All Other Destinations and Attractions in Kansas
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Independence, Kansas
Independence (pop. 9,800) is located in southeastern Kansas. The town was the site of the Osage Indian Reservation and opened to settlers in 1870.
Independence Historical Museum
The 22 exhibit rooms at the Independence Historical Museum highlight the life of early settlers; the history of the oil industry; an Indian Culture collection; and artifacts from Florida, the Orient, Africa and Mexico.
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie is located southwest of Independence. It is the site where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived from 1869 to 1870. A reconstructed log cabin, post office and a one-room schoolhouse are on the grounds.
Riverside Park
Riverside Park in Independence is a 124-acre area that offers a swimming pool, tennis courts, a playground, miniature golf and rides.
Ralph Mitchell Zoo
The Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence was named for one-time mayor and long-time Park Board Chairman Ralph Mitchell. The zoo covers over half of the park's 106 acres and is home to about 200 specimens.
Iola, Kansas
A natural gas discovery in 1893 created the growth of Iola (pop. 6,300) until it was depleted in the early 1920s. Dairy farming, agriculture and manufacturing are the base of the town economy today.
Major General Frederick Funston Boyhood Home and Museum
Frederick Funston was a Revolutionary soldier in Cuba, a Medal of Honor recipient and a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army at age 35. The house in which Frederick grew up in was built in 1860 and his father completed several additions after the family acquired the home in 1867. The home has been restored according to the Victorian decor typical of the 1880s and 1890s.
Allen County Historical Museum
The Allen County Historical Museum in Iola features the history of Allen County and the Gibson collection of photographs. It is located next to the Old Jail which was built in 1869.
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson (pop. 41,000) has been the site of the mining and processing of salt since 1888. Exhausted mines are used as security storage facilties for hospitals, businesses and film companies.
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson features the Hall of Space Museum, the IMAX Dome Theater and the Justice Planetarium Theater. The center features a large collection of space artifacts including a collection of Russian space artifacts, Liberty Bell 7, The Apollo 13 Command Module Odyssey, and a moon rock.
Kansas Underground Salt Museum
Visitors to the Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson will travel 650ft/200m below ground where they will board a tram that takes them to more than 100,000 square feet of galleries that tell the story of salt from the earliest known use to the present day.
Reno County Museum
Exhibits from the salt industry to American Indian life are featured at the Reno County Museum in Hutchinson. There is also an interactive children's room.
Hays, Kansas
Hays (pop. 20,000) began as a frontier military outpost, Fort Hays, which was abandoned in 1889 but by that time the town was thriving as a railroad and ranching center. It is located in central Kansas and is home to Fort Hays State University.
Fort Hays State Historic Site
Famous figures such as Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, General Nelson Miles, General Philip Sheridan, and Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer were stationed at Fort Hays. Four historic buildings at the Fort Hays State Historic Site have survived including the blockhouse, guardhouse, and two officers' quarters.
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
The Sternberg Museum in Hays recreates the Cretaceous period through dioramas of life-size dinosaurs. A highlight is the collection of fossilized prehistoric flying reptiles. The Discovery Room contains a giant spider model, computer work stations, live animals and hands-on activities.
Ellis County Historical Society Museum
The Ellis County Historical Society Museum in Hays features exhibits and buildings from Ellis County during its untamed days. The original buildings include a Volga German house and a harness shop.
Stone Gallery
The Stone Gallery in Hays is owned by local sculptor Pete Felten who showcases his works as well as other local artists. Displays include limestone, wood, clay and plaster sculptures.
Hiawatha, Kansas
Hiawatha (pop. 3,200) has streets lined with more than 100 varieties of maple trees that were planted and cared for by local citizens.
Brown County Historical Society Museum
The Brown County Historical Society Museum in Hiawatha features a doctor's room, general store, Victorian kitchen, and schoolroom that depict the county's beginnings in 1854.
Davis Memorial
John Milburn Davis erected this memorial to "the sacred memory" of his wife, Sarah after she died in 1930. The memorial includes eleven life-sized figures depicting John and Sarah Davis at various stages of their married life.
Great Bend, Kansas
Great Bend (pop. 15,000) is located on the Arkansas River. Established in 1871, the town began around the shell of Fort Zarah. The town is home to the Kansas Quilt Walk and the Great Bend Mural Project.
Barton County Historical Society Museum and Village
The Barton County Historical Society Museum and Village consists of 10 buildings including a schoolhouse, church, depot, post office, blacksmith shop and three barns. Collections on display feature dolls, pioneer wedding gowns, military uniforms and antique household items.
Brit Spaugh Park and Zoo
The Brit Spaugh Park and Zoo is home to more than 100 mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Recreational opportunities include a skate park, baseball diamond and a pool.
Shafer Memorial Art Gallery
The Shafer Memorial Art Gallery at Barton County Community College in Great Bend features more than 700 watercolors, oil paintings, photographs and sculptures.
Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott (pop. 8,300) was a military outpost established in 1842. The Fort was abandoned but the town survived, many of the commercial buildings and Victorian homes from the 1850s to the 1920s are open for touring.The town is the location of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
Fort Scott National Cemetery
The Fort Scott National Cemetery was established in 1862. It is one of the original 12 national cemeteries that were designated by President Abraham Lincoln.
Gunn Park
Gunn Park features 146 acres of land along the Marmaton River. Recreational opportunities include fishing, camping canoeing and paddleboating.
Wamego, Kansas
Wamego (pop. 4,200) is the site of a silo featuring a mural depicting scenes from the Oregon Trail and of the Columbian Theatre, a music hall.
Old Dutch Mill and Wamego Museum Complex
The Old Dutch Mill was built in 1879 on the Schonhoff farm, 12mi/19km north of Wamego. In 1924, a group of area businessmen came up with the idea of moving the structure to Wamego where it was reconstructed in its present location. The Wamego Museum displays local memorabilia.
Columbian Theatre, Museum and Art Center
The Columbian Theatre in Wamego features paintings from the Chicago World's Fair that depicts life in the late-19th C. The 284-seat theater presents musical and dramatic performances as well as children's theater.
Salina, Kansas
Salina (pop. 46,000) was founded in 1858. It is a trade and distribution center for the hard wheat belt surrounding it. The city is also home to Kansas Wesleyan University and a branch of Kansas State University.
Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center
The Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center is located on 95 acres of Kansas prairie. The center features more than 80 species of rare and endangered animals. This includes Indian and white rhinoceroses, tigers, gorillas and Amur leopards.
Salina Art Center
The Salina Art Center, founded in 1978, presents visual art exhibits featuring local and regional artists. The Artery is an interactive area geared to children of all ages. The Art Center Cinema located within the Salina Art Center delivers comedy, drama, and documentary films.
Central Kansas Flywheel Historical Museum
The Flywheels Museum in Salina features collections of antique flywheel engines, tractors, radios, auto license plates, yardsticks and a library of instruction manuals for farm equipment.
Smoky Hill Museum
The Smoky Hill Museum is housed in an Art Deco structure in Salina which was built in 1938. The building originally housed Salina's US Post Office. The museum presents permanent and rotating exhibits of regional history.
Russell, Kansas
Russell (pop. 4,700) was originally named Fossil Station until 1871 when 60 settlers arrived and they eventually changed the name to Russell. Nearby Wilson Lake offers recreational opportunities.
Deines Cultural Center
The Deines Center in Russell is the home of the wood engravings of the artist, E Hubert Deines. Other artists' works and traveling exhibits are featured on a regular basis.
Fossil Station Museum
The Fossil Station Museum is housed in a former jailhouse in Russell that was built in 1907. The history of Russell County is depicted through a variety of displays from the 1860s onward.
Oil Patch Museum
Displays at the Oil Patch Museum in Russell tell the story of oil discovery and production. Old oil derricks, rigs and other equipment used are also on display.
Pleasanton, Kansas
The Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield is located south of Pleasanton (pop. 1,400). It was the site of one of the last significant battles west of the Mississippi River.
Mound City - St Philippine Duchesne Shrine and Park
St Philippine was a French nun of the Sacred Heart congregation, already in her early 70's and in poor health when she came to Kansas, but her love of God and the American Indian instilled in her the desire to serve. The St Philippine Duchesne Shrine and Park has a memorial recording the "Trail of Death", a massive altar and cross have been erected on the site of the original church as well as nature trails on the grounds.
Trading Post Museum
The Trading Post Museum in Pleasanton is one of the oldest settlements in Kansas and the site of an early French trading post with the Osage Indians, established in 1825. Displays include historical exhibits, old farm machinery and an old country school.
Linn County Historical Museum
The Linn County Historical Museum in Pleasanton depicts the history of early Linn County through photographs, artifacts, documents and period-room settings.
Oakley, Kansas
Oakley (pop. 2,200) began as a way-station on the Union Pacific Railroad line built between Denver and Kansas City in the 1860's.
Fick Fossil and History Museum
The Fick Fossil and History Museum in Oakley features Cretaceous Period fossils from the personal collection of Earnest and Vi Fick as well as many fossils found by the Sternbergs, who did extensive digs in the area. Other displays include folk art created from fossils and rocks, antique clothing and merchandise.
Monument Rocks
The Monument Rocks are located 20mi/32km south of Oakley. They are also known as the Chalk Pyramids and are a natural formation that served as a landmark for pioneers and American Indians. A variety of marine reptilian fossils are visible.
Prairie Dog Town
Prairie Dog Town in Oakley features animals from western Kansas including buffalo, bobcats, prairie dogs, pheasants, goats and foxes.
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie (pop. 4,600) was established in 1883. It was the site of pro-slavery and anti-slavery conflicts during the pre-Civil War years.
John Brown State Historic Site
The John Brown State Historic Site in Osawatomie contains a statue of Brown and the log cabin where he stayed when visiting Kansas. The cabin belonged to Brown's brother-in-law, Rev. Samuel Adair; it was also a station on the Underground Railroad.
