Abilene, Kansas - Visit the Eisenhower
Presidential Library & Museum, free Greyhound
Hall of Fame, Heritage Center
of Dickinson County & Museum of Independent Telephony,
Seelye
Mansion, Bow Studio & gallery,
Lebold Mansion, Abilene's
great restaurants,
Brown Park
Waterfall, Jeffcoat
Photography Studio Museum, and the Russell
Stover Candies store. |
Kinsley, Kansas - The Carnival
Heritage Center is devoted to the history of the six carnival companies
which once called Kinsley home. |
Alma, Kansas - Alma's small downtown contains
many beautiful, old stone buildings, including the one which houses the
Wabaunsee
County Historical Museum. There are also several great specialty
food stores. |
Lacrosse, Kansas - The Barbed Wire Capital of
the World has four museums, side by side: Rush
County Historical Museum, Nekoma
Bank Museum, Post Rock Museum,
Kansas
Barbed Wire Museum. |
Alta Vista, Kansas - Although most people
would call the Ag Heritage Park
a museum, it is really a personal collection that went out of control.
Over 400 agricultural implements, plus household memorabilia and even entire
buildings moved to the site by a delightful retired couple. |
Lansing, Kansas - Mount
Muncie Cemetery has many famous graves, including the murderers
from In Cold Blood. Small, free Lansing
Historical Museum has some prison memorabilia. |
Altoona, Kansas - Altoona
Mill Falls is on the Verdigris River. Very little of the flour
mill, which was built in the early 1870s, remain. |
Larned, Kansas - Just a few miles west of Larned
is the locally run Santa Fe Trail Center and Fort
Larned National Historic Site. The Fort has nine restored buildings
from the 1860s and 1870s. The community has also restored the historic
State
Theatre. |
Argonia, Kansas - Kloudbusters
has high power and experimental rocket launches several times a year. It
has been featured on the Discovery Channel.The Salter
House Museum was the home of Susanna Madora Salter, the first woman
in the United States to be elected town mayor. |
Lawrence, Kansas - Baker
Wetlands, Grinter's Sunflower
Farm, Natural History Museum
& Biodiversity Research Center, Spencer
Museum of Art, Dole Institute of
Politics, Quantrill's Raid,
Watkins
Community Museum of History,
Naismith
Memorial,
Prairie
Park Nature Center,
Schmiedler
Grassroots Art, Art
Tougeau,
Christmas
Display Tour,
Busker
Festival,
Booth
Hall of Athletics,
Bowersock
Mills & Power Plant Tour, East
Lawrence Waltz, Haskell
Cemetery,
Baker Wetlands
Discovery Center,
Wilcox
Classical Museum,
Wakarusa
Heritage Museum, and Festival
of the Nativities. |
Arkansas City, Kansas - Cherokee
Strip and Land Rush Museum hosts many exhibits related to the history
of Arkansas City and the surrounding portions of Kansas and Oklahoma. |
Leavenworth, Kansas - Tour historic Fort
Leavenworth and its Frontier
Army Museum, Buffalo Soldier
Monument & Military
Prison Cemetery, drive by the US Penitentiary, or ride a
1913 carousel at the C W Parker Carousel
Museum. Little Stranger Church
is a neat old church building. Chapel
of the Veterans is near Leavenworth National Cemetery. |
Atchison, Kansas - The
Most Haunted Town In Kansas. Haunted Trolley Tours. You will
also want to visit the Muchnic Art Gallery,
Cray
Historical Home Museum,
St.
Benedict's Church, St. Benedict's
Abbey Church, 1866 St. Pat's
Church, Lewis & Clark Sites
and the Amelia Earhart Birthplace
Museum. |
Lebanon, Kansas - The Geographical
Center of the Continental United States is located northwest of
Lebanon, Kansas. Unlike the nearby World's Largest
Ball of Twine, this attraction is even less interesting than it sounds. |
Athol, Kansas - The Home
on the Range cabin is where the poem, My Western Home,
was written. It was later set to music as Home on the Range. |
Lecompton, Kansas - Founded by 1854 by pro slavery
Missourians, Lecompton was intended to become the state capital. Visit
the Constitution Hall, and Lane
University & Territorial Capitol Museum. |
Atwood, Kansas - The Rawlins
County Museum depicts rural Kansas history. Its highlight is a
mural by Rudolph Wendelin. |
Lenexa, Kansas - In June, the Great
Lenexa Barbeque Battle (Kansas State BBQ contest) is held at Sar-Ko-Par
Trails Park, which also has the Legler
Barn Museum. Shawnee
Mission Park is the most visited park in the entire state of Kansas.
The Lenexa Chili Challenge
is in October. Mark your calendar for the Serbian
Food Festival at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. |
Augusta, Kansas - Henry's
Sculpture Hill includes a
gallery and more than 30 outdoor sculptures created by
Franklin L. Jensen. Presently closed, but you can drive by. Kansas
Museum of Military History has planes, tanks, trucks, jeeps and
helicopters. The Augusta Historical
Museum is home to a 1868 Log Cabin and Trading Post |
LeRoy, Kansas - One of Kansas' lesser known gems
is Luther's Smokehouse. Luther's
produces several varieties of beef, buffalo & turkey jerky, buffalo
sausage, and pemmican (lean buffalo roasts ground tender & dried -
preserved with raisins). |
Baldwin City, Kansas ride the historic Midland
Railway or visit Baker University with the 1864 Osborne
Chapel, the Quayle Rare
Bible Collection, and Old Castle
Museum. Nearby unincorporated Vinland has the Vinland
Grange Hall and Coal Creek Library,
the oldest library in the state. Clearfield
School is a 1900 one room school. |
Liberal, Kansas - The Mid-America
Air Museum displays over 100 aircraft. The 1,268 feet long
"Samson of the Cimarron" railroad bridge
and its picnic area are a few miles east of town. Dorothy's
House, Land of Oz and Coronado Museum are on the south side of
town. |
Baxter Springs, Kansas is the western portal in
Kansas for Historic Old Route 66. Attractions
include Decade of Wheels and the
Baxter
Springs Heritage Center. |
Lincoln, Kansas - J. R. Dickerman's fabulous
Creature Creations form an "Open Range Zoo"
along Highway 18. The Cummins Block Building in downtown Lincoln houses
the Drug Store Museum and the
Post
Rock Scout Museum. |
Beeler, Kansas - Two historic markers recognize
the George Washington Carver homestead
which was located near this small community. |
Lindsborg, Kansas was settled by Swedish immigrants.
