At Unity Village, historic architecture and landscaped grounds sit alongside nature-focused attractions. The Unity School of Christianity Historic District comprises two buildings, a fountain, a balustrade and the immediately surrounding landscape. The district was designed and built between 1927 and 1930 in the Italian Renaissance tradition. If you want to choose your destination based on specific interests, you’ll find both architectural history and a nature trail and labyrinth here.
Architecture and History in Unity Village
The Unity Tower is a 165-foot-tall structure dating from 1929; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Bridge of Faith also has its own history: Rickert Fillmore designed it, and Lowell Fillmore dedicated it in 1951. The Silent Unity Fountain is attributed to architects Boillot and Lauck. A large, Venetian-inspired fountain complex at Unity Village spans 14,090 square feet.
Among the buildings with a history of their own is the Unity Education Building, originally called the Silent Unity Building and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Silent Unity Visitors Chapel features elaborate stencilled decoration. The Fillmore Chapel contains original Art Deco frescoes hand-painted by artist David Ahrends. These distinctive details make the architectural history more than a single chapter, revealing different design styles and phases of construction.
Gardens and Traces of Unity Farm
The historic district’s immediate landscape includes manicured lawns, shrubs, semicircular paths and straight walkways. The Unity Village Rose Garden was established in 1952 and contains about 800 roses in numerous varieties. Another landscape feature is the large, Venetian-inspired fountain complex. Together with the buildings, these outdoor spaces give the site a distinctly designed character that goes beyond its architecture alone.
The Potting Shed is among the most historic buildings at Unity Village and is one of the few remaining structures that tell the story of Unity Farm. The campus was originally called Unity Farm; in 1923, the Potting Shed was built as a pump house over the main water well. It stands between the Fillmore Café and the Carl L. Chinnery Nature Trail parking lot. Wellhouse No. 1 is another surviving farm building: it was also built in 1923 over an existing farm well and is located behind the golf clubhouse.
Nature Trail, Labyrinth and Other Stops
The Carl L. Chinnery Nature Trail is 2.5 miles long. Both ends of the trail have steep climbs—a key point when factoring the trail’s length into your plans. Along the trail is a Natural Bridge, which is associated with the story that Jesse James used it as a hideout. The trail also includes a mural in a concrete tunnel beneath the railway bridge. Its length, climbs and distinctive points of interest give the nature trail several different aspects to consider when choosing what to focus on.
The Unity Labyrinth is 90 feet in diameter and is used for mindfulness. It is described as the largest paved labyrinth in the United States. Another memorial is the Rainbow Bridge Memorial, established by Unity volunteers in 2024 as a memorial for pets. Visitors may scatter their pets’ cremated remains around and beneath the memorial. If you’re planning arrangements for a group, confirm them before your trip.
Practical Information
Unity Village is about 15 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City; the nearest airport is Kansas City International Airport. The Fillmore Café works with premium coffee roaster Messenger Coffee. Its coffee is organic and ethically sourced. If the café is part of your plans, check its hours before your trip. The Harris farmhouse was remodelled as a country home for Unity founders Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore and now serves as the clubhouse for the Unity Village Golf Course. Check access to the farmhouse itself separately. The golf course offers a nine-hole course with a par of 36.
Discover more destinations: Raytown, Grandview, Kansas City, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Sugar Creek, Independence, Grain Valley.
For the broader travel overview: Jackson.
