Directions to Campus

The majority of UMKC's Volker campus is centered around 51st Street and Rockhill Road. It is roughly bounded by 55th St. to the south, 47th St. (Emanual Cleaver II Boulevard) to the north, Troost Ave. on the east and Brookside Blvd. on the west. A printable PDF (56Kb) locator map is available if you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. (See the software page for more information on viewing PDF documents.)

The following instructions are designed to get you to the Volker Campus from the outlying community with the least number of turns and confusion.

From the East

Follow I-70 west to the downtown loop. Look for the I-35 south exit, towards the far side of downtown. The exit is directly after you pass underneath Bartle Hall (the BIG building with the four support pylons). The second and third lanes from the right exit to I-35. Exit to the right, up the ramp to I-35 south. The exit is 35MPH, with a fairly sharp curve to the left as you join I-35. Stay left on I-35 and follow the Southwest Trafficway instructions below.

From the Southwest

Follow I-35 North to Shawnee Mission Parkway. Exit right onto Shawnee Mission Parkway. Turn right (east) at the top of the exit. There will be four lanes, stay in the lane second from the left. Continue down Shawnee Mission Parkway for several miles. About a mile after the speed limit drops to 35MPH, you will come to a stop light at State Line Rd. At the next light, you will cross the two south-bound lanes of Ward Pkwy. south and go over a bridge over Brush Creek. Shawnee Mission Pkwy. turns into Ward Pkwy. north and curves to the left. After crossing the bridge, stay in the two right lanes as the street widens out. Ward Pkwy. takes you along the south side of Brush Creek through the Country Club Plaza. After a couple of stop lights, you will come to the large lighted intersection at Brookside Blvd. on the far (east) end of the Plaza. Go straight through the intersection. The street you're on becomes Volker Blvd. Get into the right hand lane. The next intersection is Oak St.

If you are going to the Administrative Center (AC), it is located at 5115 Oak. Turn right (south) onto Oak. Head south for two blocks. The AC is located on the left (east) side of the street. Most student services (Admissions, Registration and Records, Financial Aid, Cashiers Office, Parking Operations, Welcome Center) are located in the AC. Parking for the AC is located on the west side of Oak. If you use the west parking lot, remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving the AC.

If you are going to 4825 Troost (4825T), continue through the intersection at Volker and Oak. The Stowers Institute will be on your right (south). The next lighted intersection is Rockhill Road. Get into the left lane after going through the intersection. The next lighted intersection is Troost. Turn left (north) onto Troost and get into the right lane. The entrance to the parking for 4825T is the first right after you cross over Brush Creek.

Student career, counseling and health and wellness services are located in this building along with the UMKC Police and the testing service.

If you are heading for the Missouri Repertory Theatre (PAC), turn right (south) onto Oak St. Go one block south and then turn left onto 50th St. Parking for the Rep is located in the large multi-story parking structure at 50th St. between Oak and Cherry. The entrance to the parking structure is on your right as you go east on 50th St. Across Cherry St. at the crosswalk, there is a sign with a campus map on it. You're looking for the Performing Arts Center (White Recital Hall is in the PAC) where the Rep performs. It is behind the sign and up the stairs. It is the first building on your left.

If you are heading to the University Center (the UC, Pierson Auditorium, the Bookstore), continue past Oak St. to the next light at Rockhill Rd. There are two possible right turns. A hard right (more than a 90 degree turn) onto Cherry St. A soft right (less than a 90 degree turn) turns onto Rockhill Rd. There will be a blue UMKC sign on your right at the intersection. Take the soft right and go up Rockhill. In about half a block, turn right into the entrance for the UC parking lot. The Bookstore is in the back on the ground floor of the UC as you enter through the main doors up the stairs. Pierson Auditorium is on the top floor. The elevator is at the back of the building. As you exit the elevator on the top floor, Pierson Auditorium is to your left.

From the Southeast

From Grandview and places more south than east, follow U.S. Highway 71 north. From Lees Summit, take I-470 west to the Grandview Triangle to U.S. 71 north. Once you're on 71 north, you are looking for the Swope Parkway exit (also U.S. 56 west) exit in approximately 6 miles. The speed limit will drop to 45MPH north of 75th Street and there will be a series of stop lights. The exit to Swope Parkway is right after the speed limit increases to 55MPH (just north of the 55th Street exit). The exit also says, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Exit right. At the bottom of the exit there is a light. Go through the first light and across the bridge. Turn left at the lighted intersection on the other side. (You are following the signs for the Nelson.) Turn left. There will be a couple of stops as you go over The Paseo. The street you are on turns into 47th.

If you are heading to the University Center (the UC, Pierson Auditorium, the Bookstore), you're heading for 5000 Rockhill Rd. The first lighted intersection after The Paseo is Troost Ave. and the next is Rockhill Rd. Turn Left (south). The next intersection is Volker. Be in the third lane from the left. Rockhill curves to the left. Stay on Rockhill. The entrance to the University Center is the first driveway on your right after the intersection (it comes up quickly). The Bookstore is in the back on the ground floor of the UC as you enter through the main doors up the stairs. Pierson Auditorium is on the top floor. The elevator is at the back of the building. As you exit the elevator on the top floor, Pierson Auditorium is to your left.

