Penny-pinching fun in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sure, visitors can drop a bundle whiling away hours in Kansas City's born-again downtown, with its shiny new Sprint Center and Power & Light dining, drinking fun zone.

But budget-minded travelers also have a buffet of penny-pinching options in the city of fountains, including rock solid offerings from the holy trinity of summer fun: good food, baseball and jazz. After all, is anything else really necessary?

Nonbelievers take heart. Kansas City also has other entertaining, less expensive alternatives, from world-class museum collections to theaters and tons of (window) shopping.

BASEBALL: Tickets for the longtime championship-challenged Kansas City Royals start at $14 and go up to about $50. Cut costs by tailgating in the massive parking lot with just about everybody else; kansascity.royals.mlb.com.

If you want something beyond the majors, try the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League. The T-Bones, who play in neighboring Wyandotte County, Kan., have actually won a recent championship. Their tickets start at $6 for seats in the grass. You can also pack a picnic and get a table that seats six and has a good view of the action for $45; www.tbonesbaseball.com.

For baseball history, head to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the historic 18th and Vine District. Exhibits at the museum tell the story of Negro Leagues players who barnstormed the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Tickets to the museum exhibits are $6 for adults, $2.50 for children under 12. Kids under 5 are free. The museum is closed Mondays; www.nlbm.com/.

JAZZ: Kansas City has a deep jazz history and even its own style of the American art form. There are numerous selections for live jazz, from bars and restaurants to a historic after-hours spot that doesn't get rolling until well past midnight.

Some notables: The Blue Room, which is part of the American Jazz Museum in the 18th and Vine District; www.americanjazzmuseum.com.

The Phoenix, 302 W. 8th St., has live jazz Tuesday through Saturday and a fairly full menu; www.phoenixjazzkc.com/.

Jardine's, 4536 Main St., near the Country Club Plaza, boasts live music throughout the week; www.jardines4jazz.com.