Recreation & Entertainment

Local Luxuries

Leawood residents enjoy access to a wide variety of local entertainment and recreational opportunities right in their own neighborhood.

Premier Events

“A Taste of Leawood”, presented by the Leawood Chamber of Commerce, is an annual event that showcases Leawood’s finest area restaurants.  Leawood residents and visitors anxiously anticipate this event each summer.  The City has a wide variety of events throughout the year, including a series of live concerts at Ironwoods Park, Park Place, Town Center Crossing and Town Center Plaza.  The Leawood Parks and Recreation Department holds many family and community oriented events, including the annual Eggstravaganza, Fall Festival, Holiday Lighting, July 4th Celebration, Labor Day Run, Breakfast with Santa, Daddy & Daughter Date Night,  Community Theater and monthly senior luncheons.

Above: 2012 A Taste of Leawood Attendee 
Photo by: David Letts 

A Day at the Park

Leawood has a first-class park system, which includes 486 acres of parkland.  Ironwoods Park, located at 147th and Mission, attracts visitors day and night.  Ironwoods includes the Prairie Oak Nature Center; the Lodge at Ironwoods (a meeting/banquet center complete with seating for 300+, a commercial kitchen and audio visual amenities); a challenge course; the Oxford School House; and a beautiful walking trail. Families can also camp out overnight in the cabins complete with bathhouse access, take in a show or concert at the amphitheater, and have fun on the playground equipment.

I-Lan Park at 126th and Nall is a 10-acre park dedicated to Leawood’s sister city I-Lan, Taiwan.  This replica of traditional Taiwanese gardens features a sheltered pavilion, a trail connecting with Leawood’s trail system, a playground, public art and a pagoda. 

Gezer Park, located at 133rd and Mission Road, is dedicated to Leawood’s other sister city, The Gezer Region in Israel.  The park includes two shelters built with stone harvested in Israel, of which one is “open-air” reflecting the ones in the Pinat Shorashim Park in Gezer, an aromatic Havdalah garden, two pieces of public art, a celebratory fire pit, restroom, a wonderful play site, and much more!

Above: Gezer Park Sign  
Photo by: Valerie Reed 

City Park occupies 66 acres and is the hub of Leawood’s recreational activities.  Residents take part in formal and informal sports programs that utilize the park’s soccer fields; lighted tennis courts; youth baseball fields; basketball and sand volleyball courts.  The park’s shelters include grills that are popular during spring through fall seasons.  The park also features a loop-jogging trail, which serves as a trailhead for the main path along the Tomahawk Greenway Trail.  The Aquatic Center features a zero-depth pool, a 145-foot water slide, baby pool with water toys, fountains, and a Sprayground.

Above: Swimming Lessons at the Aquatic Center 

Tomahawk Park is located on 119th street, between Mission and Tomahawk Creek Parkway and is just less than 4 acres. The park includes a shelter, playground, and baseball field adjacent to open play space and the Tomahawk Trail.

Serene Nature

For those who prefer the serenity of nature, the Tomahawk Creek Greenway provides a place for residents to exercise while taking in a peaceful afternoon in the woods.  The Greenway winds along Tomahawk and Indian Creeks and is a great place to walk, jog, bicycle, and rollerblade, as well as offering connections to adjoining communities.  Residents can also stop to fish at any of the three lakes, which are stocked with channel catfish, green sunfish and largemouth bass by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks every month between April and September.

The Prairie Oak Nature Center at Ironwoods Park provides fun, educational programs on the environment for all ages.  Visitors can check out the exhibits, stop by the library, walk through the garden, and discover all of the habitats along the two mile walking trail.  The Nature Center has something fun for everyone!

Teeing Off

IRONHORSE Golf Club has become a favorite among golf lovers.  The par 72 upscale public golf course is situated on 189 wooded acres and features an 18-hole championship course, with a layout enhanced by natural waterways and prairie grasslands, supported by an extensive practice facility.  Other top golf spots in Leawood are Hallbrook Country Club and Leawood South Country Club, both private courses.

Out on the Town

Every great city boasts great restaurants and shopping, and Leawood is no exception.  From the casual to the formal, some of Leawood’s premier restaurants and shops are located in shopping centers throughout the community.  Many residents head to Town Center Plaza where they can choose from 10 area restaurants, shop at over 90 retail stores, and take in a movie at the AMC Theatres.  Town Center Crossing, an outdoor lifestyle center, is a destination for residents and visitors that features dining and shopping establishments unique to the KC Metro area. 

The Leawood community also boats urban style developments which offer mixed-use residential, restaurants, retail shopping, and office space.  Mission Farms, located at 107th and Mission Road, consists of upscale residential living above charming boutiques and restaurants.  Park Place, another mixed-use community, is located in the heart of Leawood and includes a new hotel destination, unique to the Kansas City metropolitan market.  Aloft Leawood-Overland Park, the first hotel to open in Leawood, and offers a contemporary, sophisticated place to stay for the traveler on the go.  Both developments provide great food, shopping and entertainment!

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