Neighborhood in Kansas City · Jackson County
Crossroads
The Crossroads brings galleries, studios, restaurants and reused industrial buildings into the blocks between Downtown and Crown Center.
Photo 1 of 1
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — May 2025
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — May 2025
Creator: Antony-22
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: Resized and converted to WebP; card previews may crop the photo. Guide gallery preserves the full frame.
Film Row, First Friday galleries and the Kauffman Center
About Crossroads
The Crossroads brings galleries, studios, restaurants and reused industrial buildings into the blocks between Downtown and Crown Center. First Fridays fill its galleries and alleys, while the Kauffman Center’s performance halls and the redesigned 20th Street add other ways to experience the district.
From Film Row warehouses to galleries and homes
The Crossroads’ older industrial buildings once supported film distribution as well as other businesses. In the 1930s, its Film Row contained nearly twenty buildings across four square blocks, with major studios distributing films from this central location.
Artists and galleries later moved into former warehouses, and the Crossroads Community Association formed in 2001. Renovated buildings also brought residents into the district, where galleries, workplaces, restaurants and homes share streets shaped by earlier commercial uses.
First Fridays extend into galleries and Art Alleys
On the first Friday of each month, galleries, studios and other Crossroads businesses present exhibitions and events. The Art Alleys occupy the blocks between Baltimore and Wyandotte, running from 18th Street toward Southwest Boulevard.
The association lists its outdoor Art Alleys and Food Truck Plaza from April through October, 5–9 p.m. on First Fridays. The food-truck site is at 1907 Grand Boulevard, while each gallery lists its own exhibitions and opening hours.
Two halls inside the Kauffman Center
Moshe Safdie designed the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in September 2011. Its curved exterior encloses two principal halls: Muriel Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall.
The theatre hosts dance, opera, plays and musicals, while Helzberg Hall accommodates orchestral and other musical performances. Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Kansas City Symphony are the center’s resident organizations, adding scheduled performances to the district’s gallery activity.
A redesigned 20th Street through the district
The completed 20th Street streetscape project runs from Southwest Boulevard to Grand Boulevard. It reduced six traffic lanes to three and added bike lanes, wider crosswalks, green space and updated infrastructure.
The redesign also incorporated stormwater measures, with work completed in two phases on either side of Main Street. The association describes ongoing planting maintenance within the green spaces, making this street another part of the district’s public landscape beyond its galleries and performance venues.
Check these on a visit
Try these in person before you commit to an address in Crossroads.
- Walk the former warehouse and Film Row streets for galleries and reused commercial buildings.
- Explore First Friday exhibitions and the seasonal Art Alleys around 18th and 19th streets.
- See the Kauffman Center’s exterior and the walking and cycling improvements along 20th Street.
Neighborhoods and districts near Crossroads
The closest neighborhoods and districts in Kansas City, measured center to center.
Guides about Crossroads
Sources & data notesReferences, reporting periods, and how to use this information
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- Film Row, galleries and neighborhood association history; Kauffman opening date cross-checked with venueCrossroads Community Association — district historySource checked
- Art Alleys, seasonal vendors and food-truck locationCrossroads Community Association — First FridaysSource checked
- Completed street redesign, bike lanes, crosswalks and green space
- Moshe Safdie design and September 2011 openingKauffman Center — architecture and spacesSource checked
- Two performance halls and resident organizationsKauffman Center — visitor questionsSource checked
- Neighborhood arts, restaurants and performance venuesVisit KC — Crossroads Arts DistrictSource checked
Photo credits
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — May 2025Image credits and license
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — May 2025
Creator: Antony-22
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: Resized and converted to WebP; card previews may crop the photo. Guide gallery preserves the full frame.