Kansas Attractions Guide

North Central

Greyhound Hall Of Fame - Located in Abilene, known as the Greyhound Capital of the nation, the Greyhound Hall of Fame offers the entire family a thorough and exciting introduction to the Greyhound, the sport, and its long and colorful history. The history of Greyhounds from 5,000 B.C., through its rich heritage in England and Ireland, to its racing development in America is presented in colorful displays.

Rolling Hills Refuge - Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center is located on 145 acres of pristine Kansas prairie. The Refuge is home to more than 80 species of animals, housed in spacious, naturalistic habitat settings. Among the Refuge residents are many animals that are rare or endangered in the wild, including chimpanzees, leopards, orangutans, white tigers, and two species of rhinos.

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad - A non-profit organization offering public excursion train rides May through October, private charters and school tours April through December and season dinner trains and railbus trips.

Brown Grand Theatre - Restored to its original 1907 splendor, the 650 seat Brown Grand Theatre now serves as a tourist attraction and performing arts / community center for Concordia and North Central Kansas. The theatre has two balconies, eight box seats, and features a grand drape, which is a reproduction of a Horace Vernet painting titled, 'Napoleon at Austerlitz.'

Beach Museum Of Art - The Mission of the Museum of Art is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the visual arts among the University's students and faculty, the Manhattan community, and the citizens of the state and region. The Museum acquires, preserves, documents, interprets, and exhibits significant works of art, particularly those that reflect the cultural traditions of Mid-America.

Kansas State University Gardens - The Kansas State University Gardens is a 12 acre horticulture display garden that is designed to show hardscape and tested ornamental plant material in different aesthetic settings.

Garden Of Eden - Samuel Perry Dinsmoor, a retired schoolteacher, Civil War Veteran, farmer and Populist politician, began building the Garden of Eden and Cabin Home in 1907 at the age of 64. For 22 years he fashioned 113 tons (2,273 sacks) of cement and many tons of limestone into his unique 'log' cabin with its surrounding sculptures.

Kansas Sports Hall Of Fame - Preserving the history of sports for the state to serve as a source of education and inspiration to all generations. The mission is achieved through providing exhibits, archives, facilities, services and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports, have brought distinction to themselves, to their communities and to the state of Kansas.

Museum Of Independent Telephony - The Museum is located in Abilene, Kansas, where C.L. Brown founded a small telephone company in 1899, known by the world today as Sprint. Showcased artifacts cover 140 years of telephone technology. Educational tours are available by appointment.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum - The Eisenhower Center is a five-building complex on 22 acres of land, located in Abilene, Kansas, the hometown of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Center features include a Museum, a Presidential Research Library, Eisenhower family home, and Place of Meditation where President and Mrs. Eisenhower are buried.

Sunset Zoo - Sunset Zoo sits on 52 acres which are home to 11 species protected under the Species Survival Plan as well as many other rare animals. The zoo feaures the largest outdoor chimpanzee exhibit in Kansas.

Salina Art Center - An exhibition gallery and art education center, the Salina Art Center also operates the Art Center Cinema.

Northeast

The National Agricultural Center And Hall Of Fame - This unique 172-acre complex is both an educational tour of the history and importance of agriculture and a celebration of the outstanding achievements by farmers.

Topeka Zoological Park - The World Famous Topeka Zoo exhibits include: The Animals and Man Building, Tropical Rain Forest, Discovering Apes, Black Bear Woods, African Savannah, Birds of Prey, Water Bird Lagoons, Lions' Pride, and Children's Zoo.

Kansas Museum Of History - The story of Kansas is full of drama. Colorful characters and everyday folks are part of the tale. So is the land itself, from the tall grass prairies to the high plains. The museum's exciting exhibits tell Kansas' story from its earliest peoples to today's residents.

Topeka Performing Arts Center - Topeka's newest facility designed to showcase the performing arts. Available for performances, rehearsals, meetings, and special events, the center provides the best in cultural entertainment. The wide variety of events includes touring Broadway shows, dance companies, major symphonies, popular singers and entertainers.

Wonderscope Children's Museum - Wonderscope Children's Museum, located in Shawnee (a Kansas City suburb) provides an enjoyable hands-on, interactive environment for children, their families, and school or community groups to explore science, technology, the arts, and humanities. Visitors are encouraged to make choices, invent, imagine, create, discover, play, and learn together.

Overland Park Arboretum And Botanical Gardens - The Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is located in the City of Overland Park on 300 ecologically diverse acres in southern Johnson County. The Arboretum and Botanical Gardens exists for the advancement of environmental education, recreation and the appreciation of nature. It provides both a cultural center and a nature preserve for the community.

U.s. Cavalry Association & Research Library - The US Cavalry Association is the proud sponsor of the U.S. Cavalry Museum, located at Fort Riley, Kansas. The U.S. Cavalry Museum is part of the Army Museum System and chronicles the colorful history of the American Mounted Horse Soldier from the Revolutionary War to 1950. The building that houses the Museum was once the headquarters used by General George Armstrong Custer.

