This fall, the National WWI Museum and Memorial is celebrating its 100th anniversary in the most visible way possible: by turning itself into a beacon. “Liberty’s Beacon,” a special nighttime experience created for the centennial, runs on weekends from September 25 through November 11, 2026.
After dark, the museum and memorial grounds take on a completely different character — illuminated, reflective and quietly spectacular against the Kansas City skyline. It is a rare chance to experience this solemn landmark as a celebration of light and remembrance at once.
The centennial year also brings after-hours climbs of Liberty Memorial Tower on Wednesday evenings in October, free concerts and family programs, making fall the perfect season to rediscover the site.
One hundred years after Kansas Citians raised the memorial in just ten days of fundraising, their great-grandchildren are keeping its flame bright. Go see it glow.
