Behind the Scenes

Step behind the scenes of one of Kansas City’s most storied districts. This guided Film Row Tour will focus on its historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Spanning four square blocks between 17th and 19th Streets, Film Row was once home to distribution centers for some of Hollywood’s most prominent studios from the 1920s through the 1960s, including MGM, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Disney, and United Artists.

The tour will begin at ACI Boland with an overview of Film Row’s cinematic and architectural history—who occupied these buildings then, who works in them now, and how preservation has shaped their transformation. Participants will rotate through guided tours of Helix Architecture + Design, ACI Boland Architects, and Wallace Design Collective, led by design and preservation professionals sharing insights into adaptive reuse, restoration challenges, and contemporary design within historic structures.

This 90-minute experience also highlights the Film Row Walk of Fame, connecting the district’s cultural legacy with its built environment. Ideal for designers, preservationists, and history enthusiasts, the tour offers a compelling look at how Kansas City’s film-era past continues to inform its creative present.