Hotels in Independence

Independence was Harry Truman's home for most of his adult life, and the Harry S Truman National Historic Site preserves the house he and Bess lived in from 1919 until his death, a short walk from the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. It was also a starting point for the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails, and a Latter-day Saint holy site: the Temple Lot, dedicated by Joseph Smith in 1831, sits near the Community of Christ's domed temple and a visitor centre telling the story of the Missouri Saints.

The historic square keeps its nineteenth-century courthouse and storefronts, but this is a quiet satellite of Kansas City rather than a destination with much nightlife of its own. Sights are spread across town, so a car helps more than walking. Stay near the historic square for the Truman sites and easy access into downtown Kansas City, ten miles west.