Traveling Kansas by Book or by Foot? Check out these Web sites!
Kansas Places
10,000-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve - Strong City
The Tallgrass Reserve is the only unit of the National Park system dedicated to the rich natural and cultural history of the tallgrass prairie.
http://www.parktrust.org/zb-exp.html
Amish Community - Yoder
Folks in Yoder still live the life of simpler times. The town was established in 1889 and is today an exciting mix of the past and present, where horses compete with cars on the roads.
http://www.yoderkansas.com/
Big Basin - Ashland
This nearly 2,000 acre prairie preserve on the edge of the Red Hills region in southwestern Kansas is a little known treasure. A National Natural Landmark, it is a very beautiful, peaceful and unique place.
http://www.kansasphototour.com/bigbasin.htm
Big Brutus - West Mineral
The giant Big Brutus is the second largest shovel in the world. It stands as a reminder of the past and a tribute to the region's mining heritage. The museum is open year-round.
http://www.bigbrutus.org
Big Pool - Finnup Park, Garden City
Take a dip in the "World's Largest Municipal Concrete Swimming Pool. The "Big Dipper" opened in 1922 and was renovated in 1979. It matches a football field in size and holds approximately 2.6 million gallons of water.
http://www.garden-city.org/pool.html
Black Jack Battlefield - Baldwin City
While the Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861, the Battle of Black Jack was the first of several skirmishes occurring prior to the official opening of the war. Through a concerted effort, the Battlefield was saved from residential development in 2003. Through an equally concerted effort, a dedicated group of individuals is working to have the park ready to be dedicated on June 2, 2006, the 150th anniversary of the Battle.
http://www.blackjackbattlefield.org/
Boot Hill Museum - Dodge City
Miss Kitty still runs the Longbranch Saloon and gunslingers still have high-noon shootouts. The museum is an educational, historical institution with just enough fun added for the whole family to enjoy.
http://www.boothill.org/
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site - Topeka
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court announced the decision that forever changed race relations in the United States. Today, there is a national historic site to commemorate the landmark decision. There are lots of teacher resources and hands-on activities for students.
http://brownvboard.org
Buffalo Soldier Memorial - Fort Leavenworth
In 1866 two black regiments, the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, were formed at Fort Leavenworth. Today, a monument stands in tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers.
http://garrison.leavenworth.army.mil/sites/about/Buffalo.asp
Castle Rock - Quinter
One of the big attractions of these chalk formations is that they are undeveloped. It almost feels like you have discovered them. However, they are fragile and may not last many more years.
http://www.kansastravel.org/castlerock.htm
Chalk Pyramids - Oakley
Oakley's 70 feet tall chalk formations and pyramids were created 80 million years ago when this area was part of a vast inland sea.
http://www.kansastravel.org/monumentrocks.htm
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge - east of Great Bend
Great Bend is a birding and wildlife paradise; the refuge is home for 320 of the 650 bird species living in the country. The area is considered the largest marsh in the interior of the United States and is the most important ecosystem in Kansas.
http://www.cheyennebottoms.net/
Cimarron National Grassland - Elkhart
A 108,000-acre preserve that is a complete ecosystem of native wildlife and plants and is the largest area of public land in Kansas.
http://www.lasr.net/pages/park.php?Park_ID=KS10sp001
Coronado Heights Park - Lindsborg
The Coronado Heights is a dominant geological feature of the Smoky Valley, rising 300 feet above the surrounding plains. The park is a historic place and a treasure for residents and visitors.
http://www.lindsborg.org/coronado_heights.htm
Dalton Gang Museum - Meade
Visit the house where The Dalton Gang hid out from the law. The home belonged to their sister and it had a tunnel running from the house to the barn. The barn holds a small museum of Dalton Gang history.
http://www.travelks.com/destfindcity.asp?region=6&city=161&x=13&y=13
Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road - Liberal
In the Land of Oz Museum, guides dressed as Dorothy offer tours down the Yellow Brick Road through 5,000 square feet of animated entertainment - good and bad witches, the Munchkins, talking trees, winged monkeys, and of course, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman and Cowardly Lion are all there to enthrall children of all ages.
http://www.cityofliberal.com/thingstodo/attractions/Dorothy.html
Dwight D Eisenhower Library and Museum - Abilene
The Eisenhower Library and museum is located about 2 miles south of I-70 on K-15. The complex consists of five buildings located on 22 acres. They include the Family Home, Museum, Library, Place of Meditation and Visitors Center.
