Hall of Waters

The Hallmark Visitors Center honors the more than 100-year-long history of Hallmark in Kansas City, beginning in 1910, when 18-year-old Joyce C. Hall started the company with a shoebox full of postcards. Take a self-guided tour at your own pace, but plan to spend about an hour or longer. The center is located on one level in the Crown Center Shops.Parking and public transportation to the Hallmark Visitors CenterPark free in the parking garage on the east side of Grand Blvd. with a three-hour validation from the center. After you park, look for the sign "Crown Center Shops." Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left and follow the signs. The following bus routes serve the Crown Center area: Main Street MAX, 27, 34X, 51, 54, 123, 129, 173 and 142.When not to go to the Hallmark Visitors CenterHallmark employees revere holidays, so the visitors center closes at 3:30 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day and the day before Christmas Eve. It is closed all day on the following holidays: Memorial Day and the following Tuesday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Monday following, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after, New Year's Day. The center is closed for the month of January to update the exhibits.Admission to the Hallmark Visitors CenterAdmission is free for all visitors. However, groups of 15 or more need to make a reservation through the online reservation system.Must see/do at the Hallmark Visitors CenterDon't miss the "Art of the Crown" display created for Hallmark's 100th Anniversary celebration. You'll also enjoy Norman Rockwell's original painting, The Kansas City Spirit. Kids can make their own bows with a Hallmark bow machine.Other places to visit near the Hallmark Visitors CenterKaleidoscope is a free art activity for children also sponsored by Hallmark and also located in the Crown Center Shops. The Sea Life Aquarium is close by. So are the National World War I Museum and Memorial, Union Station, LEGOLAND Discovery Center and the Money MuseumInsider tip for visitors to the Hallmark Visitors CenterAt the end of the tour ask for a Hallmark Visitors Center patch for about $1 at the front desk.Author's bio: Mary-Lane Kamberg is a lifelong Kansas City resident. Her father served as director of engineering for the Hallmark's Crown Center development.