Some call it sprawl, but the creators of the Johnson County Museum of History call it "the good life." And why not? That's what people move to Johnson County in search of, isn't it? The museum's winding exhibition space documents the earliest settlers in the area, through the early twentieth century -- when, according to the narrator of the introductory video, "people escaped the filth of the city for the good life" -- to the present day, with Johnson County's own downtown growing south of I-435. But the biggest treat is the 1950s All-Electric House. Built to promote the wonders of electricity a la Kansas City Power and Light, this straight-lined ranch home features receding lights (a stunning development in love-happy post-war years), remote control curtains and a painting that slides into a wall to reveal a TV. The museum's staff hosts barbecues on the kidney-shaped patio from time to time, so even gritty Midtowners can get a bite of the good life.
