The Lodges of the Kansas City Masonic Temple
Meet the Masonic bodies that gather, serve, and preserve tradition here.
Historic Masonic Bodies at 903 Harrison
The Kansas City Masonic Temple is home to lodges and York Rite bodies whose histories are deeply tied to the building, the Ridge Building fire, and the creation of a permanent Masonic home in Kansas City.
Temple Gate Lodge No. 299
Temple Gate Lodge No. 299 is one of the historic founding lodges connected to the Kansas City Masonic Temple. Formed through the consolidation of Temple Lodge, Gate City Lodge, Orient Lodge, Rural Lodge, and South Gate Lodge, Temple Gate carries forward a broad legacy of Kansas City Masonry.
Its history is closely tied to the Ridge Building fire and the creation of the Kansas City Masonic Temple Company, making the lodge part of the very origin story of the Temple at 903 Harrison Street.
Kansas City Lodge No. 220
Kansas City Lodge No. 220 is one of the oldest and most historically significant lodges connected to the Kansas City Masonic Temple. Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Missouri on May 30, 1861, the lodge’s history reaches back to the Civil War era and the earliest generations of organized Masonry in Kansas City.
The lodge also carries one of Kansas City Masonry’s most compelling survival stories. During the violence and uncertainty of the Civil War, it is said that William S. Gregory protected the lodge’s charter and jewels by burying them near Cliff Drive until the war ended.
Kansas City Lodge No. 220 was also one of the three lodges displaced by the 1909 Ridge Building fire, an event that helped inspire the creation of the Kansas City Masonic Temple Company and the construction of the Temple at 903 Harrison Street.
Cecile Daylight Lodge No. 305
Cecile Daylight Lodge No. 305 is Kansas City’s historic daytime lodge, chartered on October 17, 1923, to serve Masons whose work made evening meetings difficult.
Its early membership included railroad workers, postal workers, newspaper workers, musicians, actors, magicians, and entertainers, giving the lodge its lasting reputation as one of the Temple’s most colorful and distinctive bodies. Named for St. Cecilia, the patroness of music, Cecile Daylight originally met at the Kansas City Masonic Temple at 903 Harrison Street, later moved to North Kansas City, and returned home to the Temple in 2021.
Orient Chapter No. 102, Royal Arch Masons
Orient Chapter No. 102 is one of the historic York Rite bodies connected to the Kansas City Masonic Temple. Chartered on May 3, 1883, the Chapter has been in continuous operation since the late nineteenth century and remains part of the long York Rite tradition at 903 Harrison Street.
Royal Arch Masonry expands upon the lessons of the Craft Lodge, carrying forward the symbolic story of the building of King Solomon’s Temple and directing the Mason’s attention toward the recovery, completion, and spiritual meaning of the work begun in the Blue Lodge. Alongside the Council and Commandery, Orient Chapter was among the original York Rite bodies whose membership helped support the creation of the Kansas City Masonic Temple after the earlier meeting place was lost to fire.
Shekinah Council No. 24, Royal and Select Masters
Shekinah Council No. 24 represents the Cryptic Rite within the York Rite family meeting at the Kansas City Masonic Temple. Chartered on April 27, 1892, the Council continues a tradition that explores some of Masonry’s most symbolic and dramatic teachings.
The degrees of Royal and Select Master complete and deepen the story begun in the Craft Lodge and continued through the Royal Arch, focusing on preservation, fidelity, hidden wisdom, and the sacred work connected with King Solomon’s Temple. As one of the long-standing York Rite bodies at 903 Harrison, Shekinah Council shares in the Temple’s founding legacy and in the continuing work of preserving Kansas City’s Masonic heritage.
Oriental Commandery No. 35, Knights Templar
Oriental Commandery No. 35 is one of Kansas City’s oldest continuous York Rite organizations. Established on May 3, 1881, the Commandery predates the Temple building itself and carries forward the chivalric branch of the York Rite.
Knights Templar Masonry builds upon the preceding degrees of the York Rite and presents lessons through the language of Christian knighthood, courage, duty, faith, sacrifice, and service. Oriental Commandery was part of the York Rite presence that helped shape the early life of the Kansas City Masonic Temple, and its continued work at 903 Harrison links the building to a tradition of patriotic, charitable, and ceremonial Masonry extending back to the nineteenth century.