Visual Traveler: Celebrating Peanuts in Kansas City, Missouri

Last year, the anniversary for when the beloved Peanuts comic strip began reached its 75th birthday. And I recently toured a display honoring the iconic 'strip,' at the Hallmark Visitors Center. 

​It was a must-visit destination for this girl whose Mom was a Peanuts fan from the moment the comic began. I had also recently found a 25-year-old copy of the final strip from the Kansas City Star (newspaper), in a random drawer. When I donated it to the Visitors Center, they printed several copies for me to  keep.

But why was the Peanuts display created here? That's because Charles Schultz and Hallmark long worked together to create greeting cards, plush toys, Christmas tree ornaments, books, and other items reflecting Schultz's whimsical, loveable characters. The Visitors Center also sits near Hallmark's global headquarters building.

Even longtime Peanuts fans can learn something new here. For instance, did you know Schulz originally wanted to call his comic strip L'il Folks? And that the Charlie Brown character reflected many feelings and experiences of the creator, himself?

Open the little doors in the Peanuts Gang Fun Facts area to pick up more interesting info about individual characters and the comic strip as a whole. More information lies behind doors in the Peanuts Family Tree display. Touring this exhibit provided me with plenty of 'warm fuzzies' and happy memories.

Although there is no specific closing date for the FREE Peanuts exhibit, it will likely run well into 2026. Additional exhibits that reflect Hallmark's creative history are also open. Call Hallmark Visitors Center before going, to verify its current hours.