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Topeka has served as the capital of Kansas since the territory became a state in 1861. Construction started on the French Renaissance-style state capitol building in 1866, and took 37 years to complete!
One of Wichita's most popular visitor attractions—and certainly its most fragrant—is Botanica, a horticultural wonderland of flowers, plants, and blooms set in 30 themed gardens. Open year round, Botanica highlights include the Shakespeare Garden, the sensory garden, and the Koi pond pavilions.
This is one of the few capitols in the United States that continues to offer tours that go to the top of the dome. But here's the catch: you'll need to climb all 296 steps leading from the fifth floor to enjoy the experience.
Though born in Texas, legendary military officer and 34th president of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) was raised in Kansas, at Abilene. His boyhood home now serves as a museum and presidential library. It's also his final resting place.
Among the over 3,000 animals of nearly 400 species resident at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita are several lions, suitably housed in the Pride of the Plains enclosure. The Downing Gorilla Forest and Penguin Cove are also visitor favorites.
Blanketing the Flint Hills region of Kansas is the stunning Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. This is one of the few places left in the United States where you can find a tall grass ecosystem. This is what the American West once looked like, a vast unspoiled expanse of tallgrass prairie plant bereft of cultivated farmland.
The tallgrass prairies of old once teemed with hundreds of thousands of bison. Those numbers were severely depleted in the 1800s when the species was hunted almost to extinction. Fortunately, the preserve is home to the growing Tallgrass Prairie bison herd, introduced to the area in 2009.
Standing alone in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is Lower Fox Creek School. This one-room schoolhouse dates back to the late 1800s, when buildings of this type were common in rural Kansas.
Used as a classroom until 1930, the school's interior reflects the sparse but functional facilities. Note the photograph of Abraham Lincoln on the wall. The diminutive educational facility has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
Founded in 1872, Dodge City is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. You get an idea of what the place once looked like in its gun-totin' days by visiting Boot Hill Historical Museum. Here, buildings have been reconstructed exactly as they would have looked in Wyatt Earp's day, right down to the authentic general store, saloon, and the jail.
Topeka is the unlikely location of a museum dedicated to one of the world's greatest motorcycle stuntmen. Set within the city's Harley-Davidson store, the museum preserves an impressive collection of Evel Knievel-related artifacts and memorabilia. And if you have ever wanted to be like the daredevil, you can try the 4D jump experience (pictured) or the Broken Bones interactive display.
Lawrence, a city in northeast Kansas, is home to the Spencer Museum of Art, part of the University of Kansas. An outstanding collection of art in all forms of media is displayed here, including 'Pia de Tolomei' painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti around 1868. Rossetti cofounded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848, and 'Pia de Tolomei' serves as a fine example of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Image: Spencer Museum of Art
Featured within the facility are all sorts of exhibits centered on nature, wildlife, inventions, and pop culture. The Immersive Theater Experience takes guests on a thrilling journey through the Flint Hills, known for their abundance of flint residue littering the surface. Image: John P Salvatore
Manhattan in Kansas is affectionately known as "The Little Apple" in deference to New York City's "Big Apple" moniker. Best known for its university, Manhattan is also where you'll find Flint Hills Discovery Center, a heritage and science facility that offer visitors one of the best interactive experiences in the state.
In fact, the more you explore Kansas outdoors the more you'll be surprised by the state's diverse environment. Monument Rocks, also called the Chalk Pyramids, are believed to have been formed 80 million years ago and deserve their status as a National Natural Landmark. Check it out just south of Oakley.
Fort Larned National Historic Site preserves Fort Larned, which operated from 1859 to 1878. Originally called the Camp on Pawnee Fork, later renamed Camp Alert, Fort Larned's prime purpose was to protect a nearby mail station set on the Santa Fe Trail. Image: National Park Service Digital Image Archives
Fans of motorsport can converge on the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, a spectacular motorsports venue that hosts more than 200 events annually, including NASCAR touring series races.
