Kansas City, Missouri. Those three words strung together by anyone can sound boring. The images that pop up into anyone’s mind mostly include a lot of cows, fields and even more corn.

But really is there anything that is exciting to do in a city surrounded by small farms  and stretching plain?After racking my brain for days on end during the summer for stuff to do, a certain website was brought to my attention called FindingKansasCity.com. The title read “169 Things to do in Kansas City that are better than Netflix.”

After searching for just a short amount of time an ad for something close to me popped up. By the looks of it, it was an abandoned castle. But digging more into the past of this building reports of this being an abandoned prison came up that was closed after it was deemed not fit to sustain human life.

Strangely my first instinct was to grab a friend and head over there. The drive was only about 15 minutes and as soon as we got there instant chills ran down my spine. I had never been in this area of town before and there was a reason for it. In front of us on the corner of 20th and Vine lies a run down castle, growing older and more majestic with time. The old building around the castle radiated danger and the graffiti covering the walls looks menacing to those who pass. But sure enough my friend and I were able to gather our courage and walk inside the building.

It was dark. So dark that if it had not been bright outside you would never escape these narrow hallways. Graffiti covered the walls. Some beautiful and some with messages that made you instantly want to turn back and escape this hole. My heart raced as I traced the halls for signs of others. In the halls of the once amazing castle lay the remains of old beds and prison bars. A movement that was so fast speeds along the walls in my peripheral vision only to be discovered as an old shirt being flung around by the wind.

A big opening was discovered and finally the room is illuminated with the light off the sun giving a comforting feeling to the uneasiness that has filled the day. The only way out is up and that is where we go. Scaling the walls is not easy and after several scraped arms and legs I can see the way out.

In an odd way I don’t want to leave. I found this place and it feels like my discovery. Even though it might not be in the safest part of town and there is a possibility of getting hurt, this was one of the places that I liked to be in the most.

During the summer I went back several times taking everyone I thought would enjoy going. I don’t recommend this for everyone, but in a place like Kansas City it is a new experience to have. Through FindingKansasCity.com I discovered that Kansas City  is more thatn just cows and corn. It is a place filled with amazing and historical places that could lead to the adventure of your life. If you’re looking for something that’s different look up FindingKansasCity.com and see where it takes you.

http://findingkansascity.com/lists/things-to-do-in-kansas-city