Kansas City, surrounded by gently sloping terrain is located near the geographical center of the United States on the Kansas-Missouri border at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. The area is enlaced with lakes, streams, and small rivers. The City is situated in Tornado Alley, a broad region where cold breeze from the Rocky Mountains and Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico that forms the powerful storms. The climate is modified continental, with frequent and rapid fluctuations in weather during early spring. Summer is characterized with warm days and mild nights. Winter is cold with the heaviest snowfall.
The main attractions of this city are the observatory topped City Hall, the H. Roe Bartle Hall, and Municipal Auditorium which is the site for conventions, exhibitions, and musical events. The Liberty Memorial, a 217-foot (66-m) tower, stands in nearby Penn Valley Park. The Swope Park is the city’s largest park that has the zoo and the outdoor Starlight Theater, where musicals and concerts are presented during the summer.
Other main attractions are the museums:
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (which is a notable art museum).
The 18th & Vine Historic District is home to the Jazz Museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Kansas City has a symphony orchestra, an opera company, and a children's theater. One of the biggest attractions in the state is the nearby NASCAR racetrack, the Kansas Speedway. The Village West located near the Speedway is an upscale retail, hotel and entertainment district.