Topeka Civic Theatre - Enjoy dinner and a wonderful evening out at Topeka Civic Theater, Topeka's unique dinner theater. The Topeka Civic Theater is one of the oldest dinner theaters in the nation. The Civic Theater has won national and international acclaim as an award winning community theater. Whether it's a musical, comedy, or drama, you're sure to enjoy the wonderful performances.

Combat Air Museum - Much more than a collection of aircraft, Combat Air Museum houses a wide variety of military and aviation oriented memorabilia, ranging in time from the first World War to the space shuttle program.

Spencer Museum Of Art - The Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art is the art museum of The University of Kansas, Lawrence. Seven galleries display selections from the permanent collection of over 17,000 works of art. Special exhibitions drawn from the collection or touring from other museums are displayed in four additional galleries.

Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum - Restored home where internationally-famous aviatrix was born July 24, 1897. Contains family heirlooms, displays, photographs and a gift shop.

Watkins Community Museum Of History - The Watkins Community Museum of History is housed in an impressive red brick building in the city of Lawrence. Permanent exhibits include vehicles, a 1920s barber shop, a Victorian parlor, the restored lobby fixtures of the original bank, an 1878 children's playhouse, clothing, quilts and other needlework.

The Columbian Theatre - A beautifully renovated 19th century opera house which exhibits six rare, monumental oil paintings and other artifacts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the great Chicago World's Fair. The Columbian offers special exhibitions in the main floor gallery, a performing arts series in the theatre, and a unique gift shop.

Northwest

Sternberg Museum Of Natural History - The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a department of Fort Hays State University and has been a part of the Hays community since 1914. In March of 1999, the museum reopened its doors in a new facility and continues to fulfill its mission with exciting new traveling exhibits and educational programs.

Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home And Museum - The Founder of The Chrysler Corporation's Boyhood Home was built in 1889. The museum, located behind the home, is filled with many personal items that belonged to Chrysler. The shot gun he used duck hunting, jewelry, books, and photographs are just some of the personal artifacts on display.

Prairie Museum Of Arts And History - The Museum provides an educational opportunity for the public to learn about the Place and the People of the Plains through its programs, archives and collections. The unique collection of over 28,000 artifacts from Europe, Asia and North America was collected by Joe and Nellie Kuska. It consists of dolls, ceramics, glass, furniture, silver, toys, textiles and clothing.

South Central

Mennonite Heritage Museum - Dedicated in 1974, the museum was erected as a living tribute to the forefathers of the Goessel community who settled this area. It tells the story of the Mennonite families who left Russia for religious freedom in 1874 and chose the Kansas plains for their new home.

Kansas Oil Museum And Hall Of Fame - The Kansas Oil Museum is the leading museum dedicated to the discovery and development of the oil industry in the state of Kansas. The museum celebrates the excitement associated with the development from the year 1860 to the present with particular emphasis on the El Dorado Field and its early history.

Coutts Memorial Museum Of Art - The Coutts Memorial Museum of Art is a fine art gallery with over a thousand art objects by such artists as Renoir, Thomas Hart Benton, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.

Dyck Arboretum Of The Plains - The Dyck Arboretum, a prairie garden, exists to educate people about the benefits of appreciating, preserving and utilizing native and adaptable plants. Trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowering perennials and annuals, native to Kansas are emphasized; also included are horticultural plants that are adaptable to the South Central Kansas environment.

Kauffman Museum - Kauffman Museum is a tallgrass prairie reconstruction with over 15 species of grasses and more than 100 wildflower species. The museum is a historic farmstead with heritage flower and vegetable gardens around the 1875 Voth-Unruh-Fast House and the 1886 Ratzlaff Barn. Educational programming for the whole family and guided tours are also available.

Reno County Museum - Opened in 1986, the Museum houses five interpretive exhibit galleries with exhibits that change regularly, two hands-on children's galleries, a research library, an 1870s claim house, and gift shop.

Wichita Art Museum - The Wichita Art Museum is home to a nationally-renowned permanent collection of American art. It is a collection that is especially strong in art from 1900 to 1950. The Museum also offers a variety of programs, activities and events throughout the year.

Great Plains Nature Center - The Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC) is a new nature education facility located in northeast Wichita, Kansas. The Center provides opportunities to the public to learn about natural resources, especially the wildlife and plant species, of the Great Plains Region.

Kansas Cosmosphere And Space Center - World-class space museum featuring the largest collection of U.S. space artifacts outside of the National Air and Space Museum and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. The Cosmosphere's collections include the actual Apollo 13 command module 'Odyssey,' a flown Russian Vostok spacecraft, an SR-71 Blackbird and Chuck Yeager's flight jacket.

The Kansas Underground Salt Museum - The Kansas Underground Salt Museum will encompass more than 100,000 square feet of awe-inspiring space below ground. An above-ground Visitor Center will provide orientation and training for the subterranean experience, and guides will be on hand to assist guests through the facility.

Kansas Coliseum - The Kansas Coliseum is a showplace for South Central Kansas for concerts, shows and sporting events.

