Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
about 16 hours ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
1 day ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
1 day ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All the United States Missouri Independence

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Independence

4 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Independence, Missouri

Updated January 27, 2020

Email
Attractions
Map
Leaderboards
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Independence

Independence, Missouri

Vaile Mansion

A remarkably opulent mansion with a tragic history.

Independence, Missouri

Leila's Hair Museum

A museum celebrating the Victorian obsession with hair art.
Independence Temple.

Independence, Missouri

Independence Temple

This otherworldly church spire reaches up toward the heavens.
Bingham-Waggoner Estate

Independence, Missouri

The Bingham-Waggoner Estate

This mansion was made famous by its colorful cast of owners and location along the Sante Fe Trail.
Are we missing something unusual?
Add it!
Permanently Closed
Bird’s Botanicals

Kansas City, Missouri

Bird's Botanicals

A cave 150 feet beneath Kansas City is the perfect climate for growing 10,000 delicate orchids.
3 miles from Independence
A typical SubTropolis building.

Kansas City, Missouri

SubTropolis

The "World's Largest Underground Business Complex," a 55,000,000-square-foot city underneath Missouri.
5 miles from Independence
Kessler Park Reservoir

Kansas City, Missouri

Kessler Park Reservoir

An abandoned concrete jungle surrounded by a lush park.
7 miles from Independence
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Independence, Missouri

A
Architecture 2
Museums 2
Houses 2
Homes 2

Independence Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. TE Watts
    2
  2. Hermit
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Independence.

Places Edited

  1. Collector of Experiences
    4
  2. TE Watts
    2
  3. hairmuseumaolcom
    1
  4. AF
    1
  5. Molly McBride Jacobson
    1
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. rodriguezlilliannm
    4
  2. donnicib
    4
  3. brownbagcomics
    4
  4. drwolf927
    4
  5. kyrstyn03
    4
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Independence.

Recent Independence Activity

  • n2jesusky

    wants to go to Leila's Hair Museum

    1 day ago
  • ennsdoug

    wants to go to Vaile Mansion

    about 23 hours ago
  • dennispgreeno

    wants to go to Vaile Mansion

    about 8 hours ago
  • n2jesusky

    has been to Independence Temple

    about 8 hours ago
  • n2jesusky

    wants to go to Vaile Mansion

    about 8 hours ago

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.