Old Stone Church
The Old Stone Church in Osawatomie was built by the Reverend Samuel L Adair and his son Charles, of native stone hauled from the hills around the city.
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Medicine Lodge (pop. 2,200) is located on the Medicine Lodge River in southern Kansas. It was the site of peace negotiations in October 1867 between the Kiowa, Arapaho, Comanche, Apache and Cheyenne, and representatives of the US government.
Carry A Nation Home
This house in Medicine Lodge was the home of Carry Nation who became known for her public demonstration for temperance during prohibition. She began by throwing bricks, and eventually used a hatchet to damage local saloons and their contents. She was thrown in jail and was labeled "the hatchet lady" by newspaper reporters.
Medicine Lodge Stockade
The Medicine Lodge Stockade features a replica of the original stockade, an 1877 Smith cabin, and a reproduction of Kiowa medicine lodges.
Marysville, Kansas
Marysville (pop. 3,300) is also known as "Black Squirrel City", black squirrels came to the city in 1912 as part of a carnival sideshow to entertain Civil War veterans. The squirrels were set free by local children in the city park, where the descendants still roam.The City Park is home to a Union Pacific steam locomotive, schoolhouse, sod house and an 1870 railroad depot.
Marshall County Courthouse
Marshall County's courthouse in Marysville is a Romanesque building constructed in 1891-92 after an earlier courthouse burned in a fire of suspicious origin. The Courthouse houses a museum and genealogical research library. The museum features a country school, medical offices, and a print shop.
Koester House Museum
The Koester House Museum in Marysville is a white frame Victorian house furnished with the Koester belongings, including family portraits, clothing, toys and books, furniture and household items.
Original Pony Express Home Station No 1 Museum
The home station for the Pony Express served as headquarters before the telegraph was introduced to the western territories. The first Pony Express rider, Jack Keetley, rode west from Marysville on the night of April 3, 1860.
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan (pop. 50,000) was settled by people from the northern states. The city is nestled within Flint Hills, where remnants of tall-grass prairie have remained untouched by plows. It is home to City Park with a log cabin, swimming pool, rose garden and a 30-foot statue of Johnny Kaw, a mythical wheat farmer.
Wonder Workshop
The Wonder Workshop in Manhattan is an interactive children's museum with exhibits in the arts, science and humanities. The Wonder Workshop offers Underground Railroad Tours in Wabaunsee & Riley Counties, family and business leadership camps, week long and weekend campouts, Drumming & Storytelling Workshops, and nature hikes along the Big Blue River.
KSU Insect Zoo
KSU Insect Zoo is housed in the old Dairy Barn on the campus of Kansas State University. Exhibits include live insects and their arthropod relatives including honeybees, praying mantids, tarantulas, and centipedes.
Riley County Historical Museum
The Riley County Historical Museum in Manhattan contains historical exhibits and the Seaton Research Library. On the grounds are Hartford House and the Randolph jail.
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art
The Beach Museum of Art houses 1,500 works with emphasis on 20th C Midwestern artists and photographers.
Sunset Zoological Park
The Sunset Zoological Park in Manhattan houses more than 300 animals including tigers, red pandas and snow leopards.
Meade, Kansas
Meade (pop. 1,700) has deep artesian wells that contribute to the green tree-lined streets and flourishing farms and ranches.
Dalton Gang Hideout, Escape Tunnel and Museum
The Dalton Gang created a hideout in Meade. They built an escape tunnel from the home of their sister, Eva Whipple, to the barn some 95 feet away where their horses could carry them away undetected by the law. The barn houses a museum in the loft which contains a collection of western items.
Meade County Historical Society Museum
The Meade County Historical Society Museum features exhibits depicting the history of the area. Highlights include a one-room schoolhouse, a church, a sod house, a general store and a blacksmith shop.
Lucas, Kansas
Lucas (pop. 400) is a farming community in central Kansas. It is home to the Garden of Eden and the Grassroots Art Center.
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden in Lucas is built around a 1907 stone and cement cabin. Cement figures are on display including biblical figures and allegorical characters that express the artist's social and political beliefs.
Grassroots Art Center
The Grassroots Art Center in Lucas displays one-of-a-kind works by self-taught artists. Displays include sculpture, totems, photography, painting, mosaics and other media. The outdoor courtyard features limestone carvings.
Lindsborg, Kansas
Lindsborg (pop. 3,300) is located in central Kansas. The town was founded by Swedish pioneers and farmers in 1869 and Swedish influences are everywhere in the town. Studios of several Lindborg artists feature woodcarvings, ceramics, pottery, metal crafts and paintings.
Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery
The Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery on the Bethany College campus in Lindsborg features the works of the Swedish-American painter and art teacher. The 10 exhibit areas display paintings, prints, ceramics and sculptures.
McPherson County Old Mill Museum Complex
The McPherson County Old Mill Museum Complex in Lindsborg consists of historic buildings, pioneer exhibits and Swedish costumes. The Swedish Pavilion, located on the grounds, was originally part of the 1904 St Louis World Fair.
