Museum of BBQ To Open in Kansas City

2 weeks ago 2

The world’s first museum dedicated to barbeque will open to the public on April 12, 2025.

The Museum of BBQ, located in the shops at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri, was recently named one of Time Out’s best things to do in the world as the immersive experience walks guests through the elements of barbecue highlighting the top US barbeque regions.

Tickets are now on sale, priced at $10 (plus taxes and fees), with 30-minute availability times. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

“The Museum of BBQ is a feast for your senses,” says founder Jonathan Bender. “Get ready to immerse yourself in the smoke and sizzle of the world of barbecue.”

Dedicated sponsors and partners include Bush’s Beans, Prairie Fresh, Southern Pride, Visit KC, and the National Barbecue & Grilling Association.

Guests enter the Museum of BBQ through an oversized door resembling a Southern Pride smoker door to begin their journey into ‘cue.’

Five installations (Meat, Rub, Wood & Fire, Smoke, Sauce) show visitors how meat becomes barbecue through these interactive activities and exhibits:

Identify butcher cuts by putting together the pig puzzle in the Meat Room, pose with a butcher’s apron and (plushy) meat, or get tips and tricks at a listening station featuring Prairie Fresh ambassadors.
A sensory experience with a spice guessing game in the Rub room before checking out different types of smokers and wood in the Wood & Fire room, sponsored by the National Barbecue & Grilling Association.
Play the smoke ring toss in the Smoke room before getting ‘Lost in the Sauce’, a room brought to you by Kansas City-based Sike Style.

Five final installations (Carolinas, Memphis, Bean Pit, Texas, and Kansas City) invite visitors to travel across America to experience the world of barbecue variations. Each regional room offers information about the history, culture and barbecue style that define a given destination.

Fun and fascinating experiences include:

Identify butcher cuts by putting together the pig puzzle in the Meat Room, pose with a butcher’s apron and (plushy) meat, or get tips and tricks at a listening station featuring Prairie Fresh ambassadors.
A sensory experience with a spice guessing game in the Rub room before checking out different types of smokers and wood in the Wood & Fire room, sponsored by the National Barbecue & Grilling Association.
Play the smoke ring toss in the Smoke room before getting ‘Lost in the Sauce’, a room brought to you by Kansas City-based Sike Style.

Museum visitors enter and exit through the retail store, stocked with a curated selection of barbecue sauces and rubs from across the country with special emphasis on four featured regions (Memphis, Carolinas, Texas, and Kansas City). Meat spritzes, brines, injections and brisket-wrapping butcher paper, along unique cooking tools and other take-home merchandise are available.

The Museum of BBQ takes its place in the Kansas City metro alongside more than 100 local BBQ restaurants and countless competitions, including the world’s biggest BBQ contest, the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, attracting thousands of attendees and more than 500 barbecue teams from across the globe.

“Kansas City has such a rich history of barbecue,” says Bender. “This is the perfect place to bring the world’s first barbecue museum to life.”

Stacey Paine, president of Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation said, “The Museum of BBQ is such a great addition at Crown Center. It’s perfect for our wide audience – hotel guests, other tourists to Kansas City and our local visitors and families and we look forward to welcoming everyone to this authentic Kansas City experience.”

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