For any visitor to Kansas, there is no end of things to keep you occupied during your stay. With great attractions, a wealth of history and heritage, stunning natural sights and lots more to enjoy, this will be the perfect vacation for all who visit.
If you want natural beauty then here you can take a trip to the "Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve" in Strong City or perhaps visit the grazing bison in the "Finney Game Refuge" in Garden City. You can also head out to the "Quivira National Wildlife Refuge" in Great Bend to see the vast range of birds it is home to. There are plenty of attractions here too with places like the "Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center" in Hutchinson with its huge collection of artifacts from space. Or maybe Dodge City is more your kind of thing where you can enjoy the "Boot Hill Museum" and bring back the Old West days.
For the family there is the Wichita's Exploration Place or even the "Rolling Hills Zoo" in Salina with its many endangered or rare animals. For a more historic look at Kansas there is the "Eisenhower Center" in Abilene which boasts one of the large presidential libraries in the state or you could visit one of the great historic sites like "Fort Larned" or "Fort Scot". Then there are the Buffalo Soldier memorials in Leavenworth and Junction City where our African-American heritage can be visited.
A vacation to Kansas is an amazing journey with more than enough to keep everyone happy and no matter where you are heading in the state there will be something to make your trip one to remember.
In northeast Kansas on the west bank of the Missouri River, is the oldest city in the state, Leavenworth. The city is located south of Fort Leavenworth, the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi. Most recent interest in Leavenworth is around what is below the city: an underground series of "vaults" thought to have been used for commerce, fugitives, or slavery. These are being opened to the public on a limited basis.
Topeka is the capital on Kansas, located in the northeast part of the state. Visitors to Topeka's Combat Air Museum can sit in the cockpit of a F11F Tiger flown by the Blue Angels. For a unique American heartland experience, try country line dancing at the Wild Horse Salon or visit Old Prairie Town, a replica of a pioneer village, located on the Oregon Trail. Gamblers have their choice of venues to test their luck: Golden Eagle Casino, Sac & Fox Casino, or the Prairie Band Casino & Resort.
Lawrence is southeast of Topeka, along the Kansas River. Once a pivotal stop on the Underground Railroad and the headquarters for some Abolitionist organizations, Lawrence continues its progressive tradition to this day as a cultural and social center of Kansas. This University of Kansas college town (complete with two microbreweries), attracts visitors to the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, a four-day-long weekend event held in early June at Clinton State Park. Visitors to Lawrence should see the Bowerstock Dam and the Douglas County Courthouse.
Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) is east of Topeka and part of the metropolitan area with Kansas City, Missouri. It is the third largest city in Kansas. Points of interest include Sauer Castle and the Rosedale Arch, a replica of Paris's Arc de Triomphe. KCKhosts some great motor races at the Kansas Speedway or the Lakeside Speedway. LC's BBQ is one of the most popular BBQ joints in Kansas.
Mission, a suburb of Kansas City, has is recognized for its efforts to promote community and environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse emissions and establishing a carbon-offset program. Mission's fresh natural spring water, enjoyed to this day, made it an important stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Mission Kansas is currently developing a world-class 2 million gallon aquarium.
Shawnee is west of Kansas City. An attraction that is interesting to adults as well as children, is the 1950's All-Electric House, a restored house-of-the-future, from the 1950's. You can also visit a small historic 19th century jail and an "Indian Cemetery."
Overland Park is an inviting community near of Kansas City with a well-educated population. It is consistently ranked among the best cities to live in and best places to raise children. It is the headquarters of Sprint-Nextel and Applebee's. Overland Park hosts the annual Corporate Woods Jazz Festival. There are a number of upscale stores, sporting, art, and entertainment venues.
Olathe is a commercial hub west of Overland Park, and the headquarters to Honeywell, Garmin, and Farmers Insurance Group. The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm is the last remaining stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail which is open to the public. Cowboy boots were first created in Olathe and make great souvenirs.
Marysville is in northeast Kansas, and is also known as "Black Squirrel City." There is an isolated population of all-black squirrels that are through to be decedents of escapees from a traveling circus. Visitors can see the original Pony Express station, downtown.
Lenexa is in the eastern part of the state, near Kansas City. Lenexa hosts "The Great Lenexa Barbecue Battle," each June. The Spinach Festival takes place in September.
About a mile northeast of Lenexa, Merriam is a suburb of Kansas City. Merriam is a destination for musicians, where they can have custom guitars created at Mechanical Art and classical string instruments at KC Strings.
Emporia is located between Topeka and Wichita. It was the site of the first Veterans Day observance in the United States, in 1953, and home to the All Veterans Memorial. Visitors should also see the Emporia Zoo and the Prairie Passage Stone Sculpture Garden. The Emporia Municipal Golf Course is great for a quick round.
Wichita is located on the Arkansas River in south central Kansas. Art lovers will enjoy the myriad of galleries and museums Wichita has to offer. Visitors can tour galleries and some museums for free the last Friday evening of each month, as part of the Final Friday Gallery crawl event. While Kansas is famous for the BBQ, several local restaurants expanded into nationwide chains. White Castle and Pizza Hut were founded here, and Wichita is also the home of the first Taco Tico, comedian Richard Christy's favorite restaurant.
Park City is a suburb of Wichita, and hosts the annual Bluegrass festival. Golfers will enjoy the Echo Hills Golf Course and race fans will like the 81 Speedway. Some visitors and ghost hunters are drawn to the darker side of Park City at 6220 North Independence; the location of the former home of the BTK Killer. The city has torn down the house.
