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With a population of 140,000 people, Olathe, Kansas is one
of the fastest growing communities in the country. Olathe has some of the
highest ranked schools in Kansas and Money magazine ranked Olathe #11 on
its list of the "100 Best Cities to Live in the United States."
 This
guide to Olathe tourist attractions has my candid comments and recommendations
for things to do in Olathe, Kansas. I am a 36 resident of Johnson County,
and lived or worked in Olathe 30 years. The good news is that Olathe has
several unique museums & attractions.
Most of Olathe's shopping is strip mall and/or big box:
Bass Pro, Kohl's, 2 Super Targets and 2 Super Walmarts. The largest concentrations
of retail stores are east of I-35 on Santa Fe and 119th Streets.
When it was built, the AMC Studio 30 Theaters with
IMAX was the largest movie theater in the AMC chain. The Studio 28 now
has "fork and screen" theaters for adults only where you can order a meal,
snacks or beer. The AMC Studio 28 is located north of 119th Street on Strang
Line Road.
For nearby restaurants and attractions try the guide
to Overland Park Restaurants.
Olathe
Tourist Attractions & Museums
Bass
Pro Shop opened its first Kansas City store in Olathe in February of
2007. In addition to sports equipment, hunting & fishing gear, the
Olathe Bass Pro Shop has a prairie dog display, river bottom habitat and
a 12,000 gallon aquarium with Kansas fish such as bass, blue gill and catfish.
Seafood is available inside the store at the Islamorada Fish Company restaurant.
Bass Pro Shop 12051 Bass Pro
Drive, Olathe, Kansas 66061
(913) 254-5200 |
Indian
Creek Hike/Bike Trail is almost 26 miles long, with about 8 miles in
Olathe, Kansas. The bike path is generally level and flat, but often beautiful
as it follows Indian Creek through various parks. It connects to other
hiking and bicycle trails in Kansas City, Missouri and Johnson County,
Kansas. On the other side of Olathe, Mill Creek Streamway Park has
another 17 miles of trails going all the way to the Kansas River.
Indian Creek Hike/Bike Trail
- Multiple Trail Heads between 105th and 119th Streets |
| Buddy
Rogers Playhouse - The Olathe Community Theatre Association (OCTA)
offers live theater productions in the former 1870 Covenant Church. The
2010-2011 season included Our Town, David's Mother and others.
Tickets for all shows are $18 for adults. Some special events are less
expensive. Charles 'Buddy' Rogers was born in Olathe, and their annual
awards are called the Buddy Awards in his honor.
Olathe Community Theatre Association
500 East Loula Street, Olathe, Kansas 66061 (913) 782-2990 |
Johnson
County Old Settlers is over 120 years old and Olathe, Kansas' biggest
event of the year. The three day festival is held on the Thursday through
Saturday following Labor Day. Old Settlers includes free entertainment,
a carnival, children's performances, arts & crafts, auto show, and
one of the largest parades in Kansas. The community looks forward to the
food vendors each year and some folks just go to Old Settlers for the grange
pups or walking tacos.
Johnson County Old Settlers
downtown Olathe, Kansas |
Cedar
Creek Falls is formed by an overflow dam on
Cedar Creek in southwest Olathe, just above Lake Olathe. There is a flow
of water year around, but Cedar Creek Falls is most impressive in the spring
or after a heavy rain. Lake Olathe is a 170 acre lake surrounded by a 208
acre community park dedicated in 1959.
Cedar Creek Falls 143rd Street,
Olathe, Kansas 66061
(913) 971-6263 |
Mahaffie
Stagecoach Stop & Farm Historic Site in Olathe, Kansas
is the only Santa Fe Trail stagecoach stop that is open to the public.
There are three 19th century buildings as well as several 20th century
and reconstructed buildings. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop hosts Wild West
Show & Bullwhacker Days in September, and a Christmas Open House
in December.
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop &
Farm Historic Site 1100 Kansas City Road, Olathe, Kansas 66061 (913)
971-5111 |
Cedar
Lake Falls is located in the spillway just
below the Cedar Lake dam on the south side of Olathe. Cedar Lake is a 75
acre lake surrounded by a 54 acre community park which was originally dedicated
in 1920. Cedar Lake has fishing for blue gill, black bullhead, channel
catfish, crappie, green sunfish, largemouth bass, saugeye, wiper &
flathead catfish.
