At 75-acres, Jacob L. Loose Park is one of Kansas City’s most popular, beautiful and historical. The park is well-known locally as being a major site for the Battle of Westport where Confederate forces were routed by Union forces in the area in which the park is now located. Kansas City’s municipal rose garden in Loose Park is the realization of a dream that began in 1931, when a group of citizens under the leadership of Laura Conyers Smith established the Kansas City Rose Society. The first garden contained 120 rose plants. Today, there are about 4,000 roses of nearly 150 varieties in the 1.5 acre garden. The garden recently underwent a $400,000 renovation project completed by Rosehill Gardens, which included planting 1,200 new roses and restoring the beds to the original plans.