If someone were to mention Downtown Overland Park to you, you might think of some of the awesome food you can get at Strang Hall, the best Farmers’ Market in the state, or the smell of warm pies from The Upper Crust wafting through the streets. Here are 5 fast facts about Downtown OP that you can subtly add into your conversation the next time you are visiting Downtown OP.
One
If you feel like Downtown OP has some history to it, you are right. The roots of Downtown OP date back all the way to 1905. Skip ahead to fact number five to learn what the first building in OP was.
Two
Looking to shop small and support local businesses? Downtown OP is home to more than 300 local businesses. From fine art to pizza, craft beer, clothing boutiques and vinyl records, OP’s downtown shops have something for everyone
Three
If you check out the street name that runs right through Downtown OP, you will notice it is Santa Fe Dr. This is no coincidence because the Santa Fe Trail went through what is now Downtown OP.
Four
If you take a look at the stage in Thompson Park, you will notice it looks like a paper airplane. This is a hat tip to the fact that there was an airfield located in Downtown OP in the early 1900s.
Five
There is still an original train depot in Downtown OP. The train depot is actually inside a building at 80th and Santa Fe. This depot was a stop for trains connecting Olathe to Kansas City and was the first building in Overland Park.