

Maureen Hill

Fun place to go on a rainy day brought back good memories

Ashley Craft

This place is seriously so much fun. The kidsscape play area is high quality and the kids love playing there. The museum portion is well made and honestly takes you back in time to Johnson County of the past. Each of the exhibits are well-thought-out and carefully curated.

Bradley Gustin

Very nice place to visit for a quick taste of Johnson County history...fun place.

Martha Hernandez

It was first time there . my grandson love it

Jim Ernst

Fascinating and extremely well.done. Lots to see and do and even a room for the little kiddies. We were very impressed!

Linda Shields

Worth a Visit, especially the guided tour!!!

Katrina Pate

Very interesting and kids of all ages were engaged.

Lopez Jen

Fun place great for kids with birthday party options as well! Days scheduled off school they have "childcare" type availabilities for advance sign ups. I'm guessing check out the website! But all around great scenic trip down memory lane for I who grew up in OP!! Love it, definitely check it out.

Terrie Franklin

Took my grand kids and they loved kidsscape and the house inside the museum.

Kayla Ruth

My kids love coming here!

shelley lewis

New look for kidscape, 4yr old loved it and made the museum interactive for her and I also. Classes looked fun

Melissa Bechtel

We had a group tour. It is amazing that they got the all electric house inside the building. I did expect the museum to take more square footage of the building, but my brain was full when we were finished. It didn't need to be bigger.

Stan Gordon

Wish I would have had more time

Mike

I really liked the old location for the kids museum, because it covered more space had a small town and was never as chaotic when there were a lot of people there. The current kids museum is a single room and when it is crowded well it feels that way. Cannot comment on the adult portion of the museum or the conference spaces.

Will Braune

My kids love playing in the kids space downstairs! The museum is kept in good condition and is pretty interesting. I know there is space for performances, but I haven't seen any yet.

Elizabeth Storm

Great museum! Very family friendly and so informative about the Johnson County area. Highly recommended!

Melinda Dyke

Cool little museum. Love the all electric house.

Sarah A. Wille

Wonderful experience!

Mike O'Connell

A surprisingly nice little museum. I learned quite a bit about the civil war era in Kansas. The kids play area was also good for an hour or so of play.

Greg Quinn

Plenty of room in the lower area for small children to play. History of Johnson County very nicely done Always a good atmosphere in which to vote during elections.

Eric Drake

If you are interested in the history of your community then this is the place. It is at your own pace and no matter your age you can learn something new. We really enjoyed it and will be back.

kyle detrick

Very cool place to look around.

Zoë Dunning

Love the modern look and the museum exhibit were very informative and interesting.

Laura Langham

Plenty of space and variety for kids to have hours of fun! I'm looking into membership!

Christopher Lonergan

Much more interesting than expected!

Ray Moncrieffe

Very nice historical display. Great for kids and adults

Lorrin Mannon

We had so much fun here! Lots of learning, adorable 50s style mode home, and the kids play area is amazing. Our one year old and nine year old both had a blast and didn’t want to leave! Very impressed

Carrie Sallee

This museum would appeal to baby boomers who either love history or grew up in Johnson county. It would not appeal to me if I were a child. Best part was seeing the old King Louie and remembering it as it was. In the back there is red velvet seated movie theater; probably from the Glenwood theater. They played home movies of the French Market Kiddie Land. I loved kiddieland as a child! Because I grew up in Johnson county and remember a lot of this, I found it to be like walking down memory lane. The price was right at $5 for an adult. I would highly recommend taking your parents or grandparents through this museum.

Paul Sullivan

I grew up in the area in the 60s and had no idea a museum about Johnson County could be so interesting! The graphics in the displays go from engaging to visually arresting. The '54 all electric home is just riveting for anyone who grew up any time close to that era. Nothing but love for that place. Wanna go back and look at it some more!

Misty Nelson

Has some amazing pieces!! Loved the 1950s style house on the inside!!

Joshua Peters

The museum has a lot of detail. There is even a full sized house inside from the 1950's. There is a lot of history to learn about the surrounding area. There is an area for the children to explore and touch everything. The theatre is very nice and the creative common area is very pleasing. I really liked the tables they made out of the old bowling lanes.