Liberal, Kansas
Liberal (pop. 20,000) is home to the Rock Island Railroad Bridge, called "Mighty Sampson" it is 1,200ft/365m long and 100ft/30m above the riverbed.
Coronado Museum (Dorothy's House)
The Coronado Museum in Liberal is housed in a structure originally built in 1918 as the residence of the Lee Larrabee family. Exhibits include an extensive weapons display, an ornate antique organ, quilts and home furnishings.There is also a 1907 farmhouse featuring an exact replica of Dorothy's bedroom.
Mid-America Air Museum
The Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal features a collection of military aircraft, civilian aircraft and aerospace and aviation exhibits.
Lecompton, Kansas
Lecompton (pop. 600) is located on the banks of the Kaw River. It began as Bald Eagle in 1854 and became the territorial capital in 1861.
Territorial Capital Museum (Lane University)
The building containing the Territorial Capital Museum was began in 1856 but work was suspended in 1857 when it was evident that Lecompton was not to become the territorial capital. It was eventually completed in 1882 and was home to Lane University until 1902. The building contains three floors of artifacts which include information from Pre Civil War Kansas through the Lane University period.
Constitution Hall
Lecompton's Constitution Hall was built in 1856 by Samuel Jones. It became the place where the Kansas Territorial Government convened and it was the site of the document that divided the country over slavery and sparked the chain of events climaxing in the Civil War.
La Crosse, Kansas
La Crosse (pop. 1,400) was founded in 1876 and is a shipping point for wheat and livestock. It is also known as the "Barbed Wire Capital of the World".
Barbed Wire Museum
The Barbed Wire Museum in La Crosse highlights the history of the invention of barbed wire and how it impacted the settlement of the midwest from the late 19th century to the present. Displays include more than 2,400 varieties of barbed wire as well as a variety of the tools used in manufacturing, installing, and maintaining barbed wire fences.
Post Rock Museum
The Post Rock Museum is housed in a native stone house, built in 1883, with a form of limestone common to the region. Displays include how rock was found, quarried and used.
Larned, Kansas
North-east of Dodge City is Fort Larned, an important military post on the Santa Fe Trail. Here William T. Sherman, Philip Sheridan, George A. Custer, Kit Carson, Wild Bill Hickock guarded the railroad to the west. Nine of the original buildings are still preserved.Larned (pop. 4,200) is the county seat of Pawnee County, Kansas.
Nicodemus National Historic Site
The Nicodemus National Historic Site commemorates an all-Black town that was founded by African Americans following the Civil War. It is a symbol of the pioneer spirit of the African Americans who set out on their own to seek freedom.The National Park Service has a temporary Visitor Center located in the Nicodemus Township Hall.
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Fort Larned was established in 1859 near the midpoint of the Santa Fe Trail to protect mail coaches and freight caravans. Today, as a unit of the National Park Service, it is the best preserved Indian Wars military post on the Santa Fe Trail.
Santa Fe Trail Center Museum and Library
The Santa Fe Trail Center Museum and Library west of Larned tells the story of the area that was once known as the Santa Fe Trail. An outdoor museum, with sod and dugout houses and a one-room schoolhouse, offers living history programs.
Fort Riley, Kansas
Fort Riley is the home of 24th Infantry Division and other US Army Divisions. The fort was originally built in 1852 to protect travelers along the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. A large historic district, with 227 buildings, is located within the 101,000 acre site.
Custer House
Custer House was constructed in 1855 of native limestone and is the only surviving set of quarters from Fort Riley's earliest history. Much of the house remains as it was originally design and is furnished with period furniture from 1880 to 1890.
First Territorial Capitol of Kansas State Historic Site
The First Territorial Capitol was the site of the first Kansas territorial legislature. Located on three-and-a-half acres, a nature trail along the Kansas River offers glimpses of a variety of flora and fauna.
Old Trooper Statue
The Old Trooper Statue on the Cavalry Parade Field at Fort Riley is a memorial to the US Cavalry. The statue is a depiction of a horse, nicknamed Old Bill, and a soldier rider.
United State Cavalry Museum
The Cavalry Museum at Fort Riley is housed in a building built in 1855 which was the original hospital. The story of the mounted horse soldiers is told through exhibits.
Fort Riley Regimental Museum
The Regimental Museum at Fort Riley offers a simulated Vietnamese jungle trail and exhibits such as trench warfare.
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia (pop. 27,000) was the home of William Allen White, editor and pucblisher of the Emporia Gazette from 1895 to 1944. He was an outspoken journalist who had an influence on national affairs. The city became the first to observe Veterans Day in 1953 due to a proposal by another resident, Alvin J. King.
National Teachers Hall of Fame
The National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia features old school desks, teacher contracts, antique textbooks, class attendance records and other artifacts representing the early days of teaching. There is also a one-room schoolhouse. Teachers in the Hall of Fame have been recognized for their commitment and dedication to teaching.
All Veterans Memorial
The All Veterans Memorial in Emporia is dedicated to all US war veterans, including those from the Persian Gulf War. A WWII army tank and Huey helicopter are surrounded by flags and tributes.
