Below is a list of Kansas landmarks. This list includes various
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
s in the state of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
.
Homes
* The boyhood home of
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, the
Eisenhower Library, and his grave are located in
Abilene.
* The house of
Carrie Nation
Caroline Amelia Nation (November 25, 1846June 9, 1911), often referred to by Carrie, Carry Nation, Carrie A. Nation, or Hatchet Granny, was a radical member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition. Nat ...
, now a museum and tourist attraction site, is located in
Medicine Lodge.
* The boyhood home of General
Frederick Funston
Frederick Funston (November 9, 1865 – February 19, 1917), also known as Fighting Fred Funston, was a general in the United States Army, best known for his roles in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. He received ...
rmy soldieris located in
Iola.
Museums
* The
Evel Knievel Museum
The Evel Knievel Museum is a non-profit museum located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. The museum houses the largest collection of authentic Evel Knievel memorabilia in the world, including interactive experiences. It is and two stories. The mu ...
features a collection of Eval Knievals possessions, located in
Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Un ...
.
* The
John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
museum is located in
Osawatomie.
* Th
Oz Museum in
Wamego
Wamego is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,841.
History
Wamego was platted in 1866. It was named for a Potawatomi Native American chief.
The first post office in ...
, features a recreation of
Dorothy
Dorothy may refer to:
*Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name.
Arts and entertainment
Characters
*Dorothy Gale, protagonist of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum
* Ace (''Doctor Who'') or Dorothy, a character playe ...
's farm house from the 1939 musical film ''
The Wizard of Oz''.
* The
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
Cosmosphere is a space museum and STEM education center in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. It was previously known as the Kansas Cosmosphere. The museum houses over 13,000 spaceflight artifacts—the largest combined collection of US and R ...
, in
Hutchinson, is a museum that features the largest collection of artifacts from the Russian Space Program outside of Moscow. It is also home to
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...
, an
SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by the United States Air Force ...
, and many space artifacts.
* The
Kansas Museum of History, in
Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Un ...
, is the state museum.
* The
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...
museum in
Tribune
Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on the ...
.
* The
Boyer Gallery, a collection of animated sculptures made by Paul Boyer is located in
Belleville.
* The fifth largest collection of civilian and military aircraft in the United States is located at the
Mid-America Air Museum in
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
.
* The
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public university in Hays, Kansas. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with a total enrollment of approximately 15,100 students.
History
FHSU ...
[Sternberg Museum of Natural History](_blank)
in
Hays, features exhibits of several
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
s discovered by
Charles Hazelius Sternberg as well as various temporary exhibits.
Historical
* Abilene is the ending point of the
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cheroke ...
where the cattle driven from Texas were loaded onto rail cars.
* Constitution Hall in
Lecompton
Lecompton (pronounced ) is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 588. Lecompton was the ''de jure'' territorial capital of Kansas from 1855 to 1861, and the Douglas County seat f ...
is the building where the Kansas Territorial Government convened and drafted the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution of 1857.
* Constitution Hall in
Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Un ...
is the building where the Kansas Free State Government in the Kansas Territorial era convened and drafted the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution of 1855.
* The
Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in
De Soto De Soto commonly refers to
* Hernando de Soto (c. 1495 – 1542), Spanish explorer
* DeSoto (automobile), an American automobile brand from 1928 to 1961
De Soto, DeSoto, Desoto, or de Soto may also refer to:
Places in the United States of Ameri ...
opened in 1942 to manufacture gunpowder and munitions propellants for World War II. The closed plant sits on over 9000 acres (36 km²) of land which was made up of more than 100 farms.
* The
Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, often shortened to the Dole Institute, is a nonpartisan political institution located at the University of Kansas and founded by the former U.S. Senator from Kansas and 1996 Republican presidential cand ...
houses the largest collection of papers for a politician other than a president. The institute is located in
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
, on the campus of the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
.
* The
Boot Hill
Boot Hill, or Boothill, is the given name of many cemeteries, chiefly in the Western United States. During the 19th and early 20th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who " died with their boots on" (i.e ...
Museum in
Dodge City
Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town ...
features
Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
memorabilia and history.
* The Dalton Defenders Museum, located in
Coffeyville, commemorates the townspeople who died defending the town against the
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because four of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted double ...
