Boulevard Brewery Tour: What to Book Before You Go
A brewery tour sounds like an easy Kansas City plan until you find four different experiences and realize they aren’t offered on the same days. If you’re booking your first Boulevard Brewery tour, the choice comes down to how much time you have and whether you’d rather see the brewery or settle in for a tasting.
The good news: you don’t have to figure it out while standing in the parking lot. Pick your experience at Boulevard Brewing Co first, book online, and leave a little room for the Beer Hall afterward.
Key Takeaways
- Boulevard’s Tours & Rec Center is at 2534 Madison Ave.
- The one-hour public option costs $10 to $15, while specialty experiences cost $25 to $40, plus taxes and fees.
- Tour tickets are released weekly. Check the calendar and reserve online rather than counting on a last-minute spot.
- The second-floor Beer Hall doesn’t require a reservation for a regular visit.
Choosing a Boulevard Brewery tour
Boulevard offers a straightforward option, two longer specialty tours, and a Friday evening tasting. Here’s a quick comparison of its brewery tours before you match dates to plans. Prices and schedules come from Boulevard’s current tours and tastings listings.
| Experience | Typical schedule | Length | Price before taxes and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Brewery Tour | Daily | One hour | $10 to $15 |
| Smokestack Tour & Tasting | Mondays and Thursdays | 90 minutes | $35 |
| Happy Hour Tasting | Friday evenings | Check available times | $25 |
| Unfiltered Tour | Fridays and Sundays | Two hours | $40 |
Start with the calendar, not the price. A longer tasting sounds lovely, but it won’t help much if your only free afternoon is Saturday. Available times can change, and a listed schedule doesn’t mean seats remain for every date.
The Friday option is described as a tasting rather than a full brewery tour. If seeing the brewing operation is your main reason for going, choose an experience that includes a tour.
The public tour and Smokestack tasting
Public Brewery Tour: the easy first pick
For a first visit, I like the simplicity of the Public Brewery Tour. It’s one hour, offered daily, and ends with beer samples in the tasting room. You get an introduction to the brewery and its tasting room without giving over your whole afternoon to it.
The $10 to $15 price makes it the easiest option for a mixed group, especially when some friends are curious about Boulevard’s craft beers but aren’t ready for a longer tasting. Taxes and fees are extra, so check the total before you pay.
Don’t assume the public tour includes a meal or a souvenir. If either matters to you, compare the specialty experiences before booking.
Smokestack Tour & Tasting: make time for the pairings
The Smokestack Tour & Tasting gives you 90 minutes for a brewery tour followed by guided beer and food pairings. It’s offered Mondays and Thursdays for $35 plus taxes and fees.
This is the one I’d look at for a date or for the friend who asks questions about every beer on the menu. The food is part of the guided pairing experience, though I’d still plan separately if you’re hoping for a full dinner.
Its limited schedule is the catch. Check Monday and Thursday availability before building a whole evening around it.
Happy Hour Tasting: a shorter Friday plan
Boulevard’s Friday evening Happy Hour Tasting costs $25 plus taxes and fees. It focuses on brewing, beers, and bites, making it a good fit when you want a planned experience but don’t have two hours to spare.
Think of it as a tasting-centered start to Friday night. Boulevard also lists it as an option for private experiences on other nights. For a regular visit, check the Friday calendar rather than assuming it’s available whenever you’re free.
Unfiltered Tour: give it the afternoon
The Unfiltered Tour runs for two hours on Fridays and Sundays and costs $40 plus taxes and fees. Boulevard lists beer along the way, a souvenir glass, and a tasting notebook among the inclusions.
That extra hour matters. This is the pick for someone who wants to slow down, pay attention, and make the brewery the main outing rather than a stop before dinner. Boulevard also offers it as a private event for groups of up to 15 guests.
If you’re torn between this and the public tour, ask yourself how much detail you’ll enjoy. An hour is plenty for a casual introduction. Two hours feels more like a planned activity.
How to book without making the day complicated
Buy tour tickets online
Boulevard releases tour tickets weekly, so an empty calendar far in advance doesn’t always mean tours have been canceled. Check back when your visit gets closer. Once your date appears, make online reservations through Boulevard’s booking system by choosing an experience and time.
Advance ticket sales stop at 10 a.m. Central time on the day of the tour. That cutoff isn’t a promise that tickets will still be available that morning. For a Friday or Sunday specialty tour, I’d book as soon as I see a time that works.
Keep the confirmation handy and check the details sent with your purchase. That’s where you’ll find the instructions for your reservation, rather than relying on something a friend remembers from a past visit.
Ask about private tours early
Planning a birthday, work outing, or larger get-together? Boulevard lists private tours daily between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Contact the brewery about the experience, group size, and available dates instead of buying a handful of public-tour tickets and hoping everyone fits.
The distinction between tour tickets and Beer Hall reservations matters here. A table there doesn’t automatically put your group on a tour, and a tour booking isn’t the same thing as reserving space for a gathering afterward. Sort out both parts before inviting everyone.
