The world’s first BBQ museum will be in KC

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) – Grilling in Kansas City is already on the map, but a new BBQ museum at Crown Center will allow the rest of the world to learn about America’s favorite outdoor cooking pastime.

The BBQ Museum will be located on the second level next to Chip’s Chocolate Factory and will divide the styles into four rooms; the Carolinas, Memphis, Texas and the largest space is reserved for Kansas City.

Museum founder Jonathan Bender plans to open the 4,223-square-foot experience in spring 2025.

Bender has been writing about barbecue for more than 15 years and is an Emmy Award-winning author. He is also the creator of a 30-minute documentary called “Burnt Legend” about Kansas City’s signature barbecue dish, Burnt Ends.

“The goal was to bring to life and celebrate what is already so closely associated with Kansas City in a place as iconic as Crown Center,” Bender said. “Barbecue is for sharing. It is meant to be experienced together, and this museum is designed to help you connect with both the elements and regions of barbecue, of which Kansas City is the epicenter.”

In addition to highlighting the different regions of barbecue, the museum focuses on the elements of Kansas City’s culinary passion – meat, seasoning/seasoning, wood, fire, smoke and sauce.

“Kansas City Barbecue is actually a lot of things – it’s a melting pot of different influences, but there are two hallmarks,” Bender said. “One is tomatoes and molasses—those are classic flavors in Kansas City barbecue sauce. The other is burnt ends – it’s the iconic dish of Kansas City barbecue, those charred bits at the end of the breast that are crispy on the outside and melty on the inside.”

Although the museum won’t open until spring 2025, the museum plans to be part of the Hallmark Christmas experience taking place between November and December at Crown Center Plaza.

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