Things to Do in Merriam

Rebecca Black is a veteran of ballroom, Latin, and swing dancing, as well as a graduate of the Beginners Only USA Training Course. She'll tailor your private, 50-minute lessons for any upcoming weddings, Renaissance Faires, safety dances, and other special occasions. If you're all danced up with no place to go, choose from a variety of styles, including East Coast Swing, Latin, or American Style Social Ballroom. By the time you’re finished, you'll be fox-trotting, free-styling, and two-stepping your way straight to the nearest dance club.

MVPs, Gold Gloves, and a World Series title pepper more than 40 years of Kansas City Royals history, replete with powerful pitches and bat-cracking home runs. The recently renovated Kauffman Stadium treats visitors to a giant high-definition video board, which wears a 40-foot crown and waves a scepter made of massive glow sticks. During breaks in the action, fans can visit concessions stands, play mini golf in the kids’ area, or count each of the stadium’s 37,903 seats. Open until the top of the eighth inning, a 7,000-square-foot Hall of Fame guides guests through a maze of memorabilia, including photos of Royals past and future.

The experienced staff of deftly pivoting instructors at Amoré Dance guides students through muscle-toning classes to help improve coordination and self-esteem. Ballroom sessions cover the rumba, waltz, foxtrot, and swing, which remain popular dances at weddings and Viking funerals. Zumba and kid-centered Zumbatomic blend a wide variety of free-flowing moves into a fun aerobic dance program. In Beginning Belly Dancing, all body types take on the traditional steps and alluring movements of the Middle East–originated dance form, which takes on an American style. Single-dancer sessions do not require partners, so mannequins and coat racks may be left at home. Additionally, students will enjoy a spacious studio and a versatile schedule that leaves participants with plenty of time to practice moves at home and in workplace elevators.

For more than 50 years, Cool Crest's owners have enchanted visitors with the fun park's abundance of family-friendly attractions. Flanked by emerald gardens, four 18-hole miniature golf courses lead participants to a bonus 19th hole, which rewards successful shots with a free game. Helpful staff enables drivers to hug the racetrack's corners while strapped into an open-wheel go-kart or, when in season, smack homers from batting cages hurling slow, medium, or fast pitches. Inside, a climbing playland and 7,000-square-foot arcade entertain guests throughout the year. To encourage kids to work as hard as they play, Cool Crest's staff rewards students brandishing recent report cards with up to 20 tokens, depending on their number of A's, B's, or the results from their PhD peer review. In between exhaustive sessions of play, a snack bar staff reenergizes guests with a slice or treat at Frankie's Pizzeria.

An emerald jewel set into the 1,000-acre framework of a residential community, the championship course at Creekmoor meanders along ridges and conceals daunting holes in tree-shaded valleys. The course's lush zoysia fairways and 65 sand bunkers challenge both greenthumb golfers and green-jacket holders as they hunt eagles and birdies across its 18 holes. Their path to glory takes hazardous turns at the crystalline lake that borders hole seven, while prevailing winds push balls off course near the ninth hole—a 660-yard behemoth known as The Monster at Creekmoor. Before launching their dimpled projectiles at that unholy beast, golfers can practice knightly strokes and parries on the course's driving range.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,400 yards
• See the course layout