Coronado
Heights Park has spectacular views and a WPA stone castle.Sunflower
Trails are open to the public. The Red
Barn Studio Museum was the working studio of Lester Raymer. |
Beloit, Kansas - Beloit
Falls on the Solomon River is just above Highway 14 near downtown
Beloit. The falls is on the edge of Chautauqua Park, a nice little municipal
park wedged in a horseshoe formed by the Solomon River. |
Logan, Kansas - The Dane
G. Hansen Memorial Museum is more of a community resource than
a museum. The Hansen Foundation gives away millions of dollars in scholarships
and grants in northwest Kansas each year. Also visit the Logan
Area Historical Museum. |
Belleville, Kansas - The miniature, mechanical
sculptures at the Paul Boyer Museum Of Animated
Carvings are spectacular. |
Louisburg, Kansas - Cedar
Cove Feline Conservatory & Sanctuary isn't a park, but a place
of refuge for large cats. It is open to the public on Weekends. On Saturday
nights look through the 30" telescope at Powell
Observatory. |
Beaumont, Kansas - The 1879
Beaumont
Hotel is a unique hotel with 3 suites, 8 rooms, a ghost and two
dining rooms - one of which is decorated as a 50’s style diner. |
Louisville, Kansas - The Louis
Vieux Family Homestead and Cemetery is a poignant reminder of what
it took to expand and develop the American frontier. Vieux
Crossing was nearby. |
|
Lucas, Kansas -
If you enjoy folk art, you should make a point of visiting Lucas. Interesting
places to visit are the Garden of Eden,
World's
Largest Collection of World's Smallest Versions of World's Largest Things,
Grassroots Art Center, Florence
Deeble's Rock Garden, Eric Abraham's
Flying Pig Studio & Gallery, Miller's
Park, and Garden of Isis. specialty
food |
Blue Rapids, Kansas - Alcove
Spring and Waterfall are located near Independence Crossing, a
famous ford where pioneer wagons following the Oregon Trail forded the
Big Blue River. |
Manhattan, Kansas has the free Riley
County Historical Museum, Marianna
Kistler Beach Museum of Art, the fun Sunset
Zoo , Flint Hills Discover
Center, Wolf House Museum, and
Kansas State University's Display Gardens and Insect
Zoo. Nearby Fort Riley has many
attractions. Deep Creek Waterfall at
the Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area is southeast of town. |
Bonner Springs, Kansas - Moon
Marble Company has glass blowing demonstrations and wonderful toys.
The Kansas City Renaissance Festival
is a theme park sized festival with food, crafts and entertainment, which
has added a Phantom's Feaste.
Also visit the National Agricultural
Center and Hall of Fame, Wagner's
Classic Cars and Wyandotte County
Historical Museum. |
Mankato, Kansas - The post rock Jewell
County Jail operated from 1899-1982 and can be toured by appointment.
It is just a block away from the Jewell
County Historical Society Museum. |
Burdett, Kansas - Rediscover
Pluto is a free miniature golf course. It is devoted to Pluto is
because Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930, spent his teen years
on a farm near Burdett and graduated from Burdett High School. |
Marion, Kansas - The Marion
Historical Museum occupies a former 1887 Baptist Church, tucked
in the corner of the Marion Central
Park is the nicest historical museum of its size that I have found
in Kansas. |
Buhler, Kansas - Walters
Pumpkin Patch is one of the growing number of pumpkin patches which
are extending their season by adding sunflowers. |
Marquette, Kansas has the Washington Street Historic
District, which is the home of several museums and interesting
stores, such as the Kansas Motorcycle
Museum, Oil Pump and
Marquette
Museum & Range School Museum.
Kanopolis Lake
Waterfall is located in the spillway from Kanopolis Lake. |
Burlingame, Kansas has a old downtown with beautiful
100 year old buildings. The Schuyler museum
has a 1938 fire truck and a fabulous toy car collection. |
McCracken, Kansas - The
McCracken Historical Museum is housed in a 1901 post rock jail.
The museum has many souvenirs, clippings, props and photos from the 1972
filming of the movie, Paper Moon, staring Tatum and Ryan
O'Neal. Several scenes were filmed in McCracken. St. Mary's
Church is being preserved by a local foundation. |
Burlington, Kansas - The Coffey
County Historical Museum is housed in one of the most attractive
new buildings used by a local historical society in Kansas. |
McPherson, Kansas - McPherson
College is the only school in the country offering a four-year
degree in Automotive & Motorcycle Restoration Technology. The McPherson
Museum is one of the most interesting local historical society
museums in Kansas. Also see the Mid-Kansas
Model Railroad Exhibit. |
Burns, Kansas - Kansas
Maze Sunflower Festival is a public sunflower field in central
Kansas and includes 5K & 1 mile runs through the sunflowers. |
Meade, Kansas - The Dalton
Gang Hideout and escape tunnel was used by the Daltons in the early
1890s. Meade County Historical
Museum has several exhibits unique to the museum. |
Caldwell, Kansas - Drury
Dam Waterfall is an overflow falls formed by the 1883 Chikaskia
River dam. Drury is an unincorporated community 6 miles east of Caldwell. |
Medicine Lodge, Kansas - The beautiful surrounding
region of Gypsum Hills or Red Hills will
challenge your image of Kansas. The most interesting part of the Stockage
Museum and Carry Nation's Home is the many many Carry Nation photos
and other memorabilia. |
Caney, Kansas - The Safari
Zoological Park is a small private zoo with primates, large cats
of several species, bears, wolves, foxes, and tropical birds. |
Mentor, Kansas - Rex
Russell's Auto Museum doubles as an automobile themed event space. |
Chapman, Kansas - St.
