For my first stop, I headed to the plaza to see the Johnny Was store, which was converted into a fictional “Dazzle Me Moi” to be part of “Ted Lasso” season four.
For my final day of my internship with the Eudora Times, I got to go on a Kansas City staycation, but with a fun twist — visiting spots around the city where the hit TV show “Ted Lasso” had filmed this summer.
Season four of “Ted Lasso” is officially in the filming process, and Kansas City native Jason Sudeikis and the crew have been spotted in multiple parts of town on and off camera.
“Ted Lasso” is a series about an American football coach who’s hired to coach a British soccer team. Both Sudeikis and his character are Kansas City natives. And with the ending of season three, the audience is left off with him returning to his hometown, prompting filming to take place at various locations in Kansas City.
Kansas City, Missouri, is establishing itself as a filmmaking hub, and city officials think a high-profile project like this will show what the city has to offer for film and TV, according to a release on the city’s website.
So I decided to take the challenge and visit the same stops on Friday.
Country Club Plaza — 10:30 a.m.
For the first stop of the day, my friend Brynn and I decided to stop by the Country Club Plaza, an area that had multiple streets blocked off for filming of season four. The area was not busy since it was a Friday morning.
The building looked completely normal, not as if a major television show had filmed there just a few weeks prior.
Johnny Was, a clothing store on the Country Club Plaza, had its name changed to “Dazzle Me Moi” to be featured in the show. There was a casting call in Kansas City for extras to be a part of the filming.
Sudeikis was seen here in mid-July filming with co-stars Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple.
Although I wasn’t an official extra in the crowd during filming, it was still fun to imagine how they are going to use the store in the show. When I see it on TV down the line, I’ll be able to say I’ve been there.
Lunch at Gates — 11 a.m.
In my 19 years of living in Lawrence, I’d never visited this staple KC barbecue spot.
The cast and crew filmed at the Main Street location of Gates BBQ, seen in a video shared by Apple TV promoting the filming of the new season.
Walking in, the space feels almost like a museum, with the various rooms feeling like different parts of a city. Ordering your food is old-school cafeteria style with trays.
I was immediately thrown off when entering, because to take your order they yell across the lunch counter and shout your order out to the kitchen staff.
The restaurant wasn’t packed, so we got to sit in a booth similar to the one the cast used during filming.
The food made the anxiety of ordering worth it. It was the best brisket sandwich I’ve had and their signature sauce was delicious. There was no polite way to dig into the massive brisket sandwiches we ordered, so manners were not our top priority as we ate.
Needless to say, I had sauce on my face walking out of the restaurant.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum — 11:45 a.m.
The next stop was the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. I’d never visited this specific museum, but I had heard about its neighbors, like the American Jazz Museum.
Now, I don’t know much about baseball, but the exhibits were very detailed and easy to follow along. The life-size statues of players in action were really interesting, especially because I kept wondering how in the world someone made that.
My favorite part was the hundreds of autographed baseballs of players displayed in rows. It put into perspective how many Black baseball players lacked limelight in their prime years as athletes. It was also fun to look at all the different signatures.
The museum highlights the history of Black baseball, embodying hope and perseverance, two big themes in “Ted Lasso.” A large part of filming in Kansas City includes highlighting its distinctive neighborhoods, landmarks and culture, according to a release from the city’s website.
Some scenes were also shot at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum — although fans won’t know specifics until the season comes out.
For only $10, you can walk through the history of segregated sports, integration in baseball and star athletes from the last 100 years. There are three other museums with different themes under the same roof.
Although it’s unclear how the museum will be used within the show, it will likely give the museum more visitors.
CPKC stadium 1:15 p.m.
For the final stop of my staycation, I stopped at the CPKC Stadium, home to the KC Current women’s soccer team. I’ve been wanting to go to a Current game for months and finally got to see the stadium in person.
Rumors online have speculated season four of the show will feature Jason Sudeikis’ character coaching a women’s soccer team. Sudeikis was even spotted at the Country Club Plaza sporting a KC Current jacket during filming.
The use of the stadium is expected to introduce the real-life soccer team to “Ted Lasso” fans, even though the KC Current home field is already well known in the sports world.
CPKC was the first stadium built for a professional women’s sports team. Along with its typical soccer season, it hosted the US vs. Canada women’s rugby match in May.
Although we couldn’t go inside, it was still cool to see the stadium’s location next to the river, as well as the construction across from the entrance, where a brand new performance center and fan complex is in the works. The area’s development will be interesting to see in the next few years.
Overall, my KC staycation was fun. It was probably the most highway driving I’ve done in a long time. But the sights were worth it — and it was cool to think just a few weeks ago the cast and crew of a hit TV show were there filming for Apple TV.
Editor’s Note:
Now that you’ve read Maya’s staycation, we challenge you to one of your own. Send us a photo of yourself and/or your family out in Eudora and tell us what you think a staycation day here should include.
We’ll combine all of the submissions into a story later this month. Send your photo and perfect Eudora day to [email protected] by Aug. 11.