Entrance to Swope Park



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, all nestled behind the grand entrance. 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.