Patrick's Mission Church was constructed in the frontier settlement
of Chapman's Creek in the early 1860s. The church was destroyed by a tornado
in 2008 and the St. Patrick's Chapel memorial using the original stone
was completed in 2010. |
Merriam, Kansas -Turkey Creek Waterfall
Park is a lovely spot, despite being wedged in between I-35, railroad
tracks, and an industrial area. |
Canton, Kansas has side by side "Hot"
and "Cold" water towers, and the Maxwell
Wildlife Refuge with large wild herds of buffalo
and elk - there is an observation tower and on rare occasions,
photo tours. |
Minneapolis, Kansas - Rock
City is a tiny park which contains about 200 huge Dakota sandstone
concretions and a small gift shop. The Ottawa
County Historical Museum has a huge collection of George Washington
Carver material. |
Carneiro, Kansas claim to fame is Mushroom
Rock State Park which has more of the Dakota sandstone concretions
like those found at Rock City. Yes, some of
them are shaped like mushrooms. The rocks have been visited by generations
who have left the graffiti to prove it. |
Minneola, Kansas - The 1,818 acre Big
Basin Prairie Preserve Wildlife Area, 15 miles south of Minneola,
Kansas is owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
The Big Basin which is named is a mile wide sinkhole of "sink" which is
more than 100's feet deep. |
Cawker City, Kansas is the home of the World's
Largest Ball of Twine. The one grows each August when Cawker City
has a twine-a-thon and almost daily as visitors add more twine. |
Moline, Kansas - Photos of the 1904 Swinging
Bridge and Wildcat Creek Waterfalls in Moline, Kansas. |
Cedar Point, Kansas - The 1875 Drinkwater
& Schriver Flour Mill on the Cottonwood River at Cedar Point,
Kansas operated for over 100 years. |
Montezuma, Kansas - Gray
County Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in Kansas. It has 170
turbines with the generating capacity of 112 megawatts. The visitors kiosk
is located just east of Montezuma of US Highway 56. |
Chanute, Kansas - The Martin
and Osage Johnson Safari Museum tells the story of the romance
of these film pioneers. The Chanute-Wright
Brothers Memorial honors engineer and city namesake, Octave Chanute,
and the Wright Brothers. |
Mullinville, Kansas Kanza
Art Studio lines many of the streets with junk metal folk art,
windmills and sometimes disturbing political and local religious commentary.
The 16 sided Fromme-Birney Round
Barn is open at any time, with free admission. |
Chetopa, Kansas - The Chetopa
Historical Museum is open April through fall. |
Neodesha, Kansas - Norman
No. 1 Replica Well and Museum has a 68' replica of the oil derrick
where oil first erupted in Neodesha in 1892 and a room of clown memorabilia. |
Cheney, Kansas - Souders
Historical Farm Museum is a one of a kind recreation of a rural
Kansas community. The Eagle Valley
Raptor Center promotes conservation of birds of prey through public
education, and provide shelter and care to injured & orphaned raptors. |
Neosho, Kansas - Neosho
Falls Waterfall is quite attractive and a popular spot for fishing
during low water. Neosho Falls Waterfall is adjacent to Riverside Park. |
Cherryvale, Kansas - Cherryvale
Historical Museum has large exhibits devoted to Vivian Vance and Louise
Brooks, actresses who were born in Cherryvale, and an entire room devoted
to the serial killer Bloody Benders. |
New Strawn, Kansas - The Wolf
Creek Generating Station is the only nuclear power plant in Kansas.
The plant is visible to traffic on Kansas Highway 75 for many miles. Good
views of the facility are from Strawn Cemetery. |
Clay Center, Kansas - The tiny Clay
Center Zoo is free and open 9 AM - 8 PM, 7 days a week. The zoo
is run by the Clay Center Utility Company. |
Newton, Kansas hosts the Harvey
County Historical Museum and Warkentin
House Museum. Also visit the Kauffman
Museum in nearby North Newton. restaurants |
|
Nickerson, Kansas - Stay overnight or just tour
Hedrick's
Exotic Animal Farm Bed and Breakfast. Your visit will include a
camel ride and the chance to feed kangaroos and many other animals |
Clearwater, Kansas - In recent years, Klausmeyer
Farm & Pumpkin Patch has added sunflower fields which are open
to the public for a $2 fee. |
Nicodemus, Kansas was established in July of 1877
and was the largest community established by freed slaves following the
Civil War. Nicodemus National Historic Site
is free with a visitor center open Wednesday through Monday. |
Clements, Kansas - The 1888 Clements
Stone Arch Bridge is tucked away in the woods at the edge of a
field south of Clements, Kansas. |
Norton, Kansas is the home of the free They
Also Ran Gallery, which is devoted to Presidential Candidates which
lost the election. Nearby, there is a restored, classic Conoco
Station. |
Coffeyville, Kansas has the haunted, 1904 Brown
Mansion. The Dalton Defenders' Museum,
celebrates the defeat of the Dalton Gang, and Elmwood
Cemetery has their graves The Perkins
Building housed one of the banks they robbed. Learn about the Funk
airplane
at Coffeyville Aviation
Heritage Museum. |
Oakley, Kansas - The free Fick
Museum has large Kansas fossils, old tools, mineral specimens and
folk art. The Chalk Pyramids
(pictures at the top of this page) are 20 miles south of Oakley off US-83.
The pyramids are on undeveloped private range land, giving a feeling of
discovering them. Keystone Gallery
is a fun combination of fossils, art and souvenirs. Smoky
Valley Ranch offers some great hiking trails. |
Colby, Kansas - The 24 acre Prairie
Museum of Art and History in includes a 1930s farmstead, sod house,
one room school and the Lone Star Church. |
Ogallah, Kansas - 12 miles south of Ogallah is
the Cedar Bluffs Reservoir with its
striking 100 feet tall, cedar covered limestone cliffs. Open year around
for camping, fishing and a variety of recreational activities. |
Columbus, Kansas - The Columbus Museum & Genealogy Library
attempts to take visitors back in time to see Columbus was in the past. |
Osborne, Kansas - The Geodetic
Center of the contiguous United States is similar to the Geographic
Center of the United States, but takes into account that the Earth is a
sphere, rather than flat. |
Colwich, Kansas - St.
Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is a historic Romanesque church
which was built from 1903-1906, but has been remodeled and made more ornate
over the years. St. Mark was added to the National Register of Historic
Places in 1991. |
Olathe, Kansas
- All new Guide to Olathe Attractions
includes such attractions as Mahaffie
Stagecoach Stop & Farm Historic Site, Ensor
Park and Museum, Marra
Museum of Deaf History and Deaf Culture, and Kansas
City Automotive Museum. |
Concordia, Kansas - The restored Brown
Grand Theatre is reported as haunted. Tour the Motherhouse
of the Sisters of St. Joseph and its Lourdes
Park & Grotto . Camp Concordia
was a WW2 POW camp. A memorial marks the site of Boston
Corbett Dugout which was the home of the man who killed John Wilkes
Booth. Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Catholic Church is an unusual, castle shaped church. The National
Orphan Train Complex tells the story of this 19th century program
for orphans. |
Osawatomie, Kansas - Osawatomie
History Museum does a good job of telling the story of the development
of Osawatomie. The John Brown Museum
contains the cabin of Brown's sister and brother-in-law, a stop on the
Underground Railroad. The Osawatomie
Driving Tour leads visitors to interesting historical sites. Asylum
Bridge, Creamery Bridge & Osawatomie
Dam. Osawatomie State
Hospital Cemetery. |
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas - Take a few minutes
to enjoy the 1873 Chase County Courthouse, the Cottonwood
River Dam & 1914 Arch Bridge, and beautiful Chase
Lake Falls. Return in April for the annual Prairie
Fire Festival. |
Oskaloosa, Kansas is the home of Old
Jefferson Town, a 10 acre park that includes a blacksmith shop,
jail, general store, chapel, school house, Victorian home, and the John
Steuart Curry boyhood home & museum. |
Council Grove, Kansas - The Kaw
Mission dates from 1851. The Hays House
restaurant has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1857. The
Kaw Nation recently opened Allegawaho Heritage
Memorial Park. Trial Days Bakery
Cafe is a restaurant and museum. Lake
Kahola Waterfall is one of the most beautiful in Kansas. |
Oswego, Kansas - Little Town Well in John
A. Mathews Park was the site of one of the first white settlements
in southeast Kansas. 90 acre Riverside
Park overlooks the historic Neosho Crossing and Neosho River Falls. |
Damar, Kansas - The beautiful, romanesque St.
Joseph Church was built from limestone quarried at Waldo, Kansas
from 1913-1917 at a cost of $30,000. The large building with twin 100'
spires dominates the small community. |
Ottawa, Kansas - Ottawa is the northern terminus
of the 33 mile Prairie Spirit Rail Trail which offers hiking and
bicycling. Pome on the Range Orchard
and Winery 6 miles south of Ottawa off I-35 at Exit 176 offers
produce, Kansas foods and wines. The Old
Depot Museum is in a beautiful 1888 building. Franklin
County Courthouse. |
Danville, Kansas - Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church in
Danville was constructed from 1904 to 1907. |
Overland Park, Kansas
- Guide to Overland Park Attractions
includes major attractions such as the The
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Deanna
Rose Children's Farmstead and the Nerman
Museum of Contemporary Art. |
Delphos, Kansas - The Grace
Bedell Billings: Lincoln's Little Correspondent Monument is dedicated
to the 11 year old girl who wrote to Abraham Lincoln asking him to let
his whiskers grow. |
Park, Kansas - Sacred
Heart Catholic Church in tiny Park City has dominated this western
Kansas countryside since 1923. Today the church steeple is visible from
I-70 for miles. |
Derby, Kansas - Field
Station: Dinosaurs is the newest Kansas theme park, having opened
in May 2018. The 14 acre, suburban Wichita park has 44 life sized animatronic
dinosaurs. |
Parsons, Kansas - The Antietam
Circles at Oakwood Cemetery are a must visit for Civil War and
cemetery buffs. The Parsons
Historical Museum and Iron Horse Historical Museum are open May
- October. |
DeSoto, Kansas - Grandpa's
Garage and Body Shop is a 1918 Model T Garage where Dean Weller
turns old automobile parts and sheet of metal into works of art. |
Partridge, Kansas - The
Potluck is an Amish farm dairy and market, with an Airbnb. |
Dexter, Kansas - Although the dramatic Waterfall
at Cowley State Fishing Lake is less than 1/4 mile off US Highway
166, it is virtually unknown and visited by only a few people each day. |
Pawnee Rock, Kansas - Pawnee
Rock is a sandstone hill that was a landmark near the halfway point
on the Santa Fe Trail. Today, the rock is topped with memorial markers,
a picnic area and a pergola - a viewing pavilion with a roof top lookout. |
Dighton, Kansas - The
Lane County Historical Museum is a small museum with very nicely
done exhibits. The grounds have a reproduction sod house which was built
in 1961 and old farm machinery on display. |
Pfeifer, Kansas - Holy
Cross Shrine is a magnificent former 1918 post rock church with
a 165' spire. Nearby Holy Cross Cemetery
has many ornate Volga German iron crosses. |
Dodge City, Kansas - Free, Fort
Dodge (now the Kansas Soldiers' Home) is 5 miles east of town.
Wagon ruts on the Santa Fe Trail are 9 miles west of town on Highway
50. Dodge City also has the Boot Hill Museum,
tiny Wright Park Zoo, historic Mueller-Schmidt
House, poignant Amish Cemetery,
and the 911 Liberty Garden Memorial. |
Philipsburg, Kansas - The
Shepherd's Mill is one of only two fiber processing facility in
Kansas. There is an attractive gift shop & the mill shares a wall with
several windows where the work can be watched. C
& R Railroad Museum is part of the Huck Boyd Community Center. |
Dover, Kansas - Echo
Cliff Park , southwest of Dover in an area once known as Gibbsville,
is cool little park owned by the Echo Cliff Park Trust. The park area was
cleared the 1920's and eventually deeded to the Dover Grange to be preserved
for the public. |
Pilsen, Kansas - St.
