Country Club Plaza

The Country Club Plaza is a landmark shopping and entertainment district in Kansas City, famous as one of the first shopping centers in the world designed to accommodate the automobile. It was developed by J.C. Nichols beginning in 1922, laid out in a distinctive Spanish and Moorish architectural style inspired by Seville. Ornate towers, tiled fountains, and detailed façades give the district a European character unusual in the American Midwest. The Plaza is filled with shops, restaurants, and public art, including numerous fountains that contribute to Kansas City's reputation as a city of fountains. Its most celebrated tradition is the Plaza Lights, an elaborate holiday display that outlines the buildings in colored bulbs from Thanksgiving through mid-January. Visitors stroll the walkable streets year-round, drawn by the architecture as much as the retail. The district remains a social and commercial hub of the city. Its design influenced suburban shopping centers across the country. Seasonal events and art walks add to its appeal. It is one of Kansas City's most recognizable and photographed places.