Michael Wells, senior special collections librarian, says when he was younger and first reading about Kansas City history, he'd look for ways to move out of the books and onto the streets to experience historic places first-hand. It's something he still does and now suggests to others. 

“It stirs something in you,” Wells says, “much more than reading about it.”  

So, when he first met Lisa Peña, founder of Urban Hikes KC, a few years ago, when the Downtown Council honored her as an Urban Hero, he felt an immediate connection. The group’s guided tours combine stories about Kansas City’s past and present with three to five-mile hikes.  

“We are huge fans of the Library, and the Library has always been a resource for us from the time I started my business six years ago,” says Peña.  

Wells signed up for a tour of the River Market and West Bottoms, and it sparked a collaboration. Urban Hikes has provided free hikes for patrons from the Central Library to the Crossroads and from the Ruiz Branch around the historic West Side. On June 10, a free two-mile tour leaves the Central Library at 6 p.m. to view new murals in the Crossroads and River Market. 

Now, there’s also a hike focused on the Library District. 

“There’s a built-in attractiveness to the district and the Central Library itself,” says Wells. “And so, we talked about what that would look like.” 

The Library District got its name before the Central Library opened in 2004 in the former First National Bank of Kansas City at 14 W. 10th Street; its boundaries roughly stretch from 9th to 11th Streets to Main Street and Broadway.  

Wells says the Library’s Missouri Valley Special Collections staffers met with the Urban Hikes KC team to share research and suggest points on the map, including historic buildings such as the New York Life Building, the former bustling downtown shopping district, and Petticoat Lane. 

“There’s this myth that Kansas City is an unwalkable city,” Wells says. “And they really do a good job of disproving that.” 

The first Library District tour launched during National Library Week, and, of course, starts at the Central Library.  

Jeremy Drouin, who manages the Missouri Valley Special Collections on the fifth floor, says another advantage of partnering with Urban Hikes KC is that it “draws people who might not come downtown otherwise and introduces them to a wonderfully restored historic building and the collections, services, and exhibits housed here.” 

Urban Hikes KC organized test runs for Library staff that included navigating a few blocks of covered walkways, exploring historic buildings (with permission), and highlighting murals and art installations. 

Adaptive reuse projects are also part of the tour, like the Grand Avenue Temple that’s now a music venue.

Christy Ubelaker, one of the organization’s 10 guides, pointed out eagles adorning several former bank buildings “representing the ability to soar above challenges.” She also led the group into the middle of Main Street for a closer look at the Muse of the Missouri sculpture, one of the city’s 200 registered fountains. 

“Historical photos can tell us much about a building or landmark,” says the Library’s Jeremy Drouin, “but walking down streets and alleyways and seeing architectural elements — up-close and at different angles, all while learning about the history from a professional guide — provides a wholly different perspective.”