John Nepomucene Catholic Church is a beautiful church that with
a steeple that stands 111' above the surrounding area. Tours are also available
of the adjacent museum devoted to Father
Emil J. Kapaun, who has started the process toward being declared
a saint. |
Edgerton, Kansas - Gieringers
Family Orchard & Berry Farm is a busy "u-pick farm" farm which
recently added public sunflower fields. |
Piqua, Kansas - Beautiful old St
Martin's Church is no longer used for services, but is still open
to the public for viewing or meditation. Also visit St
Martin's Cemetery behind the church. The Buster
Keaton Museum is open weekdays in the front room of the Piqua Water
Department. Not bad for a community of about 100 people! |
El Dorado, Kansas - The Kansas
Oil Museum and Butler County History Center is a museum complex
with a Hall of Fame, oil industry equipment and a recreated oil boom town
main street. Stapleton #1 Historic Well
was the site of the first oil strike in the El Dorado Oil Field. |
Pittsburg, Kansas - Attractions include Crawford
County Historical Museum, Miners
Memorial, Veterans Memorial Amphitheater,
Nature
Reach, and the Colonial Fox
Theater. |
Elk Falls, Kansas is a town of less than 200 people
that bills itself as the World's Largest Living
Ghost Town. There is an 1893 Iron Truss Bridge and the falls the
community was named for, an annual Outhouse
Tour, Outhouse Grove, and
two historic markers devoted to former resident
Prudence Crandall. |
Pleasanton, Kansas - Mine
Creek Battlefield was the site of one of the largest cavalry battles
of the Civil War. The Trading Post Museum
is located in the Trading Post ghost town. Marais des
Cygnes Massacre is considered the last significant act of violence
in Bleeding Kansas |
Elkhart, Kansas - Eight
Mile Corner is the Tristate Point for Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
It is marked with a brass marker and there is a nearby prairie dog town. |
Pomona, Kansas - Jesse
James Cave is one of the few caves in Kansas where the public is
welcome to visit. |
Ellinwood, Kansas - You can tour the Underground
World, a small remainder of the underground businesses and walkway
that once lay below the downtown. Tours start from the haunted 1894 Wolf
Hotel. |
Prairie Village, Kansas - A quiet cul-de-sac near
Corinth Square is the final resting place of Lawrin,
the only Kentucky Derby winning horse to have been bred and raised in Kansas.
Candy
Cane Lane has every house decorated at Christmas. Johnson
County Christmas Tour. |
Ellis, Kansas has three museums, the Ellis
Railroad Museum and miniature train, the Walter
P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum, and the Bukovina
Society Headquarters and Museum. |
Pratt, Kansas - Pratt
Education Center, Aquariums & Fish Hatchery is operated by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Exhibits display both living
and preserved native birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Includes twelve
400-600 gallon aquariums. Pratt County
Historical Museum is one of the largest local museums in Kansas. |
Ellsworth, Kansas - Interesting places to visit
include the 1873 Ellsworth County
Jail and the Mother Bickerdyke
Memorial Cemetery with the graves of 32 women who were Civil War
nurses, widows, or daughters of Civil War veterans. |
Quinter, Kansas - Castle
Rock is about 13 miles south of I-70 near Quinter. Interesting
chalk formation on private range land open to the public. The nearby "badlands"
is even more interesting. The "Castle" is crumbling with time. Castle Rock
has very few visitors, but is really something special! |
Elsmore, Kansas - Bourbon
Lake Falls, 4 miles east of town is a spectacular seasonal waterfall
from spring until mid summer. |
Republic, Kansas - The Pawnee
Indian Museum State Historic Site is built around an excavated
1820s Pawnee earth lodge. It was part of a walled community of around 40
lodges with a population of 1,000 Native Americans. |
Emmeram, Kansas - 1901 Sacred
Heart Church was destroyed in a fire on October 12, 1998, but the
ruins are quite picturesque. |
Rice, Kansas - The Rice
stone arch bridge was built in 1899 and restored in 1990. A cottonwood
tree with a circumference of 23 feet stands next to the almost hidden stone
bridge. |
Emporia, Kansas is famous for William Allen White,
publisher of the Emporia Gazette,
which has a tiny free museum of old newspaper equipment. Lake
Kahola Waterfall is northwest of town. The Emporia
Zoo, Soden's Dam Falls
and Lyon County Historical
Museum are free, as are the Johnston
Geology Museum & Schmidt Museum
of Natural History on the campus of Emporia State University. |
Rose Hill , Kansas - Jurassic
Art has dozens of welded grassroots art creations by Phil Brinkley. |
Erie, Kansas - The wonderful metal sculptures
of Dinosaur Not So National Park
have moved to a new Erie Dinosaur Park.
The first Neosho River Bridge
was constructed in the early 1870s, as was the dam below the bridge. |
Richfield, Kansas - Morton
County WPA Bridge was a stone arch bridge which the Works Progress
Administration completed on June 3, 1939. |
Eudora, Kansas - The Eudora
Community Museum is maintained by the Eudora Area Historical Society
and for several years was located in the former Nottingham Elementary School
building on the south side of town. Following 2 years of rehabilitation,
the museum moved into a historic building in downtown Eudora in 2015. |
Riverton, Kansas - Cruise Historic
Route 66 through southeast Kansas and be sure to stop at Eisler
Bros. Old Riverton Store, a local market since 1925. Empire
Power Dam Falls is the most impressive water feature which I have
seen in Kansas. |
Eureka, Kansas - The Greenwood
County Historical Society Museum is a significant genealogical
resource for people researching ancestors. During high water, the
Eureka Lake Waterfall is one of the most impressive in the state.
