Some visitors combine a visit to Independence with a drive to Kearney, Mo., just north of Kansas City, to see Jesse James's birthplace. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the modest white frame house includes furnishings and portraits of the James brothers. Some visitors wind up the day with a visit to the McCormick Distillery near Weston, Mo., for a free tour and whiskey tasting. There are those who discount the claim's validity, but it was one of the few commercial distilleries that did not shut its doors after Prohibition came into effect. Daily tours are given March through mid-December.
Visitors are welcome to browse through a country store and gift shop adjacent to the distillery.
Whiskey is sold on the premises.