Col. Swope Memorial

In 1896, “Colonel” Thomas Swope (only an honorary title; Swope never actually served in any military force), allocated a grand 1334 acres of his own land to be used for a public park. The park has grown to an impressive 1805 acres as of today – one of the largest throughout the country. Some of the notable installments were the Kansas City Zoo, which opened in 1909, the suspension foot-bridge over the Blue River, built in 1907, and beauty spots aplenty, such as gardens, grassy expanses for picnicking, a pretty little restaurant and a tree-lined lake. Today the park still houses the zoo, Starlight Theater (installed 1950), fields for multiple types of athletics, the Thomas Swope Memorial Golf Course and a training field for Kansas City’s professional soccer team, Sporting KC. This monuent serves to the man who made it all possible – thank you, Colonel Swope!