Eureka
Spring was discovered in 1857. |
Russell, Kansas - The Gernon
House museum is the oldest stone house remaining in Russell. The
Heym-Oliver
House is another classic old stone house. Prairiesta
is a celebration of history, heritage, and culture that has been held every
ten years since 1941and includes a huge Prairiesta
Parade. |
Fairway, Kansas - The Shawnee
Indian Mission was a Native American school and the territorial
capital where the "bogus laws" were passed. Three buildings date from 1839-45.
Shawnee
Methodist Mission Cemetery. |
Russell Springs, Kansas - The Butterfield
Trail Museum occupies the former Logan County Courthouse. The beautiful
renaissance-style building was built from native stone and brick in 1887. |
Farlington, Kansas - The Civilian
Conservation Corps Memorial Trail & Museum is a cool combination
memorial, history trail and museum. |
Sabetha, Kansas - The Albany
Historical Museum has 15 buildings and a large collection of farm
machinery and antique vehicles. Old Albany Days is held at the museum
on the weekend following Labor Day. |
Florence, Kansas - This community of only 112
people has done a lovely job of restoring the Harvey
House Museum. Open only by appointment. |
St. Benedict, Kansas - The 1894 St.
Mary's Church interior is decorated with so much art that it is
almost too much to take in. |
Fort Scott, Kansas - Fort
Scott National Cemetery was one of the first 12 National Cemeteries.
It has many unusual graves. Other attractions include Rock
Creek Lake Waterfall, Fort
Scott National Historic Site, Gordon
Parks Museum, the Gordon
Parks Collection at Mercy Health Center, and trolley tours
featuring the town's Victorian homes. |
St. Paul, Kansas - The Osage
Mission - Neosho County Museum sits on the site of the original
Osage Mission. |
Franklin, Kansas - The Miners
Hall Museum is built on the site of the Union Hall where the Amazon
Army marches began in 1921. |
St. Francis, Kansas - The welded metal sculptures
created by the late Harvey Walz
are a hoot. See other sculptures at the Cherry
Creek Encampment memorial. Tour St
Francis Motorcycle Museum, Three
Corners, Arikaree Breaks
and Horse Thief Cave. |
Fredonia, Kansas - The 1872 Stone
House is an art gallery is run by the Fredonia Arts Council. The
Wilson
County Historical Museum occupies a 1915 building that was originally
the Wilson County Jail. Otto's
Mill Falls is on the Fall River south of town. Fredonia Homecoming
Parade |
Schoenchen, Kansas - St.
Anthony Church was built in 1900-1901, using native stone, quarried
in the area by members of the congregation. |
Galena, Kansas - Galena is the Historic
Route 66 entry to Kansas. Interesting stops include the Galena
Mining and Historical Museum, Schermerhorn
Park and the SouthEast Kansas Nature Center and 4
Women on the Route who are restoring a 1930 KanOtex filling station. |
Salina, Kansas - Has the small, free Smoky
Hill Museum and an excellent Zoo
& Museum west of town at Rolling
Hills Wildlife Adventure. The Garage automobile museum opened in 2022. Indian Rock Park has
2 waterfalls. The Yesteryear Museum
promotes regional agricultural and cultural heritage. |
Garden City, Kansas - With 300 animals of 100
species, the Lee Richardson Zoo
is larger than most zoos in Kansas. The Finney
County Historical Museum features permanent and revolving exhibits,
educational tours and extensive research facilities. restaurants |
Scammon, Kansas - Carona
Depot and Railroad Museum is operated by the Heart of the Heartlands
Railroad Club. |
Gardner, Kansas - Gardner
Junction Park is a two acre park which was opened in 2008 to commemorate
a nearby location where where westward travelers split off the combined
trails onto Santa Fe Trail, California Trail or Oregon Trail. |
Scandia, Kansas - The Scandia
Museum celebrates the community's Scandinavian heritage and displays
farm machinery, tools, buggies, war mementos, and primitive tools. Visitors
will be impressed by the wood carvings by the late Allen D. Larson. |
Garnet, Kansas - The Arthur
Capper Memorial marks the site of the birthplace of Kansas first
naive born Governor. |
Scipio, Kansas - The limestone, St.
Boniface Catholic Church was built by German immigrants in 1891,
replacing an earlier wooden church. Always open. |
Girard, Kansas - The Girard
History Museum reopened in the 1888 St. John's Episcopal Church
in 2019. The church was originally transformed into a museum in 1975, but
had been closed for 20 years. |
Scranton, Kansas - Lyndon Leaders 4H Club from
Lyndon, Kansas has had public sunflower
fields near Scranton since at least 2016. |
Goddard, Kansas - Until recently, Tanganyika
Wildlife Park was a private zoo near Goddard. Tanganyika opened
to the public in 2008. Lake
Afton Public Observatory is open weekends. |
Scott City, Kansas offers the free El
Quartelejo Museum. The nearby Lake
Scott State Park includes a 100 acre spring fed lake and the northern
most Native American pueblo in North America. Battle
Canyon was the site of the last battle between Native Americans
and the Army in Kansas. This Restored
Texaco Station is a free attraction. Little
Jerusalem Badlands State Park is the newest state park in Kansas. |
Goessel, Kansas - The Mennonite
Heritage Museum is part of a museum complex established to preserve
the artifacts and history of early Mennonite farms, schools, churches and
Bethesda Hospital. |
Sedan, Kansas - In 1967, Sedan, Kansas honored
its most famous son with a celebration and the opening of the Emmett
Kelly Museum. Visit beautiful Butcher
Falls at the Red Buffalo Ranch,
or the little waterfall at The Hollow
park. |
Goodland, Kansas - Giant Vincent
van Gogh painting stands on an 80 foot easel. Part of the world
wide Big Easel project. The High Plains
Museum features a replica on the first patented helicopter in America.
Tour & shop at Olde Westport Spice.
Drive by the nearby restored White Eagle
Station and Gulick-Cooper House. |
Sharon Springs, Kansas - Still
Art Environment has the folk art of Fox Still. |
Great Bend, Kansas - The free, Brit
Spaugh Zoo is open 362 days a year, but the real treat is the metal,
folk art of local folk artist, Bob Mix.
