Places to Visit in Kansas

1. Wichita

Wichita ticks all the boxes for anyone looking for an action-packed city getaway destination with attractions to suit all ages. To make things easy for culture-vultures, five of the city’s 33 museums are situated along the banks of the Arkansas River.

Here you can visit Exploration Place, Old Cowtown Museum, and the impressive Wichita Art Museum.

Garden lovers should not miss Botanica (also along the river), which comprises over 18 acres of themed landscaped gardens, while art enthusiasts should time their visit for the final Friday of the month, when art museums and galleries offer free admissions. Shopaholics can head to the historic Delano District for specialty stores or the two large malls at Towne East Square and Towne West Square.

2. Lawrence

Lawrence is waiting to welcome visitors with warm Midwestern hospitality, plenty of attractions, and some great restaurants. You can learn all about the city’s pioneering history at the Watkins Museum of History, the Black Jack Battlefield Park, and the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area in downtown.

While you are downtown, you can visit the Lawrence Art Center, which hosts regular exhibitions and is home to the Black Box Theater, where you can watch live musical and theatrical productions.

Outdoor enthusiasts can visit the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center, the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center, and Clinton State Park, where you can go boating, water-skiing, camping, hiking, and picnicking.

3. Topeka

Kansas’ state capital Topeka is a vibrant city just about bursting at the seams with attractions for everyone. You can kick-start your visit at the impressive Kansas Statehouse, which features a very beautiful cupola, before walking in the footsteps of the prairie pioneers at Old Prairie Town on the Ward-Meade Historic Site – you can visit the peaceful Ward-Meade Botanical Garden while you are there.

Motor racing enthusiasts head to Yesterday’s Motorbike Museum and the Evel Knievel Museum (opening 2017) at Topeka Harley-Davidson or watch drag racing at Heartland Park Topeka.

Children can have fun riding the 1908 vintage carousel and the mini-train at Gage Park and get hands-on at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. There are plenty of wide-open green spaces where you can go hiking, biking, and nature-watching.

4. Dodge City

If you fancy a taste of the real Wild West, you need to put Dodge City on your vacation wish-list. Here you can watch the thrilling Dodge City Rodeo or get transported back to the 1800s on Main Street in the Boot Hill Museum – if you visit during the summer, you have a good chance of watching a gun fight and seeing some can-can girls in action.

You can get a great overview of Dodge City on the Historic Trolley Tour or do a self-guided walking tour.

The United Wireless Arena hosts regular world-class entertainment and art lovers can visit the Carnegie Arts Center and the Depot Theatre Company.

Outdoor activities include playing golf at the Mariah Hills Golf course or visiting Long Branch Lagoon Aquatics Park and Dodge City Zoo.

5. Cottonwood Falls

Cottonwood Falls is small Kansas town located in the Great Plains in the scenic Flint Hills on the banks of the Cottonwood River. For millennia, the area was a home to nomadic Native Americans until, in the 16th century, it was claimed by the Kingdom of France.

In 1762 France ceded it to Spain, then Spain gave it back to France until the United States bought it from France and it became a part of the Kansas Territory.

Today’s Cottonwood Falls has a charming, peaceful downtown dominated by the beautifully restored Chase County courthouse, built in 1873 in the French Renaissance style.

The Flint Hills are home to one of the country’s last large tracts of tallgrass prairie, which once covered the entire Great Plains.

The prairie is protected within the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

The best place to learn about the town’s history is the Chase County Historical Museum.

The Flint Hills Gallery features the works of Judith Mackey, the renowned painter of the Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie.

6. Manhattan

Manhattan offers visitors a great mix of historical, cultural, culinary, and outdoor activities to fill every moment of your visit. Learn about the city’s history as you tour the Riley Country Historical Museum, Goodnow House Museum, and Wolf House Museum.

The whole family will enjoy a visit to the interactive Flint Hills Discovery Center, Sunset Zoo, and the Lazy T Ranch, which features hayrides and chuck-wagon suppers.

If you are longing to get out into the wide-open prairie, you can head to Tuttle Creek Lake for boating and hiking or go for a walk through the K-State Botanical Gardens.

You can visit the Liquid Art Winery, go zip-lining at the Wildwood Outdoor Adventure Park, or try out one of the city’s four golf courses.

7. Salina, Kansas

Salina is widely known as an artistic hub and is home to a thriving arts community where you can enjoy a variety of museums, concerts, and live theatre performances all year round.

The highlight for art lovers is the First Friday Live Art Walk in Oldtown Salinas, when galleries and studios stay open late to enchant visitors.

However, if you miss First Friday, you can still enjoy public art installations, the Salina Art Center, and the Salina Sculpture Walk in spring.

Outdoor enthusiasts will be pleased to discover over 700 acres of green space offering excellent opportunities for fishing, swimming, hiking, and biking.

Family-friendly attractions include the wonderful Rolling Hills Zoo and the Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park.

8. Olathe

Olathe (meaning “beautiful” in the Shawnee Indian language) is situated just 20 miles southwest of Kansas City and can be reached along the historic Oregon-California and Santé Fe Trails, which were once utilized by wagon trains and stagecoaches.

You can learn a bit about the history of the city by visiting the Ensor Park and Museum and the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, which once provided a welcome watering-hole for up to 600 wagons each week.

Art enthusiasts can take a walking tour of the Downtown Outdoor Sculpture Exhibits, while outdoor enthusiasts will find a great selection of parks and green spaces where you can enjoy walking, hiking, running, and biking.

All the museums and cultural attractions of Kansas City are just at your doorstep.

9. Hutchinson, Kansas

Hutchinson has been home to salt mines since the late 1800s and one of the city’s prime attractions is Strataca, where you can take a trip deep below the surface of the Earth to get a glimpse of the working conditions in a real salt mine.

Once you have learnt all about salt mining, it’s time to visit Cosmosphere, a fascinating museum dedicated to tracking America’s Space Program, past and present. For a complete chance of pace, you can go walking, hiking, or fishing in the Dillon Nature Center, visit the Yoder Amish Community for a horse and buggy ride (don’t miss the farmers market every Friday), or take the kids to the Hutchinson Zoo.