Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park facts for kids

Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park is a cool city park right in the middle of Kansas City, Missouri. You can find it at 12th and Walnut Streets. Many people who work in nearby tall buildings like One Kansas City Place often visit the park during their lunch or coffee breaks. It's a great spot to relax!

Discover Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park

The Park's Beginning and Its Namesakes

Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park opened in 1981. It was named after the Oppenstein Brothers. They ran a jewelry store in Kansas City and were very involved in helping the community. They also started the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation in 1975, which is a charity in Kansas City.

When the park first opened, it had a special sculpture called the Rain Thicket Fountain. Artists William Conrad Severson and Saunders Schultz created it. This fountain looked like a tree and used wind to move its parts. It would shoot, drip, and bubble water, making mists and even rainbows!

A New Look for the Park

The park got a big makeover between 2006 and 2008. It was officially reopened on April 18, 2008. The Art in the Loop Foundation asked for this new design. Kansas City artist Laura DeAngelis and architect Dominique Davison worked together on the project. Their new idea for the park was called "Celestial Flyways." This design was made to celebrate the amazing natural world around Kansas City.

The Star Disc: A Celestial Wonder

The most exciting part of the new park design is an interactive star disc. This special machine is based on an ancient tool called an anaphoric clock. It might even be the biggest and most accurate star disc ever made! Visitors to the park can turn the star disc. Buttons on its base let you rotate it. This shows you how the stars look for any date and time you choose. It's like having your own personal planetarium in the park!