9th Annual Visitors' Choice Awards chosen by visitors

Favorite barbecue, attractions, festivals and more announced today

KANSAS CITY, MO. - More than 200 people attended a reception Monday evening for the 9th Annual KC Visitors’ Choice Awards. From the region’s best barbecue to the city’s hottest jazz, Visit KC announced winners in 27 categories during the event at Boulevard Brewing Co. Thousands of visitors weighed in over the summer at VisitKC.com, selecting their top picks for the region’s best hotels, attractions, sports, dining, shopping and Kansas City experiences.

Launched in 2007, the Visitors’ Choice Awards is the only awards program chosen exclusively by Kansas City’s visitors. To ensure that the winners were true visitor choices, only votes from outside the five-county metropolitan area were tallied.

“New research shows that more than 24 million people visit Kansas City annually,” said Visit KC President & CEO Ronnie Burt. “The Visitors’ Choice Awards give our guests the opportunity to express their favorites, while also celebrating our Midwestern hospitality and local businesses.”

The Kansas City Royals were the event’s big winners, earning the overall best award, Best of Kansas City, in addition to Favorite Pro Sports Team. A comprehensive list of this year’s winners follows:

Arts & Entertainment

  • Favorite Nightlife Spot - Knuckleheads Saloon
  • Favorite Jazz Venue - The Blue Room
  • Favorite Casino - Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City
  • Favorite Art Museum/Gallery - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
  • Favorite Performing Arts Group - Kansas City Symphony

Attractions

  • Favorite Family Friendly Attraction - Worlds of Fun
  • Favorite Museum - The National World War I Museum and Memorial
  • Favorite Free Thing to Do - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
  • Favorite Neighborhood or District - Country Club Plaza
  • Favorite Daytrip - Weston, MO

Sports & Outdoors

  • Favorite Landmark/Monument - The National World War I Museum and Memorial
  • Favorite Fountain - J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain
  • Favorite Winery - Pirtle Winery
  • Favorite Golf Course - Swope Memorial Golf Course
  • Favorite Pro Sports Team - Kansas City Royals

Special Events

  • Favorite Family Festival - Kansas City Renaissance Festival
  • Favorite Music Festival - Kansas City Irish Fest

Dining

  • Favorite Restaurant - Stroud’s
  • Favorite Steakhouse - Hereford House
  • Favorite Barbecue Restaurant - Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
  • Favorite Fine Dining Restaurant - The American

Shopping

  • Favorite Shopping Center/District - Country Club Plaza
  • Favorite Shop or Store - Halls on Grand

Accommodations

  • Favorite Hotel, More than 300 Rooms - Westin Kansas City at Crown Center
  • Favorite Hotel, 300 Rooms or Less - The Raphael Hotel
  • Favorite Inn/Bed & Breakfast - Chateau Avalon

Best of Kansas City
Kansas City Royals


About Visit KC
Visit KC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, Visit KC supports a vital and growing component of the local economy-generating more than 46,000 jobs and $5.1 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.

Media Contacts

Devin Aaron
Devin Aaron 
(National/International Media)
Visit KC
816-691-3805
daaron@visitkc.com
Makenzie Wolters
Makenzie Wolters 
(Kansas City/Regional Media)
Visit KC
816-691-3811
mwolters@visitkc.com

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