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Fortopia

May 25 – September 4, 2023
Included in general admission

Purchase Admission

Fortopia, a playful outdoor exhibition comprised of awe-inspiring forts, invites explorers of all ages to uncover Powell Gardens. This vibrant edition to summer in Kansas City encourages outdoor discovery and taps into the nostalgia of childhood fort building.  

After opening a public request for proposals, a jury selected four new fort designs for inclusion in the 2023 exhibition. Designed to inspire outdoor play, Powell Gardens is excited for visitors to experience Fortopia’s wonder through the variety of creative perspectives represented in the chosen forts. This year’s fort designers include a team of preschool children, artists, landscape designers, architects, and more.  

2023 Forts

Visit the Gardens many times to experience the forts in a different light throughout the changing seasons! Nestled on the East Lawn, visitors are encouraged to enjoy the Gardens in a new and playful way. 

This year’s newly selected and returning forts focus on play. What will you discover as you climb, run, and slide at Powell Gardens?

 

More Ways to Explore

Midwest Foraging
Location: Heartland Harvest Garden and Family Discovery Trail  

Embrace the #MidwestSpiritOfPlace! Powell Gardens’ Midwest Foraging exhibition exemplifies and appreciates the natural landscape, focused on foragable plants. Take a self-guided Midwest Foraging Tour utilizing Garden Explorer. Use new blue plant tags to learn how to identify select plants in nature, why they are foraged, and fun facts along the way! This family friendly tour content was developed in collaboration with Powell Gardens’ expert Horticulture team.  

Be certain to stop by the Marketplace on your way home to pick up a DIY foraging kit to apply what you learned on your own!

Know Before You Go