The executive and legislative departments of government for the U.S. state of Kansas are housed at the Kansas State Capitol, also referred to as the Kansas Statehouse. The second structure to serve as the Kansas Capitol is situated in Topeka, which has been the state's capital since the territory was became a state in 1861.

The Capitol's paintings, sculptures, and regular events are always fascinating, but the free Dome Tour offers a genuinely exceptional experience. Visitors who can physically climb the 296 steps may see the dome up close and get a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of Topeka from the top by doing so.

Take a tour of the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka to brush up on your state history. In the center of downtown, the roughly 20-acre capitol complex is regarded as a treasure by those who love architecture. After the first stone was laid in 1866, it took 37 years to finish the structure in the French Renaissance style.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Location: SW 8th &, SW Van Buren St, Topeka, KS 66612, US
Phone: +1 785-296-3966
Website: https://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-state-capitol-plan-your-visit/18649

The Watkins National Bank, which first opened its doors in 1888, later became the Watkins Museum of History. After restorations, it was donated to the city in 1970 and reopened as a museum. The museum, which has a long history, aims to preserve Lawrence's heritage and educate the next generation about the battle the city experienced before becoming a state.

The Sacramento Cannon, Eldridge Chair, and Naismith's Desk are notable items. The Watkins Museum of History assists families in locating and getting the specifics of their family trees as part of an ongoing genealogical project. Lawrence was crucial to the events of Bleeding Kansas, which led to the Wakarusa War and Lawrence's sacking.

Despite being pillaged and destroyed repeatedly throughout its history, the anti-slavery residents' tenacity allowed them to eventually reconstruct the city and overthrow the Confederate troops. Visitors find Lawrence to be a fascinating town because of its turbulent past and the variety of ways they may learn about and experience it. Today, it is regarded as a sleepy college town situated between Topeka and Overland Park that is proud to be a Jayhawk.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Location: 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, US
Phone: +1 785-841-4109
Website: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve aims to preserve the last 4% of the natural tallgrass plains that once covered America. This preserve, which is situated outside of Strong City, has miles of hiking paths. It is one of the Best Places To Visit in Kansas. The park is also home to a few historic structures, including the Limestone Barn and the 19th-century Spring Hill Ranch House.

A major lure is the flora and wildlife, and in the spring, the prairies burst into bloom with vibrant flowers. In an effort to return bison to this natural environment, a herd has been wandering the park since 2009. Three shorter nature pathways provide guests the chance to see the tallgrass prairie firsthand while yet being near to visitor services.

Dogs are welcome on these trails, but you can show respect to other trail users' enjoyment by keeping your dog on a visible, 6' leash at all times, and by cleaning up after it. Enjoy your hike by adhering to these crucial safety precautions. The trails can be hiked without a permit. No camping; all trails open continuously.

Google rating: 4.8/5.0
Location: 2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869, US
Phone: +1 620-273-8494
Website: https://www.nature.org/

A noteworthy and historically significant attraction may be found in the little city of Abilene in central Kansas. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum and Eisenhower's childhood house are both close to the Eisenhower Presidential Library, which is situated in Abilene.

A premier research institution, the Eisenhower Presidential Library is home to millions of books, images, and artifacts. Eisenhower's biography, his administration, and Kansas history are all major themes of the frequently-changing exhibits. Free entry is offered to the Visitor Center, Place of Meditation (gravesite), and Archives. Adult entrance to the museum, which includes a tour of the Boyhood Home, costs $20.

Except for New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the complex is open every day. The Kansas Legislature stepped in to fill the gap left by the foundation's fundraising restrictions in 1954 by establishing a separate "Eisenhower Presidential Library Commission," and over the next five years enough money was secured to start building. On October 13, 1959, President Eisenhower once more was present as the ground was broken.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Location: 200 S E 4th St, Abilene, KS 67410, US
Phone: +1 785-263-6700
Website: https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/

In Dodge City, Kansas, there is a history museum called Boot Hill Museum. The museum, a non-profit organization, was founded with the purpose of preserving the history of the Old West, with a focus on Dodge City. The complex has more than 20,000 items, including more than 200 authentic weapons.

The museum's historical and educational focus is complemented by entertainment for visitors in the form of saloon shows and mock gunfights. The event includes several live acts, including action-packed gunfights, can-can dances, and reenactments. The Boot Hill Cemetery, which is located in the northeastern part of the museum complex, inspired the naming of the institution.

Cemeteries in the American West that were used to bury gunslingers were sometimes referred to as "Boot Hill." During a Bull Fry and Bash event at the museum in July 2010, a flash fire severely burnt a local resident. As a precaution after this incident, new fryers were bought.

Google rating: 4.6/5.0
Location: 500 W Wyatt Earp Blvd, Dodge City, KS 67801, US
Phone: +1 620-227-8188
Website: https://www.boothill.org/

Through the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, the Birger Sandzén Memorial Foundation seeks to further the cultural life of Kansas and the country while ensuring the preservation and promotion of the works of art created by Birger Sandzén and his contemporaries. The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery may be found in Lindsborg at 410 North First Street.

