I am fascinated by stories of tragedy, so I decided to visit the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

I used to live in the Kansas City area and I drove downtown frequently for my job. The Hyatt Regency Hotel dominates the skyline on the southern edge of downtown, with its iconic rotating restaurant on top. As time goes on, fewer people are aware of the deadly event that took place at the hotel shortly after it was constructed.

On July 17, 1981, 114 people died and 216 were injured when two suspended walkways collapsed during a large party in the main lobby.

The following four photos show the aftermath.

By Dr. Lee Lowery, Jr., P.E. - [1] Page on which image is used; also contains license information.[2] Direct link to image., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6370080

In this photo, you can see where the two former sky walks used to connect on the second and fourth floors.

It was determined that the collapse was caused by a change in the design of the suspension system. More specific details are explained by clicking the link below.

Source of facts and last three images above:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse

My Personal Experience Upon Visiting the Location

Being used to small-town life, my first feeling was wow, this place is huge! But as I walked in the exact location where the sky walks fell, I felt sullen, as though I was walking around a tomb. 114 people passed away in that exact spot, 30 years earlier. It was not something I took lightly. I could only imagine the terror of those who experienced the collapse, and the grim process of removing the deceased. It was surreal, to say the least.

Taking this photo, I was standing in the exact location of the former second-floor sky walk. On the night of the disaster, the former fourth-floor sky walk collapsed directly onto the one below it, crushing everyone who was unfortunate enough to be standing here. The wall opening where the former fourth-floor walkway connected into the hotel has since been covered up.

Although the lobby was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season, I found it disturbing that there was no memorial commemorating the event. No recognition that something awful had occurred here. I imagine the hotel owners thought such a memorial would disturb guests and be bad for business.

Since I last visited in 2011, the hotel has changed ownership. The tragic event is fading away into history, although the families impacted will never forget that evening. I imagine not many guests at the hotel are aware of the event as they enter the lobby.

The last six photos and the top photo of the tower were taken by me on a primitive LG smart phone. I apologize for the poor quality of the evening photos.

Thank you for reading my post. Enjoy the Christmas season, friends!