Go West to discover all the great National Frontier Trails in the area, including the Lewis and Clark, Oregon, Pony Express and Santa Fe National Historic Trails. History comes alive here… combined with big-city variety and small town hospitality for a vacation that will last a lifetime of memories.
Kansas City, KS is home to Schlitterbahn Warerpark Kansas City, Kansas Speedway, Sporting KC and an array of exciting attractions, unique-themed restaurants and shopping experiences. The Village West area boasts 400 acres of shopping. Find big bargains at Legends Outlets Kansas City, Cabela’s and Nebraska Furniture Mart. History comes alive at the Quindaro Overlook, Old Quindaro Museum, John Brown Statue and the Underground Railroad Museum. All are a part of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.
Shawnee Town helps visitors re-live life on the farm in the old days while the Wonderscope Children’s Museum opens young minds to the future.
Western history comes alive at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site in Olathe. Ride in a stagecoach and see a working 19th century farm complete with crops, livestock and fun.
Take a stroll through the beautiful Museum at Prairiefire, the only location outside of New York to host American Museum of Natural History exhibitions. Get an adrenaline rush at iFly! Their 120 MPH wind tunnel allows to you experience free-fall conditions as you skydive indoors. Explore Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens or the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art for a more cultural experience. Overland Park’s charming downtown is home to eclectic shops and local restaurants… all just 20 minutes from Kansas City, Missouri.
Lawrence invites visitors to stroll, dine, and shop in its scenic downtown area. Attractions include the exhibits and documents at the Dole Institute of Politics, the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, the University of Kansas’ Natural History Museum, the Lawrence Art Center, and the Lied Performing Arts Center as well as the Watkins Community Museum of History.
Topeka also features Old Prairie Town, the Great Overland Stage Museum and the Combat Air Museum. Popular Topeka destinations also include the historic Ritchie House, the Topeka Zoological Park, the priceless Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows at First Presbyterian Church and the Ted Ensley gardens.
Historic downtown Manhattan features the Flint Hills Discovery Center with fascinating interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. The Riley County Historical Museum showcases the area’s pioneer heritage. The Konza Prairie Biological Station features buffalo in their native prairieland. Walk on “the wild side” at the Sunset Zoo. The Wildwood Outdoor Adventure Park offers 7 thrilling zip-lines. Tuttle Creek Lake provides great outdoor adventures and is located 5 miles north of Manhattan on US Highway 24.
A bronze statue of a hard-riding Pony Express rider, plus life-style interactive murals and barn-quilt blocks depicting the Pony Express, all located in the Marysville Park. The original Pony Express Station No. 1, Barn and Museum plus the Korster House Museum and the 11-mile Marshall County Connection are all popular visitor destinations as well as the Hollenberg Pony Express Station northwest of Marysville on the Little Blue River.
Over 100 vintage cars, trucks, and tractors are on display at Herrs Memory Lane, and Pony Express and Oregon Trail rooms are featured at the County Historical Museum.
Abilene was the epicenter of Texas Cattle Drive Days in the 1870’s. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home by sharp contrast remembers the General who led Allied Forces in Europe during World War II. Abilene’s popularity as an Old West Cowtown is enhanced by the Dickinson County Heritage Center, the C.W. Parker Carousel, and the Abilene Smoky Valley Excursion Train.
The Smoky Hill Museum chronicles the history of this region with both permanent and changing exhibitions. Don’t miss their children’s area – The Curiosity Shop – new in 2017! Sculpture Tour Salina is a downtown outdoor exhibition of artwork, on loan from across the country, which changes each May.
Home to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the 1886 Warkentin House, and the Harvey County Museum.
23 acres of structures, streets and stories make up Old Cow-town Museum, bringing to life the wild and wooly days when Wichita hosted Texas cowboys coming up the Chisholm Trail. The Mid America Indian Center, the Great Plains Nature Center, and the Sedgewick County Zoo are three prime examples of all the great things to see and do in Wichita.
Visitors can tour nearby Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Red Rocks Historic Site and the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to John Redmond Reservoir north and south of Emporia for outstanding examples of the bounty and beauty of the Great Plains.
For more information, go to: VisitKansasCityKS.com / SalinaKansas.org / Manhattancvb.org / FreedomsFrontier.org / TravelKS.com
For other Lewis and Clark Trail adventures in the area, go to: www.LCGreatRivers.org