Lyon County Historical Museum
The Lyon County Historical Museum in Emporia features local and regional memorabilia that are presented in various galleries. A log cabin and pioneer items are highlights of the museum.
Emporia Zoo
The Emporia Zoo is home to more than 400 native and exotic birds, reptiles and mammals in naturalized habitats.
Ellis, Kansas
The Kansas Pacific Railroad established a water station on the tracks at the site of present-day Ellis (pop. 1,900) in 1867. The first post office was established on June 27, 1870. By 1875, Ellis became a shipping point for cattle herds. Today, Ellis offers many recreational opportunities as well as several historical museums.
Walter P Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum
Walter Chrysler, the founder of the Chrysler Corporation, helped build his family home in Ellis in 1889 with his father and brother. Walter was an apprentice in the railroad shop's, he gave credit to this experience for his mechanical ability and his success. The museum features personal items such as jewelry, books, and photographs and the gun he used for duck hunting.
Ellis Railroad Museum
The Ellis Railroad Museum features photographs, memorabilia, cars, period clothing and more than 1,600 dolls that offer a glimpse into the history of the railroad in the area.
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado (pop. 13,000) is located in southcentral Kansas. It is home to the Kansas Oil Museum and Hall of Fame and Coutts Memorial Museum of Art.
Kansas Oil Museum and Butler County Historical Society
The Kansas Oil Museum in El Dorado chronicles the development of the oil industry in Kansas since 1860. Exhibits include an oil derrick, drilling equipment, a 1930s grocery store and a doctor's office.
Coutts Memorial Museum of Art
The Coutts Memorial Museum of Art in El Dorado features paintings, sculptures, print and drawings by traditional, Western and local artists.
Concordia, Kansas
Concordia (pop. 5,700) in northcentral Kansas offers outdoor opportunities such as fishing, camping, swimming and hunting.
Brown Grand Theatre
Built in 1907, the Brown Grand in Concordia has been restored to its original splendour including two balconies, eight box seats, and a grand drape, which is a reproduction of a Horace Vernet painting titled, "Napoleon at Austerlitz.
Cloud County Historical Museum
The Cloud County Historical Museum in Concordia includes exhibits such as a Steuben glass collection, an antique toy collection, musical instruments and furniture.
Colby, Kansas
Colby (pop. 5,500) is called "The Oasis on the Plains". It is home to the horticultural and agricultural research center for Kansas State University.
Prairie Museum of Art and History
The Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby features a collection of more than 28,000 artifacts from Europe, Asia and North America collected by Joe and Nellie Kuska. It consists of dolls, ceramics, glass, furniture, silver, toys, textiles and clothing. In total there are 40,000 artifacts on display.
Northwest Research Extension Center
The Kansas State University Research Center in Colby features more than 720 acres for visitors to tour research plots of trees, flowers and grains.
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville (pop. 10,000) is located in southeastern Kansas. The town was the site of two bank robberies that went wrong in October 1892. Only one member of the Dalton Gang survived and was subsequently jailed. The other two gang members are buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
Dalton Defenders Museum
The Dalton Defenders Museum in Coffeyville is home to items pertaining to the Dalton Gang bank robberies in 1892. Exhibits include photographs, guns used in the holdup, saddles, a bank safe and stolen moneybags.
Brown Mansion
Brown Mansion was built in 1907 by Coffeyville's wealthiest men. The 16-room mansion is furnished in period with items from the United States and Europe.
Belleville, Kansas
Belleville (pop. 2,200) is the county seat of Republic County in northcentral Kansas. The town is home to Rocky Pond Park which offers recreational opportunities year-round including fishing and RV camping.
Boyer Gallery
Paul Boyer has created handcarved, mechanized creations for more than twenty-five years. The 50 motion sculptures at the Boyer Gallery in Belleville let visitors see hillbillies hammer, horses kick, goats bump heads, a calliope play music, Indians dance, and two woodpeckers help the artist carve a self-portrait into a wooden head.
Republic County Historical Museum
The Republic County Museum in Belleville features historical clothing, furniture and other items such as tools. The grounds of the museum feature an 1870s log cabin, an 1872 school, an agriculture building and a caboose from the 1970s.
Baldwin City, Kansas
Baldwin City (pop. 3,500) was the site of many clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the state's territorial days. The town is now a college and tourist town and is home to the oldest university in Kansas, Baker University.
Arabian Riding School
The Arabian Riding School in Baldwin City lets visitors watch riders and horses in training. It is also home to the Steiner Art Gallery, it displays the art work of Kathryn Holloway. The work is displayed in a number of different mediums including oils, acrylics, water color, colored pencil and sculpturing.
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was originally constructed in 1867 - it was the first railroad south of the Kansas River. The train travels through woods and farmlands and over a 200-foot-long bridge, using early 1900s coaches. The train runs between Baldwin City and Ottawa.
Baker University
Baker University was established in Baldwin City in 1858 by United Methodist ministers. It was named for scholar and bishop, Osmon Cleander Baker.
