Westport is Kansas City’s oldest entertainment district — founded in the 1830s as a trail-town outfitting center, now a dense nightlife, dining, and live-music neighborhood along Westport Road between Broadway and Main Street. The 19th-century trail-town heritage still shows in the architecture (Kelly’s Westport Inn at 500 Westport Road is KC’s oldest standing structure, built in 1855) but the current identity is about late-night dining and entertainment. A mobility scooter rental makes a full Westport evening comfortable across the district’s 6-8 block main corridor.
How We Serve Westport Visitors
Hotel Westport Kansas City (Tapestry Collection by Hilton) is the only hotel directly in the district — we deliver to the bell stand/front desk ahead of your check-in. From there, you’re immediately in Westport.
Plaza-area hotels (Marriott Plaza, Intercontinental, Embassy Suites Plaza, The Fontaine) are a short roll north into Westport — the two districts connect along Main Street and Broadway. Downtown KCMO hotels are a short rideshare.
What’s in the District
Restaurants — a dense cluster along Westport Road with options ranging from casual (McCoy’s Public House, Beer Kitchen) to upscale. The district has long been one of Kansas City’s primary dining destinations.
Bars and live music — RecordBar is the flagship live-music venue. Kelly’s Westport Inn (the historic structure) operates as a bar. The Beaumont Club and several other venues round out the nightlife.
Historic architecture — scattered 19th-century commercial buildings restored to modern use. The Westport Historical Society has markers throughout.
Shopping — independent retail and vintage concentrated along Westport Road.
Accessibility
Westport Road corridor — accessible sidewalks on both sides between Broadway and Main, working curb cuts at every cross-street.
Entries — most restaurants and bars have ground-level or ramped entries. A few older buildings have a single step; call ahead for specific venues if the difference matters.
Parking — street parking during the day, paid lots during evening hours. Weekend nights are parking-competitive; plan to arrive via rideshare or from a nearby hotel.
Crowd density at night — Friday and Saturday from 9 PM onward, expect significant foot traffic. Scooter navigable but pace slows.
Pairing the Visit
With a Hotel Westport stay — walk out of the hotel into the district.
With a Plaza-area base — Plaza hotel during the day for shopping and museums (Nelson-Atkins nearby), Westport in the evening for dinner and nightlife.
With downtown conventions — Bartle Hall attendees staying downtown often take a Westport evening as a break from convention-week dining patterns.
With a Chiefs or Royals weekend — Westport is a natural post-game dining stop for downtown-based visitors.