Cedar Lake Falls 15500
South Lone Elm Road, Olathe, Kansas 66061 (913) 971-6263 |
Marra
Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture has two exhibit halls
and tells two stories. The first half of the museum is devoted to Deaf
culture and the second half is devoted to the history of the Kansas School
for the Deaf. The Deaf community is composed mostly of those who have been
deaf since birth or very early childhood. Sign language is the first language
of those people who identify with Deaf culture and community.
Marra Museum of Deaf History,
Arts & Culture 455 East
Park Street, Olathe, Kansas 66061 (913) 782-5808 |
| Christmas
Card Lane is an entire subdivision of homes with extravagant Christmas
decorations, tied together thematically by giant Christmas cards with greetings
from each family. Over 200 hundred homes are decorated with Christmas lights
and luminaries. Most cars touring Christmas Card Lane turn off their headlights
and creep through the subdivision. Open evenings from Thanksgiving through
New Years. Free.
Christmas Card Lane North
of 151st Street along Frontier Lane & Butterfield Place, west of Ridgeview
Road in Olathe. |
Olathe
Live - The Olathe Parks & Recreation Department sponsors an annual
series of free outdoor concerts at Stagecoach Park on selected Friday
evenings. lathe Live! has brought free live music to Olathe from local,
regional and national artists, including Grammy Award-winning mandolinist
Sam Bush, Grammy-nominated artists Sierra Hull and Ruthie Foster, and NBC's
The Voice 2016 finalist Laith Al-Saadi.
Olathe Live, Stagecoach
Park, 1205 E Kansas City Rd, Olathe, KS (913) 971-8600 |
Ensor
Park and Museum is a seasonal museum devoted to teacher, craftsman
and amateur radio operator, Marshal Ensor. Marshall taught industrial arts
in Olathe, Kansas from 1915 to 1965. The seasonal museum occupies the Ensor
family farm buildings and 8 acres of the former farm. Ensor Farmsite is
both a National Historic Site and on the Register of Historic Kansas Places.
Ensor Park and Museum - 18995
W. 183rd Street, Olathe, KS 66062 (913) 592-4141 |
Olathe
Memorial Cemetery has many interesting features, burials of governors
from various states, and President
Obama ancestors. In mid October there are evening tours, where visitors
meet the ghosts of those buried in Olathe Memorial Cemetery. Visit the
graves of some of Olathe's founders and meet the people who rest here as
they come alive to tell their stories including Bloody Kansas and the Civil
War.
Olathe Memorial Cemetery 738
N Chestnut Street, Olathe, Kansas (913) 971-5226 |
| Ernie
Miller Nature Center and Park off Highway 7 has 3 miles of trails
open for hiking from Dawn to Dusk. The 113 acre park has an outdoor amphitheater,
large stream aquarium, bird feeder court with butterfly & hummingbird
gardens, and other exhibits including live amphibians, turtles & snakes.
Over 170 species of birds may be seen at Ernie Miller Nature Center during
various seasons of the year.
Ernie Miller Nature Center
909 North Highway 7, Olathe, Kansas 66061 (913) 764-7759 |
Olathe
Veterans Memorial Park is a lovely four acre park which memorializes
the men and women who served the United States in the armed services. The
park has a brick walk in honor of lost submarines and park benches, but
the neatest individual memorial may be the Four Chaplains Memorial, which
was dedicated to 4 chaplains from the American troop transport ship, Dorchester.
Olathe Veterans
Memorial Park, 1025 South Harrison, Olathe, KS
(913) 971-6263 |
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Welcome
Home! Cowboy Boots! was
a public art exhibition of 12 6 foot tall fiberglass boots that were designed
and created by area artists. They were displayed during the Olathe's 2007
Sesquetennial celebration. Some of the Welcome Home! Cowboy Boots!
remain on exhibit in Olathe. The Hyer-KSD Connection
remains on display at the Kansas School for the Deaf at 450 East Park Street,
and the Read Any Good Boots lately? boot is displayed within
the Olathe Public Library at 201 East Park Street. |
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