Quayle Bible Collection
The Quayle Bible Collection in Baldwin City is a collection of bibles and other sacred and secular materials. The collection features early and printed materials, handwritten scrolls, significant bible translations and editions that range in age from 2000 BC to the present.The wing of Collins Library provided by Kenneth A. and Helen F. Spencer houses more than 900 works and is complemented by the Urishay Castle Room, from Wales, an interior living area dating back about 350 years.
Old Castle Museum (closed)
The Old Castle in Baldwin City houses a museum with antiques and historical exhibits. It is one of the oldest college buildings in the state.
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison (pop. 10,000) on the Missouri River on the Kansas-Missouri border was a stop on the Meriwether and Clark expedition in 1804. The town was later founded by Benedictine monks. The birthplace of Amelia Earhart is also marked within the town.
Amelia Earhart Birthplace
The Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum is the home where Amelia was born in Atchison in 1897. The Victorian cottage contains photographs, newspaper clippings and some of Amelia's belongings.
Atchison County Historical Society Museum
Housed in the restored Santa Fe Depot, the Atchison County Historical Society Museum features exhibits from Indian settlement through Atchison's days as a steamship and railroad center and into the 20th century.
Evah C Cray Historical Home Museum
The Evah C Cray Historical Home Museum is a 25-room, three-story mansion built in Atchison in 1882. The mansion features a distinctive tower patterned after Scottish castles.
Arkansas City, Kansas
Arkansas City (pop. 11,000) is located just north of the Oklahoma border. The town saw one of the largest land rushes as thousands lined up awaiting the signal of the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1893.
Chaplin Nature Center
The Chaplin Nature Center has more than 5mi/8km of walking trails and a habitat that has attracted 225 species of birds. The visitor center features wildlife displays, a nature library, and a bird observation area located on a second-floor open deck.
Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum
The Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum in Arkansas City was begun to preserve the history of the Cherokee Strip Land Rush of September 16, 1893. Other exhibits include the Native Americans, the westward pioneers, the Cowley County citizens and the late Governor Robert Docking.
Lake Scott State Park, Scott City, Kansas
The 1,000-acre Lake Scott State Park has a 100-acre lake that was created by a dam constructed in 1930. The park features groves of hackberry, ash, elm, willow, walnut, and cedar trees. There are opportunities for biking, swimming, camping, hiking, and wildlife observation. The park is also the site of El Cuartelejo, occupied in the 1600s by Taos and Picurie Indians.
El Cuartelejo Pueblo Ruins
The El Cuartelejo Pueblo Ruins are located in Scott County, Kansas and were the site of the first state park, Lake Scott.El Cuartelejo is located in a canyon and features archeological relics including pottery, tools and the remains of buildings.
Kauffman Museum, Newton, Kansas
The Kauffman Museum in Newton is the site of a tallgrass prairie reconstruction with more than 15 species of grasses and more than 100 wildflower species; the exhibit of Land and People, which tells the story of the coming of the Mennonites from Europe to the central plains in the 1870s; as well as an historic farmstead with heritage flower and vegetable gardens around the 1875 Voth-Unruh-Fast House and the 1886 Ratzlaff Barn.
Milford Fish Hatchery and Nature Center, Junction City, Kansas
The Milford Nature Center is located near the Milford Reservoir. The center has dioramas featuring an aquatic system with more than 300 life-like fish, turtles, snakes, and insects and a terrestrial system showcasing wildlife from the prairies, marshes, and woods. The warm-water fish hatchery lets visitors walk around the outside tanks.
Wabaunsee County Historical Museum, Alma, Kansas
The Wabaunsee County Historical Museum in Alma features farm exhibits, a blacksmith shop, a leather-making display, an early day doctor's office, an 1880 schoolroom, a 1928 REO fire truck, a Beecher Bible and Rifle Church Exhibits, a Railroad Depot and a General Lewis Walt display.
Goodland High Plains Museum, Goodland, Kansas
The Goodland High Plains Museum features America's first patented helicopter, built in Goodland by Purvis and Wilson in 1910. Other highlights of the museum include a 1902 Holsman rope-driven automobile, pioneer and railroad memorabilia, as well as prehistoric artifacts and fossils.
Native American Heritage Museum State Historic Site, Highland, Kansas
The Native American Heritage Museum State Historic Site near Highland is the remaining portion of the Presbyterian mission building erected in 1846. The museum focuses on the Iowas, Kickapoos, Potawatomis, Sacs and Fox tribes with displays of clothing, folk art, food and customs.
Mennonite Settlement Museum (formerly Pioneer Adobe House Museum), Hillsboro, Kansas
The Mennonite Settlement Museum in Hillsboro was built in 1876 by a Mennonite family using adobe bricks and mud, with slough grass for the roof. The home is furnished in period. The grounds feature a replica of an 1876 wind-driven mill, a schoolhouse and the visitor center.
Stauth Memorial Museum, Montezuma, Kansas
The Stauth's traveled to 95 countries on 6 continents, visitors can experience this journey through displays of handicrafts and art as well as video and slide programs. A collection of North American game animals are displayed with opportunity to learn more about big game hunting and sportsmanship.
