Kansas officially joined the Union on January 29, 1861. Celebrate Kansas Day by checking out some of these unique places to visit in the state!
Lindsborg, Kansas
Known as Little Sweden, the small prairie town of Lindsborg fully embraces its heritage. Here, you’ll find a whole herd of Dala horses, Swedish food, and traditional festivals. (For ideas of things to do in Lindsborg, check out this blog post.)
Salt Mines in Hutchinson, KS
Head deep below ground into old salt mines. (While you’re in the area, check out the Cosmosphere—which celebrates humans’ ventures into space.)
Unique landscapes
Kansas isn’t all flat prairie. Monument Rocks contains towering chalk formations reaching over 70 feet high. Rock City features nearly spherical boulders. And Mushroom Rock State Park offers rock formations that, as its name suggests, resemble giant mushrooms sprouting from the ground.
Center of everything
The tiny town of Lebanon claims to be the geographic center of the contiguous US and marks the location with a tiny chapel for reflection. Of greater interest to Neil Gaiman fans, however, is the location’s appearance in American Gods where it was designated as neutral territory between the Old and New Gods…and the location where Wednesday’s body was exchanged between them.
Wizard of Oz
One of the first things that comes to mind for many people when they think of Kansas is the Wizard of Oz. Wamego, Kansas hosts the state’s Oz Museum. While Sedan has paved their city walkways with yellow bricks in homage to the famous Yellow Brick Road. (Sedan, Kansas is also home to a great out of the way coffeeshop!)
Famous Kansans
Trace the history of famous Kansans. You can visit Amelia Earhart’s childhood home in Atchison. Or Eisenhower’s childhood home at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. Visit the church built by famed abolitionist preacher Rev. Beecher. Or the place where the outlaw Dalton gang was killed. Or a museum dedicated to world famous circus clown Emmett Kelly.
Big Things
Though the World’s Largest Ball of Twine is probably the most famous. Kansas is home to other oversized items as well. Including a Van Gogh painting, Czech Egg, and Big Brutus—the largest electric shovel in the world.
Barbed Wire
Barbed wire seems like a strange thing to dedicate a museum to, but it was revolutionary in turning the open plains into grazing for livestock. The Barbwire Museum in LaCrosse, Kansas, highlights the development of the wire and how it changed the landscape.
