March 18, 2024

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48º | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:23 a.m. | Sunset 7:28 p.m.

📚 Go down The Rabbit hOle

In a scene from Kathryn Jackson's "Tawny Scrawny Lion," a lion holds a bouquet of flowers to rabbits on a branch. A cauldron contains copies of the books, opposite a rocky ledge

Each display comes with copies of the books that inspired them, with plenty of space to sit + read together. | Photo by KCtoday

You may miss The Rabbit hOle just driving by, tucked away in North Kansas City’s Iron District — but that’s nothing compared to how lost you can get inside.

The immersive children’s literature museum has received national attention, as well as support from nationally known authors like Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket). We toured the museum ahead of its grand opening on Saturday, April 27 — but doors are open right now.

Inside the warehouse at 919 E. 14th Ave. is a 150,000-sqft winding wonderland of 45+ life-sized, interactive exhibits. Think: A tottering statue of Madeline on the railing, a life-sized recreation of the great green room from “Goodnight Moon,” mechanical panels telling the story of “Strega Nona.”

“Children’s culture is often diminished,” a representative of The Rabbit hOle told us. “It’s an attitude of, ‘It’s good enough for kids.’ That something has been so painstakingly crafted, appreciating the culture of children’s literature and trying to build upon the culture of children’s literature — that’s the whole thing.”

That painstaking craftsmanship is carried out by an in-house team of local artists and fabricators, who designed everything on display. The team, which works out of a studio directly behind the museum, continues to work on new exhibits + artworks to add to the collection.

A full-sized display of "Where the Sidewalk Ends," with two children looking over the edge of the sidewalk. — Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is one of the almost 70 stories to which The Rabbit hOle earned rights + permissions. | Photo by KCtoday

The Rabbit hOle has been in the works since 2016, when co-founders Deb Pettid and Pete Cowdin closed the beloved Brookside bookstore Reading Reptile to focus on the museum full-time — and every second of planning is evident.

One exhibit, dedicated to pioneering Black children’s author John Steptoe, is partly modeled after the New York cathedral where he’s interned, with stained glass designed by the author’s children. Their voices can be heard reading his stories via loudspeaker.

Several of Steptoe’s out-of-print books are available to read. When the museum’s letterpress + print shop opens, it will begin reprinting works from among the almost 70 rights and permissions they’ve acquired, allowing older works to re-enter circulation.

What's the verdict?

Events

Monday, March 18

Second Chance Stage | Monday, March 18-Wednesday, March 20 | 5-10:30 p.m. | Music Hall Kansas City, 301 W. 13th St., KCMO | Free with registration | Filming begins for Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network’s new talent-based competition show.

Tuesday, March 19

KC Unified Intramural Kickball | Tuesday, March 19 | 5:45-7 p.m. | UMKC, 5100 Rockhill Rd., KCMO | Price of registration | Kick off spring with this unified intramural league associated with Special Olympics Missouri.
Jazz Workshop with Brant Jester: Interpreting Lead Sheets | Tuesday, March 19 | 7-9 p.m. | Upcycle Piano Craft, 3945 Main St., KCMO | $75 | Musicians of all levels are invited to tickle the ivories at this group piano jazz class.

Wednesday, March 20

Merriam Plaza Library Ribbon Cutting | Wednesday, March 20 | 9 a.m. | Merriam Plaza Library, 6120 Slater St., Merriam, KS | Free | Break the spine of the new, highly-anticipated JoCo library branch.

Thursday, March 21

Dialogue with Artist Kahlil Robert Irving and Dia Curator Jordan Carter | Thursday, March 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS | Free | This discussion is about the exhibition “AnticKS & MOdels + My theater to your eyes: Kahlil Robert Irving,” now on view at the Nerman Museum.*
Wine Tasting on the Terrace | Thursday, March 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park, KS | $40 | Your all-inclusive ticket includes heavy appetizers, wine pairings, and a perfect evening spent in the beautiful gardens.

Friday, March 22

Spring has Sprung Beer Release Party | Friday, March 22 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Boulevard Brewing Tours & Recreation Center, 2534 Madison Ave., KCMO | $20 | Celebrate the arrival of spring with the release of this honey wine collab, featuring live folk music, homemade dessert from Messner Bee Farm + a complementary pour.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Watch

If you haven’t seen Bella Patina’s antique wares in its West Bottoms store, you may have seen them on the silver screen. The shop, which is only open the first weekend of each month, provided the standing chalkboard for “Oppenheimer” and other objects for “Killers of the Flower Moon” — both Oscars nominees. (FOX4)

Development

Guadalupe Centers broke ground on Guadalupe Apartments, a mixed-income project near Hardesty Avenue and Van Brunt Drive. Residents will have access to emergency assistance, workforce development, and youth education services offered by the “longest continuously operating agency serving Latinos in the United States.” (FOX4)

Biz

Locally-headquartered AMC will broadcast the Summer Olympics in 160 theaters starting Saturday, July 27. In addition to this partnership with NBC, the theater chain partnered with Zoom to host meeting spaces for large-scale video calls, including at AMC Town Center 20 in Leawood. (Kansas City Business Journal)

History

A new mural gifted to the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City tells the story of H.W. Sewing, founder of the first Black-owned bank in Kansas. His daughter Joy Sewing is donating the mural, which depicts her father’s mission to provide Black economic freedom. (Kansas City Star)

Ranked

Let us just say in advance, gesundheit. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked the metro a 2024 “Allergy Capital,” among the toughest places to live in the country for those affected by seasonal allergies. (We love awards — but we’d turn down this one if we could.)

Development

A new mixed-use project aiming to bring a hotel + events space to Overland Park’s outskirts has officially been green lit. The city commission unanimously recommended approval last week to rezone a plot at 179th Street and U.S. Highway 69, despite opposition from nearby residents. (Johnson County Post)

Health

What’s $1.1 million in renovations look like? A new preschool classroom, three new therapy rooms, and an updated family resting area. At least, that’s what it looks like at AdventHealth’s B.E. Smith Family Center for children with developmental disabilities, which recently completed renovations after a hefty donation. (Johnson County Post)

The Buy

A new scent from Corridor Candle Co. Collection to treat yourself. It’s the first day of spring and what better way to celebrate the season than a new candle?

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Dayten

From the editor

We went to the home opener for the KC Current at CPKC Stadium — and watched the home team win 5-4. Check out our recap over on Instagram.

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