City: Kansas City, MO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (816) 932-1200

Address: 4800 Rockhill Rd.

Description: This exquisite walled sanctuary is one more lasting legacy from the couple who gave so much to Kansas City. And although it’s not large, there is much to see as you walk through each display. Brick pathways lead you past elegant ironwork, sculptures, and stained-glass windows providing a delightful mix of vistas and textures. A teak bench provides a place to pause and murmur a quiet thank-you to the Kauffmans, whose gifts are ever blooming. Garden pavilions provide shade, and pergolas brace bright blossoms nodding on vines. A lush mix of flowers and plants is changed three times each year, so the garden looks completely different from month to month. A reflecting pool runs the length of the Parterre Garden, where slender female sculptures by local artist Tom Corbin are captured in midpirouette. The secluded Secret Garden really does have a secret: three hidden fountains that shoot arcs of water above your head at random moments. This is also the gravesite for the beloved Ewing and Muriel Kauffman. The garden is open every day except some holidays, and there is no admission fee. No pets are allowed except assistance dogs.