Best of KC 2024: The Rabbit hOle digs deeper into their own private Narnia

Photo Courtesy of The Rabbit hOle

Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2024. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

Deb Pettid and Pete Cowdin—former owners of The Reading Reptile—began imagining in 2015. That imagination started to become more of a reality in 2018 when they purchased an establishment. Their idea; an immersive children’s museum aimed at furthering youth literature education.

By March of this year, The Rabbit hOle was born. This step into an alternative fantasy is a children’s dream: tunnels, chutes, ladders, and more—all spaces encompassing different forms of literature, making the experience an engaging learning environment, yet also a trip out of reality.

Listed as one of TIME’s ‘World’s Greatest Places’ this year, we can say that they did not miss. Nearly ten years in the making—from the very first thought to the grand opening—Pettid and Cowdin executed their plan to a tee.

There is no place in Kansas City quite like The Rabbit hOle, as it truly is a trip in its own right to any child’s wonderland. If you’re looking for an enjoyable and enchanting place to take the kids but want them to stay up on their reading game, The Rabbit hOle is the spot to dig.