List of Kansas landmarks
Encyclopedia
Below is a list of Kansas landmarks. This list includes various landmark
s in the state of Kansas
.
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
s in the state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
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Homes
- The boyhood home of Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, the Eisenhower LibraryEisenhower Presidential CenterThe Eisenhower Presidential Center, officially known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum or Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, includes the Eisenhower presidential library, President Dwight David Eisenhower's boyhood home, Museum, and gravesite...
, and his grave are located in AbileneAbilene, KansasAbilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
. - The house of Carrie NationCarrie NationCarrie Amelia Moore Nation was a member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol in pre-Prohibition America. She is particularly noteworthy for promoting her viewpoint through vandalism. On many occasions Nation would enter an alcohol-serving establishment and attack the bar with a hatchet...
, now a museum, is located in Medicine LodgeMedicine Lodge, KansasMedicine Lodge is the most populous city in and the county seat of Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,009.-19th century:...
. - The boyhood home of General Frederick FunstonFrederick FunstonFrederick N. Funston also known as Fred Funston, was a General in the United States Army, best known for his role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War...
is located in IolaIola, KansasIola is a city situated along the Neosho River in the northwestern part of Allen County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,704. Iola is the county seat of Allen County. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn.-History:The...
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Museums
- The John BrownJohn Brown (abolitionist)John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
museum is located in OsawatomieOsawatomie, KansasOsawatomie is a city in Miami County, Kansas, United States, southwest of Kansas City. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,447. It derives its name from two streams nearby, the Osage and Potawatomie.-History:...
. - The OzLand of OzOz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
Museum in WamegoWamego, KansasWamego is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States. The population was 4,246 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wamego is located at...
features Dorothy's House, a recreation of the farm house featured in the film The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
and inspired by L. Frank BaumL. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
. - The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space CenterKansas Cosmosphere and Space CenterThe Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hutchinson, Kansas that is best known for the display and restoration of spaceflight artifacts and educational camps...
, located in Hutchinson, is affiliated with the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. The museum features the largest collection of artifacts from the Russian Space Program outside of Moscow. It is also home to Apollo 13Apollo 13Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
, an SR-71 BlackbirdSR-71 BlackbirdThe Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the...
, and many space artifacts. - The Kansas Museum of HistoryKansas Museum of HistoryThe Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, Kansas, USA, is the state history museum. It presents Kansas history from the prehistoric to modern eras in of exhibits. The galleries feature a train , full-sized tipi in the Southern Cheyenne style, a 1950s diner, and many other large features...
is the state museum, and is located in the capital city of Topeka. - The Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
museum is located in TribuneTribune, KansasTribune is a city in and the county seat of Greeley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 741.-History:The city is named after the New York Tribune, of which Horace Greeley of Chappaqua, New York was the editor....
. - The Boyer GalleryBoyer GalleryThe Boyer Gallery, officially known as the Paul Boyer Museum of Animated Carvings, is a folk art museum located at 1205 M Street in Belleville, Kansas featuring the animated sculptures of Paul Boyer. Many of the displays are hand carved wooden pieces that have been animated with hand-built motors...
, a collection of animated sculptures made by Paul Boyer is located in BellevilleBelleville, KansasBelleville is a city in and the county seat of Republic County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,991.-Geography:Belleville is located at...
. - The fifth largest collection of civilian and military aircraft in the United States is located at the Mid-America Air MuseumMid-America Air MuseumThe Mid-America Air Museum is an aerospace and aircraft museum located in Liberal, Kansas, at the Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport.Located within a hangar that formally belonged to Beech Aircraft and on an airfield that served as a B-24 Liberator training base during the Second World War, the...
in LiberalLiberal, KansasLiberal is the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,525.- History :S.S. Rogers built the first house in what would become Liberal in 1872. Rogers became famous in the region for giving water to weary travelers...
. - The Sternberg Museum of Natural History in HaysHays, KansasHays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, features exhibits of several fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s discovered by Charles Hazelius SternbergCharles Hazelius SternbergCharles Hazelius Sternberg , was an American fossil collector and amateur paleontologist. His older brother, Dr. George M. Sternberg was a military surgeon assigned to Fort Harker near Ellsworth, Kansas and brought the rest of Sternberg family to Kansas to live on his ranch about 1868...
as well as various temporary exhibits.
Historical
- Abilene is the ending point of the Chisholm TrailChisholm TrailThe Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
where the cattle driven from Texas were loaded onto rail cars. - Constitution Hall in LecomptonLecompton, KansasLecompton is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 608 at the 2000 census. Lecompton played a major historical role in pre-Civil War America as the Territorial capital of Kansas from 1855 to 1861...
is the location where the Kansas Territorial Government convened and drafted a pro-slavery constitution. - The Sunflower Army Ammunition PlantSunflower Army Ammunition PlantThe Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant was a smokeless powder and propellant manufacturing facility in northwest Johnson County, Kansas owned by the United States Government and operated under contract, primarily by Hercules Aerospace Company....
in De SotoDe Soto, KansasDe Soto is a city in Johnson and Leavenworth counties in the U.S. state of Kansas, along the Kansas River. The population was 4,561 at the 2000 census...
opened in 1942 to manufacture gunpowder and munitions propellants for World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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 PoliticsRobert J. Dole Institute of PoliticsThe Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is housed at the University of Kansas. It was founded by former U.S. Senator from Kansas and presidential candidate Bob Dole. Opened on July 22, 2003 , the institute's $11 million, facility houses Dole's papers and hosts frequent political events...
houses the largest collection of papers for a politician other than a president. The institute is located in LawrenceLawrence, KansasLawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, on the campus of the University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. - The Boot HillBoot HillBoot Hill is the name for any number of cemeteries, chiefly in the American West. During the 19th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who "died with their boots on" ....
