Mill Creek Park, Kansas City, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Mill Creek Park is a green space in Kansas City, Missouri, on the edge of the Country Club Plaza, best known for its great fountain of bronze horsemen and sea creatures. The fountain is among the best-known in a city that calls itself the City of Fountains, and its figures have a surprising past: they were made for a Long Island estate before they came to Missouri.

The story behind it

The sculptures were created in 1910 by the French sculptor Henri-Léon Gréber for Harbor Hill, the Long Island mansion of the millionaire Clarence Mackay. They stayed there for decades until the estate's fortunes faded. In 1951 the figures were brought to Kansas City, paid for by the Nichols family, the city and private donors, with Kansas City schoolchildren collecting money as well.

After restoration, the fountain was dedicated in 1960. The four rearing horsemen are said to stand for four great rivers: the Mississippi, whose rider fights off an alligator, the Volga, shown with a bear, the Seine and the Rhine. Around the pool, children ride on fish that everyone calls dolphins.

What to look for

• Count the four rearing horsemen and match them to their rivers, starting with the rider who struggles with an alligator for the Mississippi.
• Find the bear that goes with the Volga rider, a detail that is easy to miss from across the pool.
• Walk around the basin to see the children riding the fish, which locals call dolphins, and notice how each figure is posed differently.
• Watch how the spray and the light change the look of the bronze, especially when the fountain is running.

Tips for your visit

• Give yourself 15 to 30 minutes to circle the fountain and read the details, longer if you want to take photographs.
• Visit in the morning for fewer people, or at dusk and after dark when the water is lit.
• The park is outdoors and open to walk through. Fountains are often switched off in cold weather, so check that it is running if that matters to you.
• The Country Club Plaza is close by, so it is easy to add a stroll, a coffee or a meal before or after.

See it on a quest

You can reach the fountain on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area with Ghost Hunt in Kansas City. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Kansas City suits a more story-driven walk. You travel between stops on foot, hear about each place as you get there and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

If you would rather have a lighter theme, try Dorothy’s Quest: The Trials of Oz in Kansas City. It is a self-guided walk where the app explains each place you reach and gives you a puzzle to solve there. One ticket covers the whole group.