Old Depot Museum, Ottawa, Kansas
The Old Depot Museum in Ottawa is a two story, limestone depot built in 1888 as a depot for the Kansas City, Lawrence, and Southern Kansas Railway.Exhibits include a model railroad layout; displays tracing the life of famed abolitionist John Brown; a Victorian parlor, a general store, and a military room.
Fort Bissell Museum, Phillipsburg, Kansas
Fort Bissell in Phillipsburg (pop. 2,700) was never a Federal Military Post, but was built by settlers as their means of protection against the Indians. The original fort was torn down so a replica stands in its place today with a sod house, two 1872 cabins, a one-room schoolhouse and a depot from Glade.
Studley - Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site
Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site is relatively unchanged from its construction between 1885 and 1896 by John Fenton Pratt. Architectural elements from his English homeland are found throughout the ranch. Visitors can explore the ranch to discover the life of the Pratt family.
Fort Wallace Museum, Wallace, Kansas
On the grounds of the Fort Wallace Museum in Wallace is the original Pond Creek Stage Station, built in 1865 as a "home station" along the Butterfield Overland Dispatch stage lines. An old railroad depot which once served the Union Pacific Railroad, items that belonged to early settlers and garrisoned troops are on display.
Chisholm Trail Museum, Wellington, Kansas
The Chisholm Trail Museum in Wellington is a museum of domestic life containing more than 40 rooms full of artifacts and pictures, most collected locally, some dating back to the Civil War and the 1870s cattle trail. The building itself is a reinforced concrete structure built in 1916 as the Hatcher Hospital.
Pioneer-Krier Museum, Ashland, Kansas
The Pioneer-Krier Museum in Ashland features exhibits that depict the early life of the first settlers as they moved into the county with their families. Within the museum is the Harold Krier Field Aerobatic display.
Baxter Springs Museum, Baxter Springs, Kansas
The Baxter Springs Museum houses displays that include mining, Civil War materials, Native American Indian items, an authentic 1870's log cabin, downtown boardwalk, and a 1910 fully furnished farm house.
Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, Chanute, Kansas
The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute were early wildlife photographers and authors. Displays include films, photographs, manuscripts, articles, books, and personal belongings.
Cottonwood Falls - Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Flint Hills National Prairie)
TheTallgrass Prairie National Preserve features the tallgrass ecosystem which is slowly dwindling. Less than 1 per cent of the tallgrass remains of the original 400,000 square miles that once grew across the North American continent.
Hodgden House Museum Complex, Ellsworth, Kansas
The Hodgden House Museum Complex consists of the two-block site of Ellsworth's original commercial district including the 1878 Hodgden House, a church, log cabin, general store, 1900 train depot, and turn-of-the C wooden windmill.
Shawnee Indian Mission, Fairway, Kansas
The Shawnee Indian Mission, founded in 1839, was created to teach Native American children academic and craft skills. The buildings were later used as Kansas Territory's capitol.
Fort Scott National Historic Site
The 20 buildings of the Fort Scott National Historic Site have been restored to the original 1840's look. The site also features parade grounds and 5 acres of tallgrass prairie.
Fredonia - Stone House Gallery
The Stone House Gallery in Fredonia is housed in the oldest existing home in the town which was built in 1872. The gallery features changing exhibits of contemporary artists.
Finnup Park and Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, Kansas
The Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City is home to more than 350 animals. The Wild Asia exhibit features Asian plants, architecture and animals. Finnup Park offers a large swimming pool, horseshoe pits, tennis courts and a playground.
Greensburg - Big Well
The Big Well in Greensburg was completed in 1888, used until 1932 and is reputedly the largest hand-dug well in the world. It is 109 feet deep and contains 15 feet of water.
Pallasite Meteorite, Greensburg, Kansas
The Space Wanderer is made of iron and stone and is the world's largest pallasite meteorite. It was found on the Ellis Peck farm east of Greensburg. The pallasite was placed in the Greensburg Big Well Museum in 1949 and is still on display.
Hollenberg Station State Historic Site, Hanover, Kansas
The Hollenberg Station State Historic Site in Hanover is an unaltered Pony Express relay station still in its original location. The museum contains displays about the history of the Oregon/California Trail and the Pony Express.
Fort Harker Museum, Kanapolis, Kansas
Fort Harker was abandoned in 1872 and was used to protect the frontier settlers from the hostile American Indians. A horse-drawn ambulance, uniforms and equipment from local residents are on display.
Edwards County Historical Museum, Kinsley, Kansas
The Edwards County Historical Society Museum is home to a sod house, museum, and chapel. Most of the furniture in the sod house was in use in homes of the early Pioneers.
Lenexa - Legler Barn Museum
The stone barn at the Legler Barn Museum was built by Adam Legler in 1864. It was originally located on the Santa Fe Trail. In 1983 it was reconstructed at its current location in Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park and contains pioneer artifacts.
Dane G Hansen Memorial Museum, Logan, Kansas
The Dane G Hansen Memorial Museum in Logan houses a gallery featuring a gun and coin collection, an Oriental art exhibit and changing displays from the Smithsonian Institution.