Getting to the Tours & Rec Center
Set your destination to Madison Avenue
Use 2534 Madison Ave., Kansas City, MO 64108 to find Boulevard’s Tours & Rec Center. The Beer Hall is on the second floor of the visitor space. Enter the street address in your map instead of searching only for “Boulevard Brewing,” so you arrive at the visitor entrance, not a loading dock.
Give yourself time to park, get inside, and find the tour check-in point. If you’re meeting friends, make the Tours & Rec Center your meeting place. “See you at Boulevard” leaves quite a bit open to interpretation.
Current parking prices and detailed lot instructions weren’t confirmed in Boulevard’s visitor information. Check your reservation or contact Boulevard if you need a specific parking plan. If your group expects to sample beer, decide who isn’t driving before anyone orders a second round.
Plan for access and tasting rules
Boulevard says its Tours & Rec Center is fully ADA-accessible. If someone in your group needs a particular accommodation during a tour, contact the brewery before purchasing so you can choose the right experience and time.
Visitors must be 21 to taste beer, according to Visit Missouri. Bring a valid photo ID if you plan to sample. Don’t assume that tasting eligibility answers every question about younger guests: confirm the age policy for your chosen tour directly with Boulevard before booking for a family or mixed-age group.
The same goes for dogs. Check the current pet policy before bringing one into the space.
Make room for the Beer Hall and gift shop
Check the hours for the day you’re going
You can visit the Beer Hall without taking a tour, and you don’t need a reservation for an ordinary visit. Boulevard’s Beer Hall information lists these hours:
| Day | Beer Hall hours |
|---|---|
| Monday through Thursday | Noon to 9 p.m. |
| Friday and Saturday | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Those are listed hours, not a guarantee that every tour or gift shop service runs for the same span. Another visitor listing shows shorter Tours & Rec Center hours, so check Boulevard’s page before heading over, especially near closing time.
The gift shop is worth a look if you want to take home Boulevard beer, Quirk Hard Seltzers, or apparel. I wouldn’t leave that stop until the last few minutes of the night. Tour timing and shopping timing don’t always cooperate.
Eat there, or ask before bringing food
The space makes it easy to keep hanging out after a tour. Still, don’t build your meal plan around bringing outside food or drinks: a general policy wasn’t confirmed in the available visitor details. Ask Boulevard first if you have dietary needs, a cake, or another food-related plan.
For larger gatherings, there’s another small detail to catch. Boulevard asks parties of 20 or more to email reservations@boulevard.com about group options, according to its Beer Hall reservation guidance. Reserved space may involve a pre-ordered food package, so ask what the package includes. A casual walk-in and a hosted group event have different arrangements.
Turn the tour into a Kansas City outing
Boulevard works nicely as the anchor of an afternoon: tour first, then decide whether to stay for the Beer Hall or head out for dinner. I wouldn’t pack the schedule too tightly. A one-hour tour can turn into a longer stop once someone wants to browse the shop or try one more beer.
If your visit falls on the first Friday of the month, you could make a separate evening stop at the Crossroads First Fridays art walk. Check gallery hours and arrange transportation rather than assuming the whole night is walkable. For a different tasting-focused day, our guide to Kansas City wineries worth visiting has options beyond beer.
Looking for more things to do in Kansas City after you’ve picked your tour date? Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter for local events and weekend ideas. And if this is turning into a date night, Check out our KC Date Night Deck! for ideas to pair with another KC evening.
First-time visitor questions
Do I need a reservation for a Boulevard Brewery tour?
Book your tour ticket online. Tickets are released weekly, and advance sales close at 10 a.m. Central time on tour day. The Beer Hall is different: you can normally visit without a reservation.
Which tour should I book if I have only an hour?
Choose the Public Brewery Tour. It lasts one hour and includes samples at the end. If the Friday Happy Hour Tasting catches your eye instead, check its available time and description before booking; it’s a tasting-centered experience.
Can people under 21 go on a tour?
Guests must be 21 to taste beer. A general minimum age for every tour wasn’t confirmed, so ask Boulevard about your exact booking before buying tickets for anyone younger.
Can I bring outside food or drinks into the Beer Hall?
Don’t assume you can. Confirm the current outside-food and outside-drink policy with Boulevard, particularly if you’re planning a celebration or need to accommodate a dietary restriction.
Is the building accessible?
Boulevard describes the Tours & Rec Center as fully ADA-accessible. For questions about a particular tour route or accommodation, contact the brewery ahead of your visit.
A good first visit starts with the right ticket
That first glance at four Boulevard Brewing Co tour options can make a simple outing feel oddly complicated. Pick by time and experience first: the public tour for an easy introduction, Smokestack for pairings, Happy Hour for Friday evening, or Unfiltered for a longer visit.
Then reserve your spot, check the day’s hours, and head to Madison Avenue. The rest can stay pleasantly unplanned.
