Things to do in Grandview
Harry Truman's old farm, a lake big enough to get lost on, an amphitheater tucked into a park, and a Main Street finding its second wind. Here's how to fill a day on the southern edge of Kansas City.
Walk Harry Truman's farm
Before he was president, Harry Truman spent about a decade farming in Grandview.
The Harry S. Truman Farm Home is the farmstead where Truman lived and worked from roughly 1906 to 1917 — the years that shaped the plain-spoken Missourian who'd later run the country. It's owned and operated by the National Park Service, and the grounds are open daily, year-round, for a self-guided visit with a cell-phone audio tour. It's quiet, free to walk, and genuinely historic. More on Grandview's Truman history.
Parks, trails, and a big lake
Grandview's green space runs from a walkable neighborhood park to one of the metro's biggest lakes minutes away.
Meadowmere Park
The city's hub park: paved walking trails, a playful playground with treehouses, a small skate park, and a community garden — plus the amphitheater and The View Community Center.
Longview Lake
A short drive from town, this big Jackson County lake draws boaters and anglers all summer, with a swimming beach, shoreline trails, and a golf course nearby.
Between them you can cover a stroller-friendly morning and a full lake day without leaving the area. See all Grandview parks.
Annual events worth timing a visit around
A handful of things come back every year: Harry's Hay Days, the town's free weekend festival and Main Street parade each May; summer concerts at the Grandview Amphitheater in Meadowmere Park; the seasonal Grandview Farmers' Market; and Sand Cinema movie nights on the beach at nearby Longview Lake. It's the kind of low-key, walk-up calendar a small town does better than a big one. See the full Grandview events guide.
Live melodrama, right in town
Grandview picked up a genuine year-round attraction when the Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company made the town its permanent home, at 702 Blue Ridge Ext. It's exactly what the name promises — old-fashioned melodrama and vaudeville staged as family entertainment, boo-the-villain and cheer-the-hero and all — from a company built on an unusually open spirit: "where every performer belongs," with community and uniquely-abled cast members and youth programs alongside the main shows. It's a warm, distinctly local night out, and it's ours now. See what's on stage.
Truman's Marketplace and Main Street
Truman's Marketplace is the big one — a 52-acre shopping and dining center at Blue Ridge Boulevard and I-49, rebuilt in 2016 on the site of the old Truman Corners, with national stores and quick bites. For something more local, Main Street is the walkable heart of Grandview, lined with taquerias, a barbecue joint, coffee, and independent shops. It's also where you'll find The Stache, the barbershop we feature, a few blocks over on Grandview Road. Where to eat in Grandview · where to shop.
The short version
Grandview's best-known stop is the Harry S. Truman Farm Home, a National Park Service site. Add Meadowmere Park and the Grandview Amphitheater, a short drive to Longview Lake, and shopping at Truman's Marketplace and along Main Street.
Yes. The Harry S. Truman Farm Home is run by the National Park Service, and the grounds are open daily year-round for a self-guided visit with a cell-phone audio tour. It's the farmstead where Harry Truman lived and worked before his political career.