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/travel.htm
El Quartelejo Ruins - Lake Scott State Park, 12 miles north on Hwy 83
El Quartelejo was the northern most Indian pueblo and the only known pueblo in Kansas. The ruins are a National Historic Landmark and contain a reconstruction and historical information.
http://www.wildwestcountry.com/countylistings/scott.html
Emmett Kelly Museum - Sedan
The Emmett Kelly Museum is dedicated to the fond memory of Emmett Kelly Sr., a native son of Sedan, Kansas. The Emmett Kelly Museum was established in June of 1967. In September the same year Emmett Kelly himself made a special trip to Sedan for the official opening to commemorate the occasion.
http://www.emmettkellymuseum.com/menu.html
Fick Fossil & History Museum - Oakley
The museum is free and has a number of interesting large fossils from the area, many old tools, mineral specimens and folk art.
http://www.discoveroakley.com/Document.aspx?Mode=Vies&id=1353
First Territorial Capitol - Fort Riley
Step inside this wonderful stone warehouse where proslavery forces tried to guide the fate of Kansas Territory when the first Territorial legislature convened in July 1855. Contemplate the territorial and national conflict over slavery and see how people lived on the Kansas frontier. It takes very little imagination to step back to the 1850s and get a feel of what it must have been like here.
http://www.kshs.org/places/firstterritorial/
Fort Larned National Historic Site - Larned
This military outpost was established in 1859 on the vast prairie in western Kansas near the midpoint of the Santa Fe Trail. Plains Indians, alarmed by the stream of caravans disrupting their way of life, resisted passage through their homelands. The fort served as a bureau for the Indian Agency during much of the 1860s and was a key military base of operations during the Indian War of 1868-1869. Today, with nine restored buildings, it is the best preserved Indian Wars military post on the Santa Fe Trail.
http://larned.org/tourism/ftlarned.html
Fort Leavenworth - Leavenworth
The fort was established in 1827 by Col. Henry Leavenworth to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. The oldest U.S. military prison (est. 1874) and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College are at the fort. The Buffalo Soldier Monument honors the post-Civil War African-American regiments that served in the West.
http://www.leavenworth.army.mil/
Fort Scott - Downtown, Fort Scott
The thirty-one year span of history interpreted at Fort Scott National Historic Site is perhaps the most significant era of our nation's history. Fort Scott National Historic Site consists of 20 historic structures, a parade ground and five acres of restored tallgrass prairie.
http://www.milebymile.com/main/United_States/ Kansas/national_parks/Fort_Scott.html
Garden of Eden - Lucas
Samuel Perry Dinsmoor had been a Civil War soldier, schoolteacher and farmer when he moved to Lucas, in 1905. The Garden of Eden is a bizarre collection of sculptures he created on his property, illustrating his views on religion and politics. Built with a combination of limestone and cement "logs," the cabin consists of 11 rooms and serves today as a museum where visitors can see old photographs and newspaper clippings of Dinsmoor and his family and examine several pieces of furniture he made.
http://discoverypub.com/columns/ken/twk_2004_10.html
George Washington Carver Homestead - 1 mile south of Beeler
George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, was one of the great scientists of America. He rose from slavery to fame as his discoveries revolutionized agriculture in the south.
http://www.kansasphototour.com/carver.htm
Hollenberg Pony Express Station - Hanover
You can almost hear the thundering of horse hooves and the creak of wagons as Pony Express riders and hundreds of pioneers made a stop at historic Hollenberg Pony Express Station. Hollenberg is the only unaltered Pony Express station remaining in its original location.
https://www.kshs.org/places/hollenberg/index.htm
Horace Greeley Museum - Tribune
The museum was once the Greeley County Courthouse and is built of native stone in 1890. One of three of the oldest courthouses in Kansas, it became a museum in 1975 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July, 1976.
http://www.wildwestcountry.com/countylistings/greeley.html
Hot and Cold Water Towers - Canton
The town's hot and cold water towers always make good pictures.
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Canton/
John Brown Historic Site - Osawatomie
Witness pioneer life where Reverend Samuel and Florella Adair struggled to survive on the Kansas frontier while maintaining their Abolitionist principles.
http://www.kshs.org/places/johnbrown/
http://www.osawatomieks.org/attractions.html
Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center - Hutchinson
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center inspires interest in space exploration by providing exhibits and hands-on experiences that are educational and entertaining.
http://www.cosmo.org/
Keystone Gallery - Oakley
The Keystone Gallery is a fossil museum and art gallery. Visitors can go on fossil hunting tours and view rock and mineral specimens. The site is surrounded by a 400-head buffalo herd and has a great view of Monument Rocks, eight miles to the east in Gove County.
http://www.keystonegallery.com/
Laura Ingalls Wilder's home - Independence
The Little House on the Prairie Historical Site is located 13 miles southwest of Independence, just off Highway 75. It has an authentic log cabin located near the original site where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived as a child. It also includes an 1872 schoolhouse, post office and gift shop. Little House on the Prairie is open March 22 through October 31.