, who unsuccessfully attempted to rob two Coffeyville banks simultaneously on October 5, 1892.
*
Concordia is home of the historic
Brown Grand Theatre and
Camp Concordia, a World War II Prisoner of war camp.
* The Debruce Center at the University of Kansas houses the original Rules of Basketball authored by James Naismith
Halls of Fame
*The
Greyhound Hall of Fame is located in Abilene.
* The
National Teachers Hall of FameThe National Teachers Hall of Fame
â€
. Retrieved on 13 April 2007. is located in Emporia.
* The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame
The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame is a museum and educational facility in Bonner Springs, Kansas, United States. The group holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code (issued in 1960). It is located ea ...
is located in Bonner Springs
Bonner Springs is a city in Wyandotte, Leavenworth, and Johnson counties, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,837. Bonner Springs was incorporated as ...
.
Geological
* Big Basin Prairie Preserve
The Big Basin Prairie Preserve is a nature preserve owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The preserve is in the Red Hills near Ashland in Clark County, Kansas. The main features are St. Jacob's Well, a water-filled ...
contains Big Basin and Little Basin, two large sinkholes which are located in Clark County.
* Arikaree Breaks
The Arikaree Breaks are badlands in northwest Kansas. They form a two-to-three-mile-wide break of rough terrain between the plains of northwestern Kansas and eastern Colorado and the south sides of the Arikaree and Republican river basins. The bre ...
are badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...
located in Cheyenne County, Kansas
Cheyenne County (county code CN) is a county located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,616. Its county seat and most populous city is St. Francis.
History
Early history ...
.
* The Cimarron National Grassland
Cimarron National Grassland is a National Grassland located in Morton County, Kansas, United States, with a very small part extending eastward into Stevens County. Cimarron National Grassland is located near Comanche National Grassland which i ...
, Kansas's largest tract of public land, is located in Morton County.
* Monument Rocks is a series of chalk arcs and other formations. Kansas also has many other formations of this nature.
* The chalk formation Castle Rock (Kansas)
Castle Rock is a tall chalk pillar landmark in Gove County, Kansas, United States. The formation and the nearby badlands are located in the Smoky Hills region of Kansas, which is approximately south of I-70 near Quinter, Kansas.
Description
...
and nearby badlands, near Quinter, Kansas
Quinter is a city in Gove County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 929.
History
The city of Quinter is built at the location of an old railroad switching site called Melota. A town named Familton ...
.
* Rock City, Kansas
Rock City is a park located on hillsides overlooking the Solomon River in Ottawa County, Kansas. It is 3.6 miles south of Minneapolis, Kansas and just over 0.5 mile west of Kansas highway K-106 and the Minneapolis City County Airport on Ivy Road. ...
Other
* The Biggest ball of twine, created August 15, 1953, in Cawker City.
* The Big Well
The Big Well is a large historic water well in Greensburg, Kansas, United States. Visitors entered the well for a small fee, descending an illuminated stairway to the bottom of the well.
History
It began construction in 1887 at a cost of $45,000 ...
, the world's largest hand dug well
A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
, is in Greensburg.
* Big Brutus
Big Brutus is the nickname of the Bucyrus-Erie model 1850-B electric shovel, which was the second largest of its type in operation in the 1960s and 1970s. Big Brutus is the centerpiece of a mining museum in West Mineral, Kansas, United States w ...
, the largest electric strip mining
Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which ...
shovel still in existence. On display in West Mineral, Kansas
West Mineral is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 154. It is the home of Big Brutus, the second largest electric shovel in the world.
History
West Mineral was named from t ...
.
* A replica of Norman Number 1 (supposedly the first oil derrick west of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
) and a small museum dedicated to it are located near the chamber of commerce building in Neodesha (located in the eastern end of the town, just before its Main Street merges with U.S. 75).
See also
* List of Registered Historic Places in Kansas
* List of oldest buildings on Kansas colleges and universities
The following is a list of the oldest buildings on Kansas college and university campuses, all of which were built prior to 1910. Twelve individual buildings and one complex of buildings are listed on the United States Department of the Interior's ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kansas landmarks
Lists of landmarks