Gregory Armijo

Great place to be! A lot of fun, interesting exhibits! My only suggestion is to add a coat check. Thanks!

Ed Raner

Great history of the county.

Leslie Tipton

Fabulous documentation of Johnson County and family friendly. Fabulous kids area!

KT Ussery

Wonderful place! I took a field trip there with 10 preschoolers ranging from 2 - 6 years in age. This place was clean, organized, friendly staff, easy to get too and accessible bathrooms! Every one of the kids found something they loved and got to experiment with hands on props and creative fun. I would recommend this for children 10 and under for a field trip or for family fun! The museum part was very interesting, easy to flow through and had great examples of items from the 1950's. Loved this place and this experience!!!!

Stephanie Sparks

We loved them at their old location & it looks like a lot of fun at their new location. Unfortunately we got there an hour before close to find out there is an admission fee. It is now $5 for adults & $3 for ages 1 to 17. We are excited to come check it out but if you drive an hour like we do then leave yourself more time to visit to make it worth it. The only reason I am rating it 4 stars is because of the age they start charging admission. $3 for a 1 year old seems a bit much when most places do not charge until they hit at least age 3.

Slim Rhyno

When my grandmother visited, we told her about the Museum as well as the Electric House, and she got so excited. Honestly, I thought she built it up too much in her head, but I am thrilled to say that it not only lived up to them, but exceeded them in every way! The Electric House was wonderful, but what I was really impressed with was the warm demeanor and knowledge of the staff. I'm a little embarrassed that I can't remember any of their names at the moment, but they were all lovely people. I knew that my grandma would love it (which she did), but I couldn't believe how much my mother, my fiance, and I did. In fact, she and I are hoping to take a couple of our friends over there next month. So if you are wondering whether or not you should check it out, I would personally recommended it very much. It is a lovely way to learn not only about our history as a nation, but also the history of our home state of Kansas.

Christy Utley

Surprisingly very interesting and fun!

Fred Nugent

Plenty to see and experience.

Pablo Rodriguez

Great place for kids for at least 3 hours. Clean bathrooms. Fun for any age under 10

Linda Lawrence

The Kidscape area is adorable and the kids have a blast! Just be sure your child understands taking turns and sharing because the place has been packed every time I go.

Lance Burnside

A nice place to take your kids

Craig Shafar

Great family atmosphere! As a JCPRD employee I am very proud of what the county did at the old king Louie bowling alley.

James Crawford

Suprisingly good. Covers a lot of local history.

Evan Allen

Cool vintage house, I would have preffered more technical information about it though

David Tagg

Really nicely laid out musuem that was surprisingly interesting and had a large variety of excellent exhibits

Lakresha Stewart

Overall this place brings back so many memories. Although I must say The Electric house is my favorite part of the whole museum......a must see!

Sandra Hannah

My family attended church service in the meeting rooms. I was very impressed with what I was able to see of the facilities. Landscaping is similar to low-water consumption/ prairie restoration areas with lots of native grasses and plants. Artwork scattered throughout the main lobby and hallways by local artists. My children loved the colorful, but not overdone, vibe of the lobby with a variety of seating options including: couches, chairs, animal shaped stools, and a couple of rotating loungers. Update October 2018- My son’s class visited the museum for a field trip. The two hour time slot was divided between free exploration in the kidscape area (children can explore several small buildings including a post office, diner, farm house, grocery store, doctors office, theater, jail, etc) a guided tour of the museum, the 1950s all-electric house, and a civic planning activity in one of the meeting rooms. This class of 3rd graders seemed to enjoy themselves for the most part and the museum staff did an excellent job of mixing historical facts and trivia in with the fun activities.

