The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, opened in 2011, is Kansas City's premier venue for classical music, opera, and ballet. Moshe Safdie's design — two sweeping metallic shells housing the 1,800-seat Helzberg Hall and the 1,600-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre — is the most architecturally ambitious building in the city and has transformed the western edge of downtown. The exterior is as dramatic from a distance, against the skyline, as it is up close.
The Kansas City Symphony performs here, as does the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Ballet. Even if you are not attending a performance, the building is worth seeing at night when it is lit up. Free tours of the interior — the acoustics engineering is particularly impressive — are offered on select dates. Check the website for what is on during your visit.