Anyone interested in Native American culture will be richly rewarded at Wichita's Mid-America All-Indian Center. The land in the area is historically sacred to America's indigenous peoples, and the museum is dedicated to educating people about and preserving Native American heritage. Nearby is the famous Keeper of the Plains statue (pictured) at Keeper Plaza. The statue is very often illuminated at night by fire pits to create a spectacle known as the Ring of Fire.
Prehistory is very much the theme at the Museum of World Treasures in Wichita. This is where you can gaze goggle-eyed at Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tylosaurus dinosaur displays, and fossils of ancient creatures like the predatory Xiphactinus (pictured). On other floors, look for the Egyptian mummies and the rare set of Roman coins.
Mentioned earlier as the nickname of Wild West-era Wichita, Cowtown has been recreated as an open-air history museum where 54 historic and recreated buildings, including a period farm and outbuildings, stand as a reminder of Old West veneer. The Darius Sales Munger House (pictured) was built in 1868 and is one of the original structures preserved for posterity.
Overlooking the Arkansas River, Exploration Place is another fascinating Wichita museum, this one all about science. Its Digital Dome Theater is the largest of its kind in Kansas.
This handsome portrait called 'Mr. James Otis' was painted by New England artist John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) in 1760. It's just one of the treasures that can be admired at the excellent Wichita Art Museum.
Did you know that the oldest purpose-built cinema in operation in the world is situated in Ottawa, a city in Franklin County? The honor is confirmed by Guinness World Records. The premises also houses an engaging movie memorabilia museum.
Pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart (1897–disappeared July 2, 1937) was born in Atchison in a house that is now a historic building and museum.
Ornithologists from across the country flock to Cheyenne Bottoms for the birdlife that congregates at the largest wetland interior in the United States. The habitat is a critical stopping point on the Central Flyway (Great Plains migration route) for millions of birds that migrate through the region annually.
Kansas is famous as the backdrop for the American movie classic 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939). Dorothy Gale, the character portrayed in the film by Judy Garland, has family connections to the state, a fact celebrated by the wonderful Oz Museum in Wamego. Here you'll find thousands of Oz-related artifacts and collectibles. And hey, you can even follow a yellow brick road!
Why is Kansas nicknamed the "Sunflower State"? Well, mostly because of the weather, which is ideal for cultivating this golden bloom. In fact, sunflowers are found in every county in the state. No wonder it's the official state flower of Kansas and appears on the state flag.
Sources: (The Nature Conservancy) (Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks) (Boxoffice Pro)
See also: The surprising history behind every state nickname
Mushroom Rock State Park in the Smoky Hills is so named for the weird mushroom-shaped sandstone rock formations carved by erosion over thousands of years. The largest rock (pictured) once served as a meeting place for pioneers and Native Americans.
The largest city in Kansas, Wichita began as a trading post on the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s and was incorporated as a city 10 years later. Back then it was known as "Cowtown" for the numerous cattle drives that ended up here after traveling north from Texas.
Kansas, in the Midwestern United States, is carpeted by the Great Plains, a broad expanse of flatland characterized by endless fields of wheat and corn. Rooted in agriculture, the "Sunshine State" is also famed for its Old West heritage, with historical destinations like Dodge City and Fort Larned forever associated with the frontier town image of the 1800s. Meanwhile, modern-day Kansas offers visitors a wealth of engaging museums and art galleries, a hot-wheelin' NASCAR sportscar venue, and the largest wetland interior in the country.
Interest piqued? Then click through and find out what you can do in Kansas.
The most rewarding time to explore this historic US Army outpost is during a reenactment and one of the scheduled living history events, such as the one pictured here. Image: National Park Service Digital Image Archives
Here's what you can do in Kansas
Take a journey through the "Sunshine State" of the Midwest
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Kansas, in the Midwestern United States, is carpeted by the Great Plains, a broad expanse of flatland characterized by endless fields of wheat and corn. Rooted in agriculture, the "Sunshine State" is also famed for its Old West heritage, with historical destinations like Dodge City and Fort Larned forever associated with the frontier town image of the 1800s. Meanwhile, modern-day Kansas offers visitors a wealth of engaging museums and art galleries, a hot-wheelin' NASCAR sportscar venue, and the largest wetland interior in the country.
Interest piqued? Then click through and find out what you can do in Kansas.