KC Visitors’ Choice Awards marks 10th anniversary

Favorite museum, neighborhood, barbecue restaurant and more announced today

KANSAS CITY, MO. – The KC Visitors’ Choice Awards commemorated its 10^th anniversary with more than 200 people at a reception Tuesday evening. Visit KC announced winners in 28 categories during the event at Boulevard Brewing Co., including the top jazz venue and favorite landmark.

Over the course of the summer voting campaign, thousands of visitors weighed in at VisitKC.com, selecting their top picks for the best experiences of the region, including hotels, attractions, sports, dining, shopping and more. The Visitors’ Choice Awards is the only awards program chosen exclusively by Kansas City’s visitors, as only votes from outside the five-county metropolitan area were tallied.

“Kansas City visitors are essential to the growth and vitality of our city,” said Visit KC President & CEO Ronnie Burt. “The Visitors’ Choice Awards has been the voice of our guests for 10 years now, and we’re looking forward to another decade of honoring the finest experiences Kansas City has to offer.”

For the second year in a row, the Kansas City Royals were honored with the overall best award, Best of Kansas City, as well as Favorite Pro Sports Team. A comprehensive list of this year’s winners follows:

Arts & Entertainment

• Favorite Nightlife Spot – Kelly’s Westport Inn
• 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 – Kansas City Royals
• Favorite Museum – The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Favorite Free Thing to Do – The City Market
• Favorite KC Neighborhood or District – Country Club Plaza
• Favorite Daytrip – Weston, MO

Sports & Outdoors

• Favorite Landmark/Monument – Union Station Kansas City
• Favorite Fountain – J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain
• Favorite Golf Course – Swope Memorial Golf Course
• Favorite Professional Sports Team – Kansas City Royals

Special Events

• Favorite Family Festival/Event – Kansas City Renaissance Festival
• Favorite Music Festival/Event – Kansas City Irish Fest

Dining

• Favorite Restaurant – Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
• Favorite Steakhouse – Hereford House
• Favorite Barbecue Restaurant – Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
• Favorite Winery – Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
• Favorite Fine Dining Restaurant – Pierpont’s at Union Station
• Favorite Brewery – Boulevard Brewing Co.

Shopping

• Favorite Shopping Center or District – Country Club Plaza
• Favorite Shop or Store – IKEA

Accommodations

• Favorite Hotel, More than 300 Rooms – The 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.

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