http://www.littlehouseontheprairie.com/
Little Pyramids - north of Scott City
The Pyramids are outstanding geological formations created 80 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. Fossil shark teeth may be found in the area.
http://www.kansastravel.org/littlepyramids.htm
Little Sweden USA - Lindsborg
Lindsborg is a blend of Swedish and American culture. Its unique shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and festivals create a charming atmosphere.
http://www.lindsborg.org/
Madonna of the (Oregon) Trail - Council Grove
This monument stands on the east bank of the Neosho River at Main Street (U.S. Route 56). "Here east meets west, when the 'Old Santa Fe Trail' was established August 10, 1825, at a council between the United States Commissioners and Osage Indians."
http://www.baxtercountyonline.com/arkdar/madonna.htm
Marais des Cygnes Massacre - 6 miles north of Pleasanton on Hwy. US 69
This Kansas Historical Site is just off the beaten path, but worthy of a visit. At this site in 1858, 11 Free-State men were herded into a ravine, lined up and shot in cold blood by a group of 30 or so Pro-Slavery raiders. Five were killed, five were wounded and one escaped injury by pretending to be dead. It fueled the image of "Bleeding Kansas."
http://www.kansasphototour.com/massacre.htm
http://www.kshs.org/places/marais/
Martin and Osa Johnson Museum - Chanute
A national and state award winning museum in a beautifully renovated depot features the adventurers Martin and Osa Johnson. An exhibit and program recount the Johnson's numerous travels to Africa, Borneo and the South Seas. The museum also includes an exhibit of West African ethnographic art and items from daily life, a large natural history library and art collection, temporary exhibits and the popular Museum Store.
http://www.safarimuseum.com/
Maxwell Game Preserve - Canton
In Battlehill township of McPherson County lies a piece of preserved natural prairie comprised of rolling hills, creeks, springs and beautiful prairie grasses and wildflowers. It is the only location in Kansas where public herds of both bison and elk can be viewed in a native prairie environment. It is home to the State's largest public herd of bison and is located in the very southeastern tip of the scenic Smoky Hills.
http://www.cyberkraft.com/maxwell/
Mennonite Museums - Hillsboro, North Newton, Goessel and Halstead
Settlers on the region are documented in museums that preserve the artifacts from early households, farms, schools, churches and the hospital in the Mennonite community.
Goessel:
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/museums/Goessel/
Halstead:
http://historicalsociety.halsteadkansas.com/
Hillsboro:
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Hillsboro/museum.html
North Newton:
http://www.bethelks.edu/kauffman/
Mine Creek Battlefield - Pleasanton
The Battle of Mine Creek was fought on Oct. 25, 1864, between the rear guard of the Confederate Army and an advance of about 3,000 Union horsemen. Nearly 7,000 soldiers formed a defensive line more than a half-mile long in one of the largest cavalry battles of the Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Kansas.
http://www.minecreek.org/
http://www.kshs.org/places/minecreek/
Monument Rocks - Scott City
Traveling through Kansas presents an opportunity to see many natural landmarks that remain as they were when pioneers made their way west. One of the more unique sites is Monument Rocks, sometimes referred to as Chalk, Smoky or Little Pyramids.
http://www.uncommondays.com/states/ks/places/monumentrocks.htm
Mushroom Rock State Park - Kanopolis Lake
The strangely shaped rocks are made of sandstone deposited along the edge of a Cretaceous sea about 100 million years ago. From the caves and crevices of Horsethief Canyon to giant stone "mushrooms" rising from the prairie, Kanopolis and nearby Mushroom Rocks state parks are places of rugged beauty.
http://www.naturalkansas.org/kanopolis.htm
http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/state_parks/locations/mushroom_rock
National Teacher Hall of Fame - Emporia
The Hall of Fame Museum features old school desks, class attendance records, teacher contracts, antique textbooks and other artifacts representing the early days of teaching. The exhibition center tells the "story" of teaching from its beginnings to the present and a look to the future. Nominate an outstanding teacher!
http://www.nthf.org/index.htm
Nicodemus Historical Site - Nicodemus
Nicodemus was named for a legendary figure who came to America on a slave ship and later purchased his freedom. The town symbolizes the pioneering spirit of African Americans who dared to leave the war-torn south to experience freedom and self government. It is the only western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-Nicodemus.html
Old Cowtown Museum - Wichita
Located on 25 acres off the Chisholm Trail, Old Cowtown Museum is a unique, open-air living history museum which re-creates Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas from 1865 to 1880.
http://oldcowtown.org/
Old Shawnee Town - Shawnee
Old Shawnee Town contains a combination of original historic structures and replicas of buildings from the late 1800s to early 1900s, including the first structure, the 1843 territorial jail and the Trading Post, which serves as the main entrance and houses traveling historical exhibits.