Katie Sobba

Very disappointed in our experience today. Went with a very shy 4 year old to do the daily craft activity. The website said it was a, "drop in activity" from 10-12pm and registering before was not needed. We got there 10 minutes after it started and was told it was full and they weren't accepting anyone else for the entire 2 hour time slot. We drove over an hour to spend the day in the city, this was our first activity so I wasn't overly pleased. When my group went into the entry way to talk about what we could do instead a staff member asked us to come back so she could check and see if she could "squeeze us in". When we got the art room it wasn't even full. The craft itself took roughly 10 minutes to complete and other groups went in and out freely. I'm not sure why we were turned away. After our craft was done, which we had basically no direction on, we quickly walked through the museum where tons of kids were being insanely loud and rude while parents stood around. In the Kidscape area I was very unimpressed, it was a mess and the toys were old and dirty looking. Parents again were not watching the children and the child I was with wouldn't do anything because of the others running around and butting into his personal space. Our entire time there was 40 minutes.

Gregg Schlein

Kinda disappointed. Not a lot there.

Brittney Nelson

My kids love playing at the KidScape!

Glen Shurtz

Nice friendly place.

Shaun Bell

I'll point out a few things you won't read elsewhere. Kidscape is worth a membership! After visiting here the first time we decided to get an annual membership and after our second visit it's definitely paying off. Rainy days aren't the only reason to hide from the elements (it's over 100 degrees right now!) and having any indoor play area is worth the price of admission. The Kidscape area surrounds a central ring of seats, all in one large room so it's easy to keep an eye on the kiddos without having to chase them from room to room (looking at you, Wonderscope...) Others have described the place in detail, so I'll point out a few things you usually wouldn't notice without going yourself. I recommend wearing a hat. The lighting in this area is mostly small spotlights and they can be distracting at best. There's a family restroom just outside the Kidscape entrance, but just around the corner are the regular restrooms. The men's room also has a changing station (Yay!) and a short urinal for boys (who doesn't?) but surprisingly doesn't have a short sink. It's necessary to hold the kids up to wash their hands. Even a step stool would help. It looks like the place has wifi though I haven't tried connecting to it. There are recycling bins connected to the trash cans. Great opportunity to talk to the kids about recycling! A large elevator leads to the lower level (where Kidscape lies). There are no windows in Kidscape besides the door, which has no view to the outside world. Thus it's very comfortable inside (maybe even a tad chilly if you're not running around. The bones of the old King Louis bowling alley are still there and it's worth looking up as you enter or leave Kidscape. The rest of the museum is also worth checking out. I'll leave those details to others. :)

Bobbie Fields

Love it! Lots of Great history to see and learn. Plus a Awesome place just for the kiddos to enjoy and play.

Brian Grimmett

The new museum is visually stunning and fun for all ages. In my experience local history museums are stuffy and boring, but that isn't the case at all here. Attached to the exhibit is an excellent children's discovery center. Lots of fun hands on imagination play activities. Price is affordable, especially if you were to get a family year membership.

Elizabeth Wilcox

Turning onto the road that led up to the entrance of the museum was more than I was expecting for a local museum. It was a beautiful building with with beautiful exhibits on the insides that unfolded the story where the Johnson community has came from and where it’s headed. Besides just the historical exhibits, the museum hosted clean and beautiful seating areas and community rooms for art and dancing classes. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you’re a historical buff or are looking for something fun and educational to do with your family. Also, if you keep an eye on their calendar you may be able to visit on a free entry day.

Diane Freeland

Such a fun place on the ground floor where nothing is off limits to them and it's completely safe.

Sarah Jennings

We enjoyed this museum in it's old location but the new facility on Metcalf is absolutely stunning! The new format for the all electric house is wonderful, the kidscape area is super fun and the common area is perfect for relaxing.

shiraz momin

Nice staff & clean facilities

Dan Plemons

This is a great experience for the whole family! Well done preserving the history oh Johnson county.

Nadine Goddard

First time being there and was very impressed and learned alot about the County that we live in. Great place to take your family. Interactive for kids.

Jennifer Green

We bought the annual family pass for the museum and kidscape and we've already used it well over the price of it. The kids love it and could spend hours there.

Sabra Rodriguez

Loved it! Was a great little museum for the price, will be coming back.

Jeremy B

Great little museum about the history of Johnson County.

Conrad Smith

Johnson County (Kansas) recently acquired and repurposed the King Louie building and converter it to a community place and museum. The Museum does a fantastic job of telling the story of Johnson County and Overland Park. It's will be interesting for residents and visitors alike

Carolyn Johnson

Went for a work meeting. Facility is beautiful!