Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 21, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Intercompany fee income (expense)		$ 0	$ 0
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable		0	0
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities		215,773	184,308
Net operating cash provided by continuing operations		215,773	184,308
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	514
Net cash provided by operating activities		215,773	184,822
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets		(177,362)	(136,029)
Proceeds from sale of real estate		20,651	45,992
Investment in mortgage notes receivable		(80,786)	(62,936)
Proceeds from mortgage note receivable paydown		63,876	975
Proceeds from sale of infrastructure related to issuance of revenue bonds		43,462	0
Investment in promissory notes receivable		66	0
Payments to Acquire Lease Receivables		3,036
Proceeds from insurance recovery		3,036	0
Proceeds from Sale of Lease Receivables		825	4,741
Additions to properties under development		(288,887)	(324,859)
Investment In Intercompany Notes Payable		0
Advances to subsidiaries, net		0	0
Net cash used by investing activities		(415,251)	(472,116)
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities		854,360	803,914
Principal payments on long-term debt		(587,109)	(413,069)
Deferred financing fees paid		(3,047)	(6,952)
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff (cash portion)		(482)	0
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares	$ 125,000	142,452	99,760
Impact of stock option exercises, net		(717)	(3,192)
Purchase of common shares for treasury		(4,211)	(8,222)
Dividends paid to shareholders		(198,678)	(172,926)
Net cash provided by financing activities		202,568	299,313
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		(62)	(741)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		3,028	11,278
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year		4,283	3,336
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year		7,311	14,614
EPR Properties (Issuer) [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)		2,018	(2,062)
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable		0	111
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities		(74,550)	(83,543)
Net operating cash provided by continuing operations			(81,370)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations			0
Net cash provided by operating activities		(72,532)	(81,370)
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets		(180)	(392)
Proceeds from sale of real estate		0	0
Investment in mortgage notes receivable		0	0
Proceeds from mortgage note receivable paydown		0	0
Proceeds from sale of infrastructure related to issuance of revenue bonds		0
Investment in promissory notes receivable		0
Payments to Acquire Lease Receivables		0
Proceeds from Sale of Lease Receivables		0	0
Additions to properties under development		(181)	(5)
Investment In Intercompany Notes Payable		0
Advances to subsidiaries, net		(203,471)	(374,011)
Net cash used by investing activities		(203,832)	(374,408)
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities		840,000	648,914
Principal payments on long-term debt		(496,000)	(89,000)
Deferred financing fees paid		(3,020)	(6,944)
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff (cash portion)		0
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares		142,452	99,760
Impact of stock option exercises, net		(717)	(3,192)
Purchase of common shares for treasury		(4,211)	(8,222)
Dividends paid to shareholders		(198,678)	(172,926)
Net cash provided by financing activities		279,826	468,390
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		3,462	12,612
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year		1,089	(1,234)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year		4,551	11,378
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)		0	0
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable		7,297	7,339
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities		254,721	235,839
Net operating cash provided by continuing operations			243,178
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations			514
Net cash provided by operating activities		262,018	243,692
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets		(175,075)	(135,627)
Proceeds from sale of real estate		19,175	44,911
Investment in mortgage notes receivable		(80,786)	(18,073)
Proceeds from mortgage note receivable paydown		44,556	975
Proceeds from sale of infrastructure related to issuance of revenue bonds		43,462
Investment in promissory notes receivable		66
Payments to Acquire Lease Receivables		2,635
Proceeds from Sale of Lease Receivables		825	4,741
Additions to properties under development		(282,554)	(321,559)
Investment In Intercompany Notes Payable		(2,063)
Advances to subsidiaries, net		231,048	343,293
Net cash used by investing activities		(198,843)	(81,339)
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities		0	155,000
Principal payments on long-term debt		(63,727)	(317,897)
Deferred financing fees paid		0	(8)
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff (cash portion)		0
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares		0	0
Impact of stock option exercises, net		0	0
Purchase of common shares for treasury		0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders		0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities		(63,727)	(162,905)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		0	(12)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(552)	(564)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year		1,289	2,074
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year		737	1,510
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)		(2,018)	2,062
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable		(7,297)	(7,450)
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities		35,602	32,012
Net operating cash provided by continuing operations			22,500
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations			0
Net cash provided by operating activities		26,287	22,500
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets		(2,107)	(10)
Proceeds from sale of real estate		1,476	1,081
Investment in mortgage notes receivable		0	(44,863)
Proceeds from mortgage note receivable paydown		19,320	0
Proceeds from sale of infrastructure related to issuance of revenue bonds		0
Investment in promissory notes receivable		0
Payments to Acquire Lease Receivables		401
Proceeds from Sale of Lease Receivables		0	0
Additions to properties under development		(6,152)	(3,295)
Investment In Intercompany Notes Payable		2,063
Advances to subsidiaries, net		(27,577)	30,718
Net cash used by investing activities		(12,576)	(16,369)
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities		14,360	0
Principal payments on long-term debt		(27,382)	(6,172)
Deferred financing fees paid		(27)	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff (cash portion)		(482)
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares		0	0
Impact of stock option exercises, net		0	0
Purchase of common shares for treasury		0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders		0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities		(13,531)	(6,172)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		(62)	(729)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		118	(770)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year		1,905	2,496
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year		$ 2,023	$ 1,726