Barbecue helped put Kansas City on the map, and now the city is returning the favor (or flavor). The Museum of BBQ, the world’s first museum focused on all aspects of barbecue, will open at Crown Center next spring. The immersive experience will feature rooms dedicated to the elements and regions of barbecue, alongside a curated gift shop featuring rubs, sauces and BBQ-themed goods.
“Barbecue is a feast for your senses,” founder Jonathan Bender said. “Here in one of the BBQ capitals of the world, we’re creating a place where you can immerse yourself in the stories of barbecue.”
Museumgoers will get to follow two storytelling trails through the interactive exhibits. They first will learn about the elements of barbecue (meat, rub/spice, wood, fire, smoke and sauce) to see how a pitmaster turns their favorite cut of meat into something delicious. Then they will travel through the main American regions of barbecue (the Carolinas, Memphis, Texas, and Kansas City) to discover how each place has developed its own flavor. There’s even a pit stop where visitors can play in an oversized crock of “barbecued beans.”
“This is a place where barbecue comes alive,” said Bender, who is opening the museum with chef and restaurateur Alex Pope as a partner. “We want you to play and learn and come away with an appreciation for the joy and community that is part of barbecue culture.”
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The museum’s gift shop will feature sauces and rubs from the four main American regions of barbecue, as well as hats, aprons and shirts.
Kansas City is home to 100 local BBQ restaurants and countless competitions of all sizes. “Kansas City is a natural home for the Museum of BBQ,” Bender said. “Barbecue is synonymous with the city because of the rich traditions here, and we’re proud to bring the world’s first museum dedicated to barbecue to KC.”
The museum joins an impressive roster of family friendly destinations within the Crown Center complex.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Museum of BBQ and excited to have this new attraction at Crown Center,” said Stacey Paine, president of Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation. “As Kansas Citians, we are fortunate to enjoy a great variety of barbecue restaurants and events, and we believe the broad appeal of barbecue will make this unique museum a destination for local and national visitors alike.”
–Alan Goforth |Metro Voice