Recognized as one of Kansas City’s most recognizable landmarks, the Liberty Tower has come to define the National World War I Museum and Memorial that’s located in Kansas City, Missouri. The distinct experiences that visitors can have with the history it contains as well as with the complex itself via the Liberty Tower have allowed it to become a landmark that attracts visitors across the country and even the world.
From Liberty to Memorial
Opened to the public as the Liberty Memorial Museum, the complex is designed to tell the story of World War I through artifacts and other pieces of history from the beginning of the war in 1914 through the 1918 armistice and the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Construction on the classical Egyptian Revival-style monument was completed in 1926 and the Liberty Memorial was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in front of more than 150,000 people.
Since the beginning, the most notable aspect of the building was and continues to be the Liberty Memorial Tower. The Liberty Memorial Tower rises 217 feet above the main courtyard and 268 feet above the North Lawn. Dedicated in 1921 but actually built between 1921 and 1926, the cylindrical tower is 36 feet in diameter at its base, tapering to 28 feet at the top. Four Guardian Spirits watch over the Memorial from the top of the Tower. Each guardian holds a sword and is named for the virtue it represents: Honor, Courage, Patriotism and Sacrifice.
The physical structure of the Liberty Memorial deteriorated over the decades, and it was closed in 1994 due to safety concerns. From 1995-2006, Abend Singleton Associates restored the site to meet national standards for accessibility and security and designed the state-of-the-art museum space and supporting facilities beneath the original structure. In 2006, the Liberty Memorial was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 2014 the entire site was recognized as the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
The Liberty Tower might be the most notable element of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, but it has also directly and indirectly exposed visitors to the many experiences they can have across the site.
Experiences, Monuments and History
The restoration of the complex allowed visitors to once again access the very top of the Liberty Memorial. Visitors can take an elevator followed by 45 stairs to the open-air observation deck to see across the entire Kansas City skyline. They can also get a close look at the “Flame Effect” at the top of the tower, which has always been produced using steam and colored lights. From this vantage point, visitors can also get a better sense of the many exterior monuments that the complex contains.
Two Assyrian Sphinxes guard the south entrance of the Liberty Memorial. “Memory” faces east toward the battlefields of France, shielding its eyes from the horrors of war. “Future” faces west, shielding its eyes from an unknown future. Located on the North Wall, the story of the Great Frieze depicts the end of the war and the creation of an era of greater peace and amity. The Memorial Mall is a quarter-long grassy area lined by a row of sugar maple trees. A stone wall holds the bronze busts of the five Allied commanders present during the dedication on November 1st, 1921.
In 2006, construction was completed on an 80,000-square-foot expansion to the Museum and Memorial. In the largest of the galleries, visitors enjoy an immersive experience featuring objects and documents from the world’s most comprehensive collection of World War I. Trench scenes, deck guns and tanks are just a few of the interior highlights.
All of these monuments, experiences and history have come together in an especially unique way that further defines the scope and mission of the original monument for the benefit of residents, visitors and for Kansas City as a whole.
Cultivating an Identity
To illustrate the impact the memorial has had on Kansas City, after the memorial was closed in 1994, more than $102 million was raised for the restoration and expansion. Notable donations include $2.1 million from the Hall Family Foundation, $1 million from the Enid and Crosby Kemper Foundation, and $1 million from the Jack F. and Glenna Y. Wylie Charitable Foundation, as well as $500,000 from the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation, $500,000 from the Sunderland Foundation, and a major gift of $250,000 from the Sosland Foundation.
That impact on the culture of the city can be seen in the number of events that still take place there. Many ceremonies, services, meetings, and city events have occurred at the Memorial over the years, and they go back to a rededication in November 1961, attended by former Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Today, events range from complimentary museum tours to hands-on history experiences to presentations that take place in the J.C. Nichols Auditorium.
The National World War I Museum and Memorial also has numerous direct sources of revenue between tickets, gift shop and the café, all of which are in addition to the options to purchase inscribed granite bricks that will be installed in the Walk of Honor, near the entrance of the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Bricks are dedicated twice each year during ceremonies on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
While Kansas City is known as the “City of Fountains”, the appearance of the Liberty Memorial on numerous maps and other materials showcase how it has become the most recognizable icon of Kansas City. This influence is tied to the legacy of World War I but also represents a much bigger legacy to the entire city and state of Missouri.
A Beacon of Freedom and Symbol of Courage, Patriotism and Sacrifice
Countless other museums across the world are dedicated to specific eras or events, but by having such a notable monument, the National World War I Museum and Memorial has become more than a museum. It has been visited by millions of people since it was reopened, illustrating what kind of an impact a monument combined with a museum can enable. By maintaining the Liberty Memorial as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of the courage, patriotism, sacrifice and honor of all who served in World War I, the entire complex has cemented a powerful legacy of World War I that resonates across Missouri and all of America.