Coronado-Quivira Museum, Lyons, Kansas
Exhibits at the Coronado-Quivira Museum in Lyons include early inhabitants, Spanish explorers, the Sante Fe Trail, the coming of homesteaders and permanent settlers.
Rock City, Minneapolis, Kansas
Rock City is the site of about 200 sandstone concretions that scientists believe were formed millions of years ago in Dakota Sandstone, which had been deposited when areas of Kansas were covered by an inland sea.
Norman No 1, Neodesha, Kansas
Norman No 1 is a replica of the first commercially successful well of the Mid-Continent Field. It was drilled November, 1892. The museum features the history of the area's oil and agriculture industry.
Decatur County Museum, Oberlin, Kansas
The Decatur County Museum is a 13-building complex in Oberlin featuring a one-room schoolhouse, 1885 depot and jail, sod house and tack room. The museum has more than 15,000 antiques and Native American artifacts.
Pawnee Rock State Historic Site, Kansas
Pawnee Rock Park contains a sandstone mass 80ft/24m high, that was one of the most famous landmarks on the Santa Fe Trail. It is said to have earned its name after the Plains Indians destroyed a group of Pawnees after a major battle.
Pratt County Historical Museum, Pratt, Kansas
Pratt County Historical Museum has several galleries with historical exhibits such as American Indian artifacts, pioneer rooms, period rooms from the 1800s and sculpture woven from wheat.
Pawnee Indian Village State Historic Site, Republic, Kansas
The Pawnee Indian Village was occupied in the 1820s. The museum building was constructed over the excavated floor of an earth lodge with artifacts visible where they were found.
Scandia Museum, Scandia, Kansas
The Scandia Museum pays tribute to local Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ancestors. Exhibits include carriages and farm primitives; records, newspapers and geneology; military artifacts, doctor equipment, wedding dresses and linens.
Emmett Kelly Museum, Sedan, Kansas
The Emmett Kelly Museum in Sedan honors the famous clown Emmett Kelly and his sad-faced character "Willie". Memorabilia of his circus career as well as many items related to local history are on display.
Stafford - Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge covers more than 20,000 acres and provides habitat for various species of migratory waterfowl including bald eagles and whooping cranes. Picnicking, hiking and fishing are permitted.
Cathedral of the Plains, Victoria, Kansas
St Fidelis Church, the Cathedral of the Plains was erected between 1908 and 1911 in Victoria. It is a Romanesque cathedral constructed mainly of native limestone with stained glass windows imported from Munich, Germany.
Big Brutus, West Mineral, Kansas
Big Brutus in West Mineral is the second largest electric shovel in the world. It is 16 stories tall and weighs 11 million pounds. Both the visitor center and Big Brutus contain exhibits and photographs.
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield (pop. 12,000) was home to the Osage Indians when the first settlers arrived in the 1860s. The town remembers soldiers from all wars in Memorial Park. Winfield hosts a bluegrass festival in September.
Cowley County Historical Museum
The Cowley County Historical Museum in Winfield features historical artifacts including items from doctor's and dentist's offices from the area.
Gallery at Baden Square
The Gallery at Baden Square presents rotating exhibits of pottery, oil paintings, quilts and sculpture.
Mitchell County Museum, Beloit, Kansas
The Mitchell County Museum is housed in a four-story Beloit building with room displays that include china, glassware, tools and clothing.
Coffey County Museum at Burlington, Burlington, Kansas
The Coffey County Museum in Burlington features collections of firearms and arrowheads, fossils, a display of dolls and rooms that depict 19th C life.
Kaw Mission State Historic Site, Council Grove, Kansas
The Kaw Mission in Council Grove was built in 1850 as a mission school for children of the Kansa Tribe - the Native Americans for whom Kansas is named.
Greenwood County Historical Society Museum, Eureka, Kansas
The Greenwood County Museum in Eureka has pioneer memorabilia, photographs, local relics and indigenous rocks.
Mennonite Heritage Museum, Goessel, Kansas
The Mennonite Heritage Museum complex in Goessel consists of eight buildings, including the Immigrant House and the Turkey Red Wheat Palace.
Kansas Learning Center for Health, Halstead, Kansas
The Kansas Learning Center for Health in Halstead presents multimedia exhibits and activities that let visitors explore the wonders of the human body.
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge, Kirwin, Kansas
The Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge covers more than 10,000 acres surrounding the Kirwin Reservoir. The refuge provides habitat for many species of waterfowl.
McPherson Museum, McPherson, Kansas
The McPherson Museum is housed in a 1920s house with vintage furniture, American Indian artifacts, pioneer household items, gems and minerals.
Old Oxford Mill, Oxford, Kansas
The Old Oxford Mill is a restored 1874 mill that houses artifacts including pulley-driven fans and a generator.
Crawford County Historical Museum, Pittsburg, Kansas
The Crawford County Historical Museum in Pittsburg features vintage clothing, photos, coal mining and farming artifacts, printing exhibits, and horsedrawn vehicles.