Migrating birds may be seen in the spring and fall at the nearby Cheyenne
Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
Christmas
Miracle Village is open weekends Thanksgiving to Christmas. |
Shawnee, Kansas - Old Shawnee
Town is a seasonal museum complex.Shawnee
Indian Cemetery has graves dating from the 1830s. Pioneer
Crossing park opened in 2006. Shawnee
Mission Park is the most visited park in the entire state of Kansas.
Monticello
Historical Museum includes a driving tour takes you to historic
cemeteries, schools and the site where Wild Bill Hickok lived. |
Greeley, Kansas - The 1856 Gerth
Cabin was moved next to the 1915 Wagon Bridge over Pottawatomie
Creek. The grounds can be visited anytime and tours are available by appointment
through the Anderson County Kansas Historical Society. |
South Hutchinson, Kansas - A new display includes
picnic tables, several markers and the Salt
Discovery Well where in 1887 Ben Blanchard found the salt that
has contributed to the development of Hutchinson and Reno County. |
Greensburg, Kansas - The Big
Well is just one of the symbols of Greensburg's refusal to be eliminated
by the 1.7 mile wide, EF5 tornado that devastated most of the community
and left 11 people dead. The 5.4.7 Arts
Center is an energy efficient work of art. |
Spearville, Kansas - The 5,000 acre Spearville
Wind Energy Facility produces 148.5 megawatts of electricity. Immaculate
Heart of Mary Church is one of the most ornate churches in Kansas. |
Greenbush, Kansas - The St.
Aloysius Church Historic Site in the unincorporated community of
Greenbush (near Girard) has a church and a church ruins sitting almost
side by side. |
St. Joseph, Kansas - St.
Joseph Catholic Church is no longer consecrated, but the Guardians
of The St. Joseph Church Foundation is preserving the beautiful 1910 brick
church. |
Grenola, Kansas - The Grenola
Elevator Museum occupies an old grain elevator and two one room
schoolhouses which were moved to the location. |
St. Marys, Kansas - The centerpiece of the St.
Marys Indian Pay Station Museum complex is the 1857 Indian agency
building for the Potawatomi Indians, which was used as a Pay Station for
payments from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. |
Halstead, Kansas - The Kansas
Learning Center for Health has health education programs, a museum
and Valeda: The Transparent Talking Woman. Riverside
Park was used extensively for scenes in the filming of the 1955
movie, Picnic, staring William Holden, Rosalind Russell and Kim Novak. |
Strong City, Kansas - The 11,000 acre Tallgrass
Prairie National Preserve is mostly owned by the Nature Conservancy,
with just a few acres under the control of the National Park Service. |
Hanover, Kansas - Built in 1858, Hollenberg
Pony Express Station was a stop for the Pony Express and a way
station for travelers on the Oregon and California Trails. Some people
believe it is haunted. |
Studley, Kansas - Cottonwood
Ranch is a Kansas State Historic Site along US Highway 24. |
Hays, Kansas - The Sternberg
Museum of Natural History displays dinosaur & fish fossils
from the area & life size recreations. Pete Felten's Stone
Gallery is worth a special trip. Fort
Hays has four 19th Century buildings. The Ellis
County Historical Society Museum is nicely done. Boot
Hill Cemetery is where gunfighters those who "died with their boots
on" were buried. Tour the RANS Designs
aircraft factory. St. Joseph Catholic Church
is a beautiful stone building. Moss-Thorns
Gallery |
Sylvan Grove, Kansas - South
Fork Spillman Creek Double Arch Bridge was built in 1908 with limestone
rocks which were quarried in the nearby hills. |
Healy, Kansas - The offices of Ehmke
Seed in western Lane County are built in a 42' diameter
grain bin. The building was converted in 2000 and also serves as a scale
house, and has guest rooms upstairs. |
Tonganoxie, Kansas - The Tonganoxie
Community Historical Society Museum is a 4 building complex which
includes a church and a schoolhouse which were relocated to the museum. |
Hiawatha, Kansas - The most famous attraction
in Hiawatha, Kansas is the Davis Memorial,
a $100,000, 1930's tomb sitting in Mount Hope Cemetery. The Brown
County Agriculture Museum exhibits different features of life on
the farm and 40 windmills. |
Topeka, Kansas
- Things to do in Topeka lists over
20 attractions and events. Highlights: Evel
Knievel Museum, Topeka Cemetery,
Kansas
Museum of History,
Combat
Air Museum,
Museum
of the Kansas National Guard, Topeka
Zoo,
Brown v. Board of Education National
Historic Site, Capitol Building
Tours,
Zoo Lights, Fire
Hydrant Garden and Topeka
Christmas Light Tour. restaurants
specialty food |
Highland, Kansas - The Iowa
and Sac & Fox Mission is now only open for viewing the grounds.
The former Native American Heritage Museum, which operated in the mission,
closed in 2008. |
Ulysses, Kansas - The Grant
County Adobe Museum features historical artifacts and exhibits
that tell the story of life on the High Plains. |
Hillsboro, Kansas - The Mennonite
Settlement Museum is a city run museum complex devoted to the regional
Mennonite heritage. The complex consists of a small museum & gift shop,
the Pioneer Adobe House, Friesen Dutch Windmill, and Kreutziger School
House. |
Victoria, Kansas - The "Cathedral
of the Plains" is St. Fidelis Church, just south of I-70
in Victoria, Kansas. Open free to the public 365 days a year, and serving
mass each day. St. Fidelis Cemetery
has interesting old iron "Volga" crosses. |
Hoisington, Kansas - At least twelve previously
unmarked graves in Hoisington City Cemetery
are marked with hand crafted folk art concrete and wire gravestones which
were created by local grassroots artist, Phil Webb. |
Wallace, Kansas - The Fort
Wallace Museum in Wallace, Kansas is pretty impressive for the
size and quality of the museum in a town of only 56 people. |
Horton, Kansas - Werner
Wagon Works & Guest House is a unique piece of Kansas Americana.