Sedgwick County Zoo - The 247-acre Sedgwick County Zoo opened in 1971 and has been ranked among the best zoos in the world. Displaying over 2,000 animals of 436 species, it is the number one tourist attraction in Kansas.

Ulrich Museum Of Art - Since its founding in 1974, the museum has served as Wichita's premier venue for contemporary works by established and emerging artists of national and international significance. A lively schedule of provocative and challenging exhibitions is complemented by an important collection of 0th-century painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography, as well as works by more contemporary, 21st-century artists. The museum also is known for its 70-piece outdoor sculpture collection.

Exploration Place - Four hands-on exhibit areas about flight; health and human life; people, places and environments of Kansas; and imaginative spaces for children. Plus three interactive theaters: Simulation Center ? theater seats move with action on 17? x 25? screen; CyberDome Theater ? take part in show using keypad mounted in theater seat armrest; Presentation Theater ?  encounter new ways of thinking during original, live performances.

Great Plains Transportation Museum - The GPTM displays a wide assortment of railroad equipment. Cabooses of the CB&Q, Missouri Pacific, Union Pacific and former Santa Fe can be toured during museum operating hours.

Kansas Aviation Museum - As museums are the life, the culture and the history of a community and its people, the Kansas Aviation Museum is a unique repository of our state's aviation heritage.

Lake Afton Observatory - The Lake Afton Public Observatory offers programs for the general public on weekend evenings throughout the year. The observatory offers a variety of exhibits and displays. You can make your own telescope, travel through the solar system on a scavenger hunt, or explore the properties of light. At other exhibits, you can see the universe in 3-D or touch a rock from space.

Kingman County Museum - The Kingman County Historical Museum is housed in the old Kingman City Building. The building is a rectangular two-story Renaissance style structure. There are two fire trucks on display, along with a hand drawn hose cart in the room that originally housed the horses for the Hook and Ladder Fire Department. Other displays consist of period furniture and a large mural.

Old Cowtown Museum - Old Cowtown Museum is a unique, 17 acre open-air living history museum which recreates Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas from 1865 to 1880.

Botanica The Wichita Gardens - Enjoy themed gardens such as the Butterfly Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Rose and Wildflower Garden and the new Sensory Garden. Visit Botanica's Butterfly House and stroll among hundreds of free-flight butterflies.

Southeast

Emmett Kelly Museum - The Emmett Kelly Museum in downtown Sedan honors a native son, the famous clown Emmett Kelly (1898-1979) and his sad-faced character 'Willie'. It's located in the 1896 Opera House on Main Street. The collection includes memorabilia of his circus career as well as many items related to local history.

Scotty's Classic Cars - Free museum featuring antique and collector cars and memorabilia. The museum's memorabilia features a wide variety of items such as gas pumps, bicycles, pedal cars, neon, automotive collectibles and more. The gift shop contains NASCAR collectibles and 50s-60s reproduction.

Little House On The Prairie - The actual site of The Little House on the Prairie is today, as when Laura lived there with her family, a tranquil and beautiful open prairie setting surrounded by rustling prairie grasses and the stirrings of small prairie animals.

Johnston Geology Museum - You can see a western Kansas Cretaceous mosasaur, a giant ground sloth, a mastodon tusk plus other displays in the Museum. Included among the 45 displays in the museum are the world famous Hamilton Quarry Fossil Assemblage, the Tri-State Mining Display, petrified tree stumps, and the Hawkins and the Calkins Indian Artifact Collections.

Emporia Zoo - The purpose of the Emporia Zoo is the creation of an environment which provides an opportunity of cultural enrichment for the community and surrounding area while fulfilling the Zoo's obligations to conservation, education and recreation. The zoo features naturalized exhibits, botanical displays, and a wide variety of animals.

Martin And Osa Johnson Safari Museum - The Johnson Exhibition tells the adventurous life story of Martin and Osa, highlighting their safaris and lasting contributions to documentary film making and wildlife research. Photographs, maps, native artifacts, a recreated safari camp, and personal memorabilia - ranging from Osa's Vaudeville dress to Martin's cameras - illustrate their travels.

Southwest

Boot Hill Museum - Explore the culture and history of the Old West in Dodge City's Boot Hill Museum. The Museum's exhibits are organized to explore the rich and diverse history of Dodge City and recreate the atmosphere of Dodge City of the late 1870s. Such exhibits as 'The Early Years' and 'Cattle, Wheat, and Storekeepers' help examine the real Dodge City and why it was so famous.

Kansas Barbed Wire Museum - The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in LaCrosse, Kansas is the only museum in the world devoted solely to the history and legend of what is often referred to as the 'Devil?s Rope.' On exhibit are over 1000 barbed wire varieties; including samples manufactured between the years 1870 and 1890. Hundreds of antique fencing tools represent the inventiveness of pioneers.

Lee Richardson Zoo - The Lee Richardson Zoo is considered by many to be the pride of Garden City. Located within the 110 acre Finnup Park, the zoo is a favorite gathering spot for some 250,000 visitors each year. Approximately 300 animals representing nearly 100 different species inhabit the 47 acre zoo.