Museum in Dodge CityDodge City, KansasDodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
features Old West memorabilia and history. - The Dalton Defenders Museum, located in CoffeyvilleCoffeyville, KansasCoffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
, commemorates the townspeople who died defending the town against the Dalton GangDalton GangThe Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
, who unsuccessfully attempted to rob two Coffeyville banks simultaneously on October 5, 1892. - ConcordiaConcordia, KansasConcordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
is home of the historic Brown Grand TheatreBrown Grand TheatreThe Brown Grand Theatre is a community-based historical theatre dedicated to enhancing cultural life in North Central Kansas in the United States. The theatre is a majestic opera house located in Concordia, Kansas and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
and Camp ConcordiaCamp ConcordiaCamp Concordia was a Prisoner-of-war camp that operated from 1943-1945. Its location is two miles north and one mile east of Concordia, Kansas...
, a World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Prisoner of war camp.
Halls of Fame
- The Greyhound Hall of Fame is located in Abilene.
- The National Teachers Hall of FameNational Teachers Hall of FameThe National Teachers Hall of Fame is an American non-profit organization honoring exceptional school teachers. It was founded in 1989 by Emporia State University, the ESU Alumni Association, the City of Emporia, USD 253, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce...
is located in EmporiaEmporia, KansasEmporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
. - The National Agricultural Center and Hall of FameNational Agricultural Center and Hall of FameThe National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame was issued a rare federal charter by the US Congress in 1960 to serve as the national museum of agriculture and a memorial to industry leaders...
is located in Bonner SpringsBonner Springs, KansasBonner Springs is a river city in Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a suburb in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. The vast majority of the city, which lies in Wyandotte County, is part of the "Unified Government" which contains Kansas City,...
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Geological
- Big Basin Prairie PreserveBig Basin Prairie PreserveThe 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 sinkhole which lies in the Little Basin, and the Big...
contains Big Basin and Little Basin, two large sinkholes which are located in Clark CountyClark County, KansasClark County is a county located in Southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,215...
. - Arikaree BreaksArikaree BreaksThe 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...
are badlandsBadlandsA badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
located in Cheyenne County, KansasCheyenne County, KansasCheyenne County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,726. Its county seat and most populous city is St...
. - The Cimarron National GrasslandCimarron National GrasslandCimarron 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 is across the border in Colorado...
, Kansas's largest tract of public land, is located in Morton CountyMorton County, KansasMorton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,233...
. - Monument RocksMonument Rocks (Kansas)Monument Rocks are a series of large chalk formations in Gove County, Kansas, rich in fossils. It is a National Natural Landmark. It was the first landmark chosen by the US Department of the Interior as a national natural landmark. The chalk formations reach a height of up to 70 ft. and include...
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 (Kansas)Castle Rock is a large limestone pillar in Gove County, Kansas reaching nearly 70 feet tall, within the Smoky Hills region.-Description:Castle Rock was a landmark on the Butterfield Overland Despatch route . The chalk was deposited in the area by an ancient inland sea. The formation was formed by...
and nearby badlands, near Quinter, KansasQuinter, KansasQuinter is a city in Gove County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 918.-History:The city of Quinter is built at the location of an old railroad switching site called Melota. A town named Familton was built there in 1885, consisting originally of a two-story...
. - Rock City, KansasRock City, KansasRock 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 at...
Other
- The world's largest ball of twineBiggest ball of twineThere are several claims to the world's biggest ball of twine record.-Largest sisal twine ball built by one person:Darwin, Minnesota is the home of a ball by Francis A. Johnson. It is 4 meters in diameter and weighs 4,900 kg . He started his obsession in March 1950 and wrapped four hours...
(disputed), created August 15, 1953, in Cawker CityCawker City, KansasCawker City is a city in Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 469. The city is located along the north shore of Waconda Lake.-Geography:Cawker City is located at...
. - The Big WellBig Well (Kansas)The Big Well, in Greensburg, Kansas, USA, is a water well that was designed to provide water for the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroads. It was built in 1887 at a cost of $45,000, and served as the municipal water supply until 1932....
, the world's largest hand dug wellWater wellA water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
, is in GreensburgGreensburg, KansasGreensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 777. Greensburg is also home to the world's largest hand-dug well....
. - Big BrutusBig BrutusBig Brutus is the nickname of the Bucyrus-Erie model 1850B electric shovel, which was the second largest of its type in operation in the 1960s and 1970s. It is currently the centerpiece of a mining museum in West Mineral, Kansas.-Description:...
, the largest electric strip miningSurface miningSurface mining , is a type of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed...
shovel still in existence. On display in West Mineral, KansasWest Mineral, KansasWest Mineral is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. The population was 243 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Big Brutus, the second largest electric shovel in the world.-Geography:West Mineral is located at...
. - A replica of Norman Number 1 (supposedly the first oil derrick west of the Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
) and a small museum dedicated to it are located near the chamber of commerce building in NeodeshaNeodesha, KansasNeodesha is a city in Wilson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,486. The name is derived from the Osage Indian word, Ni-o-sho-de, and is translated as The-Water-Is-Smoky-With-Mud.-19th century:...
(located in the eastern end of the town, just before its Main Street merges with U.S. 75).