A rebranded Museum of Kansas City Billboard, which showcases The Museum’s new focal color, Purple. Honing in on diversity, this combines Kansas City’s colors of red and blue together to welcome and represent all members of the community. | Photo courtesy of The Museum of Kansas City
A rebranded Museum of Kansas City Billboard, which showcases The Museum’s new focal color, Purple. Honing in on diversity, this combines Kansas City’s colors of red and blue together to welcome and represent all members of the community. | Photo courtesy of The Museum of Kansas City

Carter Galloway

Editorial Assistant

The Museum of Kansas City (3218 Gladstone Blvd.) has adopted a new identity — becoming a destination for any curious visitor or resident of Kansas City to view its full history. Previously known as the Kansas City Museum, it has rebranded for its 85th year in operation — giving itself a new name, logo and mission.

The Museum contains over 100,000 artifacts with its largest collection being clothing and textiles. With this in mind, its new logo mimics the lines within tapestries, while also representing the stories that have been woven within Kansas City history. The Museum has integrated the city’s colors of red and blue within this logo.

“Our new mission and vision is telling the history of Kansas City, the past, the present, the future, especially those often untold stories that people might not know about,” said Deputy Director, Paul Gutiérrez. “The Museum of Kansas City should be your first stop as a visitor to get a taste of the history of Kansas City.”

The Museum is home to Elixir, a soda fountain, Wisteria, a boutique and Cafe 3218 — a space for culinary events. Gutiérrez said these businesses will be rebranded as well to fit the tapestry design of The Museum logo.

Renovations on The Museum’s 3.5 acre property have been ongoing since 2015. Corinthian Hall, the 34,000 square foot mansion, was finished and reopened in October 2021, after a $22 million budget restoration. Following Corinthian Hall’s reopening, The Museum focused on this rebranding.

The new Museum of Kansas City logo, provided courtesy of Paul Gutiérrez and The Museum of Kansas City.

The Museum found during public surveys that they were being confused for other institutions, Gutiérrez shared. They collaborated with Highline Partners, a Kansas City-based design firm, to create a new identity and to differentiate themselves.

“I was really impressed by the level of detail they took in looking at the architecture, the exhibits, our mission and vision. I really love what they proposed,” said Gutiérrez. “The threads of tapestry in the logo are like how we are telling the story, the complete story of Kansas City history and culture and heritage.”

Renovations are still ongoing and this rebrand will not have a negative effect on restorations, but Gutiérrez said it will rather “enhance [them].”

The Museum is currently working with International Architects Atelier and JE Dunn Construction to restore the complex’s carriage house, carpenter’s shed, pergola and perimeter fence and gates. Finally, they plan to transform its conservatory into “JewelHouse” — an art display from New York artist, Summer Wheat.

Details on The Museum of Kansas City’s rebrand, as well as future restorations, can be found on its website: https://museumofkansascity.org/museum-of-kansas-city/.