If you are going to 4825 Troost (4825T), get into the left-hand lane after crossing The Paseo. The first lighted intersection is Troost. Turn left (south) onto Troost. The entrance to the parking for 4825T is the second left after the intersection of 48th and Troost.

Student career, counseling and health and wellness services are located in this building along with the UMKC Police and the testing service.

If you are heading for the Missouri Repertory Theatre (PAC), parking for the Rep is located in the large multi-story parking structure at 50th St. between Oak and Cherry. Oak is the third (Troost, Rockhill then Oak) lighted intersection after The Paseo. Get into the left turn lane after Rockhill. (The Nelson with its vast lawn will be on your right.) Turn left onto Oak St. There will be a parking structure on your left (east) two blocks after turning onto Oak. Turn left onto 50th just before the parking structure. The entrance is on your right as you go east. Across Cherry St. at the crosswalk, there is a sign with a campus map on it. You're looking for the Performing Arts Center (PAC) where the Rep performs. It is behind the sign and up the stairs. It is the first building on your left.

If you are going to the Administrative Center (AC), it's at 5115 Oak. Oak is the next intersection after Rockhill. There is a light. Get into the left turn lane. (The Nelson with its vast lawn will be on your right.) Turn left. The AC is located three blocks down on the left (east) side of the street. Parking for the AC is located on the west side of Oak. If you use the west parking lot, remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving the AC. Most student services (Admissions, Registration and Records, Financial Aid, Cashiers Office, Parking Operations, Welcome Center) are located in the AC.

From the West

Follow I-70 east to I-670 east to I-35 south. The exit to I-35 is to the right as you near Bartle Hall (the big building with the four towers). Once you're on I-35 south move to the left lane and follow the instructions below for Southwest Trafficway.

From the Northeast

Take I-35 south to Kansas City. I-35 south turns right and goes around the north side of downtown. After the downtown loop, get into the left lane. Then follow the instructions for Southwest Trafficway below.

From the Northwest/Airport

Take I-29 South to Kansas City. I-29 joins I-35 north of the Missouri River. I-29 will end just north of downtown. Stay on I-35. I-35 south turns right and goes around the north side of downtown. After the downtown loop, get into the left lane. Then follow the instructions for Southwest Trafficway below.

Southwest Trafficway

Once you're on I-35 south from the downtown loop, at about 24th St., make a left exit off of I-35 onto Southwest Trafficway. Follow it to the Country Club Plaza -- past 39th and 43rd streets. After 43rd street, start moving into one of the two left lanes. At the bottom of the hill, there is a light at a major intersection (47th St.). Turn left at the light onto 47th St. and travel through the Country Club Plaza for several blocks. You go through several intersections before you reach the two major intersections that mark the far (east) side of the Plaza. The first is JC Nichols Parkway and the next is Main Street/Brookside Blvd. (Main goes north, Brookside heads south). Continue through both of these intersections. The next light is Oak St.

If you are going to the Administrative Center (AC), it is located at 5115 Oak, turn right onto Oak. Head south for three blocks. The AC is located on the left (east) side of the street. Parking for the AC is located on the west side of Oak. If you use the west parking lot, remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving the AC. Most student services (Admissions, Registration and Records, Financial Aid, Cashiers Office, Parking Operations, Welcome Center) are located in the AC. Parking for the AC is located on the west side of Oak. If you use the west parking lot, remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving the AC.

If you are going to 4825 Troost (4825T), continue through the intersection at 47th and Oak. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art will be on your left (north). The next lighted intersection is Rockhill Road. Get into the right lane after going through the intersection. The next lighted intersection is Troost. Turn right (south) onto Troost. The entrance to the parking for 4825T is the second left after the intersection of 48th and Troost.

Student career, counseling and health and wellness services are located in this building along with the UMKC Police and the testing service.

If you are heading to the University Center (the UC, Pierson Auditorium, the Bookstore), continue past Oak St. until the next light which is Rockhill Rd. Turn right (south) onto Rockhill. In two blocks, you'll reach a major five-way intersection where Rockhill crosses Volker Blvd. and where Cherry St. starts and heads south. There is a large blue UMKC sign in front of you at the intersection. There are two left turn lanes. The hard left is onto Volker Blvd. The inside left lane is a soft left that takes you up Rockhill Rd. Take the inside left turn and go up Rockhill. The first turn on your right (in about half a block) is the entrance for the parking lot for the UC. The Bookstore is in the back on the ground floor of the UC as you enter through the main doors up the stairs. Pierson Auditorium is on the top floor. The elevator is at the back of the building. As you exit the elevator on the top floor, Pierson Auditorium is to your left.