Northwest of Wichita is Salina, Kansas. Steve Fossett completed a 67 hours around-the-world flight from and to Salina Airport to set a world-record and make Salina the home of the "Last Great Aviation Record." Visitors to this heartland town should go to Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, a top quality zoo and museum. In August, the Smoky Hills Vineyard & Winery hosts a murder mystery dinner. It sells out, so get your tickets in advance.
25 miles north of Wichita, is the city of Newton. Golfers visit Newton to play at the Sand Creek Station golf course, rated by Golf Digest as one of the best courses in the country. Tourists should check out the beautiful Blue Sky Sculpture in Centennial Park and stop by Newton Station, modeled after Shakespeare's house in Stratford-on-Avon.
Garden City is situated on the Arkansas River. The Lee Richardson Zoo is the most popular tourist attraction and offers free walking tours. With its diverse local population, Garden City has over sixty restaurants and around forty churches. The main downtown area is Southern Main St.
The city of Burlingame, "where rail meets the trail," is located near Topeka. This is where the Santa Fe Railroad crosses the Santa Fe Trail. The width of the brick main street, Santa Fe Avenue, was determined by the distance it would take for a team of oxen to make a U-turn.
Columbus is the host of the annual Columbus Day Festival & Hot Air Balloon Regatta. During the festival, visitors can take an historic tour on the Double Decker Trolley. Sportsmen will enjoy some of the best fishing in the state and clay-shooting at Claythorne Lodge.
Ogden is a small off-the-grid town, but there's action to be had at the Rock House Sports Bar & Grill- great burgers and wings!.
Every September, Hutchinson hosts the Kansas State Fair and is also the location of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center aerospace museum. Hutchinson's Prairie Dunes Country Club is ranked among the top golf courses in the USA. While not open to the public, parts of the Hutchinson salt mines are used as permanent archives for films including Star Wars, Gone with the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz.
In east-central Kansas, along the Marais des Cygnes Rivers is the city of Ottawa. Annual events include the Marais River Run Car Show, Old West Cowboy Days, and Power of the Past Antique Engine & Tractor Show. Two historic attractions, Dieterich Cabin and the Carnegie Cultural Center are located adjacent to downtown and City Park, a popular picnic spot.
Tourists to Greensburg can descend 109 ft to the bottom of the world's largest hand dug well. Greensburg suffered some damage from a 2007 tornado and the museum housing a 1,000-pound pallasite meteorite was destroyed. The meteorite is now being kept in Wichita and will eventually be returned. Greensburg is being transformed into an environmentally sustainable "green" town, which may be the subject of an upcoming Discovery channel reality show.
Hays is an ideal vacation family destination, as it has the charming feel of a small American town and also a variety of free or inexpensive tourist attractions. Once home to Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane, Hays is now home to dinosaur skeletons at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and miniature horses (the size of dogs) at the Blue Sky Miniature Horse Farm. Al's Chickenette, Vernies, The Pheasant Run and JD's Chicken are among the favorite local restaurant.
Colby, "The Oasis of the plains," has several prominent buildings located on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Romanesque style courthouse and the Art-Deco Colby City Hall, which has been used in the past as a prison, library, and firehouse. Another interesting place to visit is the Prairie Museum of Art and History, occupying a 24 acre site.
There are two water towers in Pratt; one painted with the work "Hot" and the other "Cold". This south-central city calls itself "tree town" because of the chainsaw-carved tree sculptures you'll see around town. Pratt is also the location of the Miss Kansas Pageant, held each year.
Along the Verdigris River, just south of its confluence with the Elk River, is the town of Independence. It hosts the annual Halloween "Neewollah" festival in late October. Independence is the setting of the book, Little House on the Prairie.
The Boyer Gallery, a folk art museum, is located in Belleville. The gallery has hand carved wooden sculptures built from scratch by Paul Boyer. Some of the pieces are animated with hand built mechanisms an motors, including airplanes and tractors. Bellville is a small town with less than 2,500 residents.
Ellsworth has a storied history as a busy Wild West cattle town. Famous gunslingers Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp spent some time here, and were involved with shootouts with drunken cowboys. Ellsworth is experiencing an historical cultural revival and there are plans in the works for the restoration of some historical buildings. Each year, Ellsworth has one of the only historically accurate cattle drives in the US, down Main Street.
Junction City has is growing significantly because of to the return of the 1st Infantry Division to nearby Fort Riley. Visitors can go horseback riding in Flint Hills, enjoy fishing and boating on Milford Lake, and race motorcycles and ATVs at the Milford Off-Road Vehicle Area.
Lansing is situated along the Missouri River in East Kansas, near Junction City. In 2007, it was ranked 88 in the top 100 of Money Magazine's list of best places to live. Locals and visitors alike enjoy dining at Downunder and The Overlook Restaurant.
Kansas is geographically in the center of the United States and is considered to be the "Heartland of America". This state has seen the growth of the nation as well as playing a pivotal role in the history of shaping it. There are more museums than even the most devoted history buff can handle, celebrating the state's Native American legacy, pioneer exploits, agricultural culture, and aviation innovations. The passing of time has reshaped Kansas into a focal point of business and art, but when you see a herd of bison along the highway or at one of the state's wildlife refuges you'll feel you stepped back in time to the wild west.
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