Can we rent Melrose Abbey for a photo or film shoot?

Yes. Melrose Abbey is available on weekdays as a location for editorial, commercial, bridal, music-video and film work. It is a 1922 Gothic church in midtown Kansas City with a 35-foot suspended domed ceiling, original stained glass, a full balcony, a marble bar and a reception floor — roughly 24,000 square feet of location in one building, ten minutes from downtown.

What does the space actually look like on camera?

Tall. The sanctuary has vaulted height, a genuine center aisle, and stained glass that throws real color across the floor in the late afternoon. There is a second event floor, a balcony that gives you an elevated angle over the sanctuary, a marble bar, and dark panelled suites upstairs with fireplaces. Very little in Kansas City offers that range without a company move.

What are your rates for a shoot?

Full-building weekday rental is $3,750 for 14 hours, but most productions do not need the whole day. Event bookings run $600 per hour with a five-hour minimum, but shoots are quoted separately and at a lower rate — a three-person editorial shoot is not a two-hundred-person party. Tell us your dates, hours and crew size and we will price it for what it actually is.

Can a crew stay on site?

Yes. Guest suites inside the building sleep 24, which is unusual for a location and useful for out-of-town crews or multi-day productions. It also gives you a green room, hair and makeup space and a holding area without renting anything additional.

What about load-in, power and permits?

Send us your production requirements — load-in access, power draw, crew size, equipment and insurance — and we will confirm exactly what the building supports and what documentation we need. We would rather answer precisely for your production than publish specs that might not match it.

Is the building available on short notice?

Frequently, on weekdays. Weekends are largely weddings, but Monday through Thursday is the most available part of our calendar, which suits production timelines better than most venues do.

The empty sanctuary at Melrose Abbey — a 1922 Gothic church available as a Kansas City film location The stone Gothic exterior of Melrose Abbey, Kansas City Lighting detail against dark panelling at Melrose Abbey, a Kansas City photo location The balcony at Melrose Abbey, giving an elevated camera angle over the sanctuary

Come see the building

Tours take about thirty minutes and cover both event floors, the balcony and the suites upstairs.