Don Werner is one of the rare, non Amish wagon makers and his shop is open
to the public daily with tours available by appointment. |
WaKeeney, Kansas - The Trego
County Historical Society Museum in WaKeeney, Kansas was dedicated
in June 1975. The museum has grown twice - in 1997 when the Pleasant Valley
School was moved to the museum grounds and in 2015 when a 7,200 square
foot addition doubled the gallery space. |
Howard, Kansas - The welded metal sculptures of
Hubble's
Rubble include odd vehicles, animals and cartoon characters. the
6 building Benson Historical Museum
is open by appointment. |
Wamego, Kansas - The haunted Columbian
Theater is a 1895 music hall which has murals and furnishings from
the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The OZ
Museum is devoted to the magical world created by L. Frank Baum. |
Humboldt, Kansas - The Lewis
R Howland Collection at the Humboldt
Historical Museum has displays are devoted to baseball players
George Sweatt & Walter Johnson. Neosho
Valley Woodworks is a master artist's studio, furniture & millwork
shop, and living museum Since 1957, Biblesta
is the October bible parade. |
Wellington, Kansas - The Panhandle
Railroad Museum is a neat private collection of railroad memorabilia
in an even neater old stone building which was a coal gasification plant
from 1886-1906. The National Depression Glass Association opened their
National
Glass Museum in 2012. |
Hutchinson, Kansas - Hutchinson
Attractions & Restaurants has a guide
with many things to do. Highlights include the Kansas
Underground Salt Museum, Kansas
State Fair, Kansas
State Mennonite Relief Sale, Lost
Acres Ranch, and the Kansas
Cosmosphere and Space Center - a world class space museum! |
West Mineral, Kansas - Big
Brutus near West Mineral was the world's second largest electric
mining shovel when it was in operation in the 1960s and 70s. Now it is
a tourist attraction. It is 160 feet tall and weights 11 million pounds. |
Independence, Kansas - The Independence
Historical Museum fills 22 rooms of the former Post Office &
Federal Building. The Ralph Mitchell
Zoo has seen better days. A replica of the Little
House on the Prairie 12 miles southeast of town may be the most
famous attraction in the area. The Inge Festival
brings together theatre professionals each April. Neewollah
is the 8 - 10 day Halloween festival every October. |
Weskan, Kansas - The highest point in Kansas -
some people would describe Mount Sunflower
as a barely noticeable rise in the middle of a field on a ranch 1/2 mile
from the Colorado border. But they would lack vision. |
Inman, Kansas - The Inman
Museum is normally only open on Sunday afternoons, but they are
so serious about trying to make the museum available to everyone that they
have a list of 11 names and phone numbers on the door to call to see museum. |
Wetmore, Kansas - This small community has both
Spring
Creek Classics a private classic car museum and Rock
and Critter Garden grassroots arts environment. |
Iola, Kansas - The Allen County Old
Jail Museum was an active jail from 1859 until 1958. The Buster
Keaton Celebration is two days of presentations, interviews, panels
and some videos devoted to early motion pictures. Iola
restaurants |
White Cloud, Kansas is known for the Four
State Lookout and for its small monument to Wilbur
Chapman who inspired the use of piggy banks to raise money for the
American Leprosy Missions. |
Johnson City, Kansas - The Stanton
County Museum is a 6 building complex anchored by a handsome native
stone structure which was built by the WPA in 1935. |
Wichita, Kansas
- Things to do in Wichita has over 30 attractions
& over a third of them free. Highlights include the Sedgwick
County Zoo, Wichita Art Museum,
Keeper
of the Plains, Botanica,
Museum
of World Treasures,
Wichita
- Sedgwick County Historical Museum, Kansas
Aviation Museum & Holmes
Museum of Anthropology |
Junction City, Kansas - Milford
Nature Center has hands on exhibits and many live animals. Fort
Riley has museums & monuments, and the first capital of the
State of Kansas. The Geary County Historical
Museum occupies an attractive 1906 limestone building. Hildebrand
Farms Dairy has a farm store and tours. |
Williamsburg, Kansas - Pome
on the Range Orchard and Winery near Williamsburg, Kansas offers
produce, fruits, cider, baked goods, Kansas specialty foods and wines.
Just off I-35. |
Kanopolis, Kansas - The Fort
Harker Guardhouse Museum Complex is operated by the Ellsworth County
Historical Society. Four buildings have been preserved from the fort which
operated from 1866 to 1873. |
Wilmore, Kansas - Pull up to the carousel
and honk your horn. If available, the Griffins or a neighbor come out to
open and operate the carousel at no charge. |
Kansas City, Kansas - The Huron
Indian Cemetery was started in 1843. St
John the Baptist Catholic Church and the Strawberry
Hill Museum and Sauer
Castle are nearby. Kansas
City T-Bones professional baseball. Quindaro
was an important station on the Underground Railroad. Rosedale
Arch is a WWI memorial. Jack Wyatt
Piano Museum, Clendening
History of Medicine Museum restaurants
specialty food |
Wilson, Kansas - The Czech Capital of Kansas has
over 24 limestone buildings from
the turn of the 20th century and the World's
Largest Czech Egg. Kansas Originals Market at I-70 exit
206 has products from over 500 Kansas artists, craftsmen, and food producers.
St.
Wenceslaus Church is lovely! |
Kechi, Kansas - Karg
Art Glass has a large gallery with art glass produced by many artists
and a studio with many kilns where Rollin Karg's staff of artisans work. |
Winfield, Kansas - Walnut
Valley Festival hosts international acts, championships for instrumental
performance such as bluegrass banjo & old time fiddle, and well over
100 food, crafts and music venders. |
Kelly, Kansas - St.
Bede's Parish organized in the fall of 1901. The first church was
built in 1902, but he wood frame building burnt to the ground in 1913.
The cornerstone of the present building was laid the same year and it was
completed and dedicated on October 10, 1915. |
Yoder, Kansas - This small farming community south
of Hutchinson is largely made up of Mennonite and Amish families. Yoder
Meats sells many unusual cuts and types of meats. It is across
the street from the Carriage
Crossing Restaurant. |
Kingman, Kansas - The Kingman
County Historical Museum occupies a beautiful 1888 building. |
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