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/ShawneeTown/shawneetown.htm
Pawnee Indian Village - Republic
As many as 2,000 Pawnees lived in this village of more than 40 lodges. The museum enclosed the excavated floor of one of the largest lodges, with the remains of other houses dotting the grounds. Imagine what life could have been as you explore the earth lodges and objects that were left behind.
http://www.nckcn.com/homepage/republic_co/pawnee.htm
http://www.kshs.org/places/pawneeindian/
Pawnee Rock - Pawnee Rock
For travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, this sandstone citadel, Pawnee Rock, was one of the most prominent landmarks on their long journey.
http://www.kshs.org/places/pawneerock/index.htm
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge - Stafford
The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge lies in a transition zone between the eastern and western prairies. Quivira is a quiet, almost-never-see-a-human experience enjoyed by naturalists, photographers and wildlife lovers.
http://www.lasr.net/pages/park.php?Park_ID=KS02sp002
http://www.cheyennebottoms.net/about_quivira.html
Rock City - Minneapolis
The rocks at Rock City are huge sandstone concretions. In an area about the size of two football fields, 200 rocks, some as large as houses, dot the landscape. There is no other place in the world where there are so many concretions of such giant size.
http://www.minneapolisksorg.org/untitled3.html
Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center - Salina
Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure is a wildlife encounter that includes a rare white rhino, four massive polar bears and a giant walrus. It is both a world-class zoo with over 300 animals and an immersive museum with seven world regions from the tropical rainforest to the polar regions. Rolling Hills is open year round and located just west of Salina on I-70.
http://www.rollinghillswildlife.com/
Sandsage Bison Range and Wildlife Area - Garden City
Formerly known as the Finney Game Refuge, the 3,670-acre bison range is home to the oldest publicly-owned bison herd in Kansas.
http://www.naturalkansas.org/sandsage.htm
http://www.fosbr.com/index.htm
Santa Fe Trail - Council Grove
For many years Council Grove was the only trading post between Independence, Missouri, and Santa Fe, New Mexico along the Santa Fe Trail. The rendezvous of westward bound travelers and traders who were crossing the plains, the region from Council Grove to Santa Fe was the most hazardous part of the trail.
http://www.ku.edu/heritage/trails/sfthist.html
http://www.stjohnks.net/santafetrail/flint/cgtimeline.html
Sternberg Museum of Natural History - Hays
The Sternberg Museum 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.
http://www.kansastravel.org/sternbergmuseum.htm
Twin Peaks - Medicine Lodge, Barber County
Take a guided tour of the Gypsum Hills, once roamed by Native Americans, as you view area legends such as the 1,785 feet tall Twin Peaks and Flower Pot Mountain.
http://www.medicinelodge.com/tourism.html
U.S. Cavalry Museum - Fort Riley
The building that houses the Museum was once the headquarters used by General George Armstrong Custer. It chronicles the colorful history of the American Mounted Horse Soldier from the Revolutionary War to 1950.
http://www.uscavalry.org
William Allen White House - Emporia
Visit the showplace home of William Allen White, nationally known newspaperman and author. From the 1890s through World War II, White influenced state and national politics through his writings from the heartland town of Emporia.
http://www.kshs.org/places/white
William Inge Collection - Independence
The boyhood home of William Inge, the playwright whose works include "Bus Stop" and "Picnic," is located at 514 N. 4th Street. The William Inge Collection began in 1965 with the gathering of press clippings, memorabilia and books.
http://www.ingefestival.org/ingecollection.htm
http://www.indkschamber.org/things_to_do_in_independence.htm
World's Largest Atomic Cannon - Junction City
The cannon was designed to provide heavy fire support to the field army and also to project nuclear rounds with great accuracy on the battlefield. It was in service from 1952-1963.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/KSJUNatomic.html
World's Largest Ball of Twine - Cawker City
Frank Stoeber started this ball of twine on his farm in 1953. By 1957 it weighed 5,000 pounds, stood 8 feet high and had 1,175,180 feet of twine on it. Stoeber gave the ball to Cawker City in 1961 before his death in 1974. Today it weighs almost 9 tons.
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/towns/Cawker/twine.html
World's Largest Hand-Dug Well - Greensburg
The story of the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well began in the 1880s when both the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroads were laying tracks across the plains of Kansas. A large supply of water was needed for the steam locomotives and for the people of the area. The only dependable source of water was from a well.
http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html
World's Largest Easel - Goodland
Driving to Goodland on I-70, you can't miss the Van Gogh Sunflower Project. This 24x32 foot painting is displayed on an 80-foot high easel.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/KSGOOeasel.html
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