About Paola, Kansas
Paola, Kansas has over 150 years of history and charm. It is located twenty-five minutes south of the Kansas City metropolitan area on highway 169; and just 60 miles south of Kansas City’s international airport.
Paola has a beautiful historic downtown Park Square, which has a lovely Victorian Gazebo. The original Gazebo was built in 1867 and was used as a bandstand. On the north and south sides of the Gazebo stand two gas street lanterns. These lanterns are reproductions of the original Wellsbach gas street lanterns marking the era when natural gas was discovered in 1882. Paola was the first town west of the Mississippi to be completely illuminated with gas lighting.
Paola's Downtown Square has a museum, art galleries antique stores, gift stores, florists, and a special event center for weddings and business meetings. The square is the home of the Roots Festival which has a State Championship BBQ Competition. In addition, there are many great restaurants in this area. The BBQ Shack has been featured on the Food Network and Louisburg Cider Mill has been featured on MSNBC.
There are historical sites and interesting attractions throughout the Miami County area worth visiting during your stay. And with the Kansas City area only 25 minutes north of Paola, the entertainment options are endless.
Check out these local Paola attractions:
For more information about Paola, visit the City of Paola online.