Know Before You Go
Thank you for your interest in my virtual. I am excited to share this amazing place in my hometown and sincerely hope you enjoy your visit. There is a lot to see here and I have listed several waypoints to increase flexibility and help you earn a smiley. If you just want to log the cache jump to "How to claim this cache" below. If you want to know the history of the cache/area keep reading. Please Note: Depending on the time of day traffic can be quick dense. Just ask anyone who has been down here on Thanksgiving evening.
If you looked at this cache in the past (and maybe even completed it) you will note that there used to be 5 different waypoints each with questions to qualify for and find here. Recently (August 2022) I walked the plaza with my family and several changes have occurred to statues and plaques so to make this easier for everyone I have significantly reduced the logging requirements. After all it's about using a GPS to find something and of course having fun!
At the bottom of the listing I plan to showcase First to Find pictures of the various waypoints. The first person to share a picture of themselves from each waypoint will be listed in this gallery and can claim a FTF (if they so choose). Yes that means there will be more than one FTF for this cache but as Groundspeak does not officially recognize FTFs it’s more of a bragging rights claim to fame than anything. The most important thing to remember about this (and all caches) is to have fun! Only one FTF per person/group.
How to claim this cache:
Upload an image of your trip to the Country Club Plaza that has in the background something unmistakable from one of the waypoints at this site such as a fountain, statue, or a sign. The picture must also include any one of the following:
A. The left hand (with fingers extended) of everyone claiming the cache
- or -
B. A full-body picture (faces not required) of everyone claiming the cache with left-hands open
- or -
C. A written sign/note with your caching names and the date visible. No photo-editing allowed!
Remember: Whichever option you choose, make sure something unmistakable as the Country Club Plaza is in the picture background (see the 35 waypoints). As the cache owner I have the final say and if I am unsure that you actually visited the site I will delete your log.
No armchair logging will be tolerated. If your image does not conform to the requirements (or you fail to post a picture/send me a picture), I reserve the right to delete your log without notice.
Kansas City's Country Club Plaza
History:
The Country Club Plaza or just “The Plaza” as locals refer to it was designed in 1922 as the nation's first suburban shopping district. Since then, its open-air public art gallery has continuously added to its collection, with sculptures, murals and fountains that bring the very best of the Old World and the New.
The Country Club Plaza was named for the associated Country Club District, the neighborhood developed by J.C. Nichols which surrounded the Kansas City Country Club (now Loose Park). Nichols began acquiring the land for the Plaza in 1907, in an area of Kansas City that was then known as Brush Creek Valley. When his plans were first announced, the project was dubbed 'Nichols' Folly' because of the then seemingly undesirable location at the time, the only developed land in the valley belonged to the Country Day School (now the Pembroke Hill School), and the rest was known for pig farming. Rundown shacks covered the area; stagnated water filled the swampy land. He began buying up the swamp land that had been sold off in 25-foot lots in an early-day mail order sale. Piece by piece, the land was purchased until 55 acres were accumulated at a price of over $1 million.
Remembering his travel experiences in Europe and the Southwest during his college years, Nichols chose a Spanish theme for the Plaza that included beautiful courtyards and stucco buildings with red tile roofs and ornate towers. He hand-picked works of art to adorn the Plaza’s streets and sidewalks; antique sculptures, columns, tile-adorned murals, wrought iron and fountains were all meticulously placed by J.C. himself. And he designed The Plaza with the car in mind. There were eight filling stations in the early days. Garages and parking lots were ample. The Plaza became the first major shopping area in the country to be constructed to cater to people arriving by automobile. This foresight has ensured the longevity of the plaza resulting in it having the longest life of any planned shopping center in the history of the world.
In 1925, a single strand of lights started the tradition of the Plaza Lights around Christmas time, a celebration for nearly a century that has grown into a world-famous event. Word of mouth about the Plaza quickly spread throughout the city and the region, enticing early tourists to what is today Kansas City’s most cherished holiday destination.
From its early days, the Plaza was ready to adapt to any situation, willing to try the new to succeed, able to withstand the tides of change. During the Depression when many other companies failed, the Plaza looked for new ways to attract customers. The Plaza Art Fair was started as a promotion to draw shoppers to the area. Seventy five years later, the Plaza Art Fair thrives today as the Midwest’s premier art fair, featuring nearly 250 nationally-recognized artists, and drawing a crowd of almost 300,000 annually.
Today, there are many spectacles to see on the Plaza. The “outdoor art gallery” of Nichols’ vision contains many pieces directly shipped from Europe, acquired during Nichols’ travels there along with new pieces added overtime creating a land of beauty and whimsy for kids of all ages to enjoy. The fountains abound around the Plaza, complemented by lush landscaping and sculptures sprinkled throughout.
How to claim this cache:
Upload an image of your trip to the Country Club Plaza that has in the background something unmistakable from one of the waypoints at this site such as a fountain, statue, or a sign. The picture must also include any one of the following:
A. The left hand (with fingers extended) of everyone claiming the cache
- or -
B. A full-body picture (faces not required) of everyone claiming the cache with left-hands open
- or -
C. A written sign/note with your caching names and the date visible. No photo-editing allowed!
Remember: Whichever option you choose, make sure something unmistakable as the Country Club Plaza is in the picture background (see the 35 waypoints). As the cache owner I have the final say and if I am unsure that you actually visited the site I will delete your log.
No armchair logging will be tolerated. If your image does not conform to the requirements (or you fail to post a picture/send me a picture), I reserve the right to delete your log without notice.
FTF Gallery
The first visitor to each waypoint who post a picture of themselves there will be listed in this gallery. If they so choose they can count this as a FTF (not many of those available for virtuals afterall). One "FTF" per cacher/group.
P98 & DrPowercat at the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain
FairWeatherCacher at the Court of the Penguins
den2den2 at the Benjamin Franklin Statue
sumpteretc at The Wild Boar of Florence Fountain
Pastor Chris at The Mercury Statue
Mak'n-Memories at the Seville Light Fountain
Rock Chalk at Invincible Spirit
ArtieD at Out to Lunch
ArtemisRay at Monkey Business
Woodland Clan at the Giralda Tower
batman74 at the Neptune Fountain
steve.n.erin at the Statue of Ruth
Travelling Armadillos at the PF Chang's Horse
byonke at the Pomono Fountain
Terrierguy at statue of Pan
Boreal Walker at the Children at Play Fountain
Geokid12 at the New Friends statue
Paradise at the Four Fauns Fountain
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.