The gallery is available to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday and significant holidays are excluded. He created the majority of his works while living and working in the US, teaching art at Bethany College in Lindsborg. Many landscape scenes, such as those of the American Old West, the Rockies, and Yellowstone National Park, were painted by Sandzén. You may find Birger Sandzén on the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway.

Follow along the footsteps of Native Americans, explorers, and pioneers as they looked for food, shelter, adventure, and a better life as you drive along the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway. Cowboys moved cattle along the Chisholm Trail in the 19th century, early traders used the neighboring Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico, and vast herds of bison formerly roamed the region. Today, you may stop along the journey at quaint villages, unique stores, and world-class art experiences.

Google rating: 4.9/5.0
Location: 401 N 1st St, Lindsborg, KS 67456, US
Phone: +1 785-227-2220
Website: https://www.visitlindsborg.com/birger-sandzen-memorial-art-gallery

A STEM teaching facility and space museum called Cosmosphere is located near Hutchinson, Kansas, in the United States. The Kansas Cosmosphere was its former name. The museum includes more than 13,000 space flight objects, making it the greatest collection of US and Russian space flight artifacts in the whole world. It is also the setting for several highly respected teaching initiatives. Cosmosphere is one of the Best Places To Visit in Kansas.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, sometimes referred to as the Cosmosphere, is situated near Hutchinson. This museum, which is the second largest on the world in terms of square footage, is jam-packed with intriguing activities and exhibits. You may see movies about space travel on a two-story dome screen in the Carey Digital Dome Theater.

Additionally, you may see a performance of Dr. Goddard's Lab, which transports spectators back to the 1930s and the early days of rocketry. You may even view and touch actual spacecraft in the Cosmosphere's Hall of Space Museum, which houses the world's biggest collection of Russian and American space relics.

Google rating: 4.8/5.0
Location: 1100 N Plum St, Hutchinson, KS 67501, US
Phone: +1 800-397-0330
Website: https://cosmo.org/

In Gove County, Kansas, a group of sizable chalk formations known as Monument Rocks (sometimes known as Chalk Pyramids) are teeming with fossils. The US Department of the Interior designated the formations as Kansas's first National Natural Landmark. The buttes, arches, and other forms found in the chalk formations may reach heights of up to 70 feet (21 meters).

The Western Interior Seaway, which at the time divided North America's continent into two landmasses, was the location of the carbonate deposits that were formed during the Cretaceous Period. It is thought that they developed 80 million years ago. Over millions of years, the silt piled to a height of several hundred feet at a rate of around 0.036 mm, or 0.0014 inches, every year.

Later, it was crushed into rock and buried beneath newer sediment layers until being finally revealed at the surface by erosion. The thick chalk beds began to thin as a result of more erosion. However, the Monument Rocks remains were saved because the harder beds on top, which had likely been bonded by a dissolved mineral "glue," protected the softer strata below.

Google rating: 4.8/5.0

Location: Scott City, Kansas 67871, US
Phone: +1 785-458-9352

Website: http://www.kansastravel.org/monumentrocks.htm

Each adult had to pay $9 to enter. There was a ton of memorabilia on exhibit, including things from several The Wizard of Oz versions. This is also one of the Best Places To Visit in Kansas. The staff was really nice and polite. There is a ton of memorabilia in excellent shape as well as a ton of interesting trivia about the books, author, and cast as well as the movie they were in.

They also set aside places for the musical "Wicked" and other adaptations. There were plenty excellent photo opportunities. If you're a fan of Oz, you won't be let down! The little city of Wamego is located along the banks of the Kansas River. But despite its diminutive size, Wamego is home to one of the state's most intriguing attractions.

The Oz Museum, a museum devoted to all things Wizard of Oz, is located in Wamego. You may see the original books, contemporary items, and movie artifacts in the collection. The original silent films, which may be viewed on-site, and ruby slippers adorned in tens of thousands of Swarovski crystals are two of the most interesting and unexpected relics!

Google rating: 4.6/5.0
Location: 511 Lincoln Ave, Wamego, KS 66547, US
Phone: +1 785-458-8686
Website: https://ozmuseum.com/

The United States National Park Service is in charge of the historical site Fort Scott National Historic Site in Bourbon County, Kansas. The fort, which was built in the middle of the 19th century and was named after General Winfield Scott, a hero of the Mexican-American War, provided a military base for US Army operations in an area that was only beginning to see development in 1850.

During the colonization of the West, which included Bleeding Kansas and the American Civil War, it was utilized as a supply depot and to maintain security in unrest-prone areas for the following 25 years. Twenty historic buildings, a parade field, and five acres (20,000 m2) of restored tallgrass prairie are all protected under the current national historic site, which is located inside Fort Scott.

Most days of the year, it is accessible to the public. Today, a guided tour is the best way to experience the Fort Scott National Historic Site. 30 furnished rooms are located in 11 historically realistic buildings that you may explore for a look into life more than 150 years ago.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Location: 199 Old Fort Blvd, Fort Scott, KS 66701, US
Phone: +1 620-223-0310
Website: https://visitfortscott.com/see-and-do/fort-scott-national-historic-site/