12 Best Sights in Kansas, USA

Containing the last vestiges of the bluestem, or tallgrass, prairie, that once covered much of the Great Plains, this preserve also includes a stone mansion and barn built in 1881. Hiking-trail maps are at the visitor center or at kiosks near the park's historic ranch buildings. Routes range from less than 4 miles to 13 miles. Hikers should be cautious of bison and not approach if they come in close contact. A short training session about safe backcountry hiking is offered at the visitor center during daytime hours. Three catch-and-release ponds are open to the public for fishing, with a Kansas fishing license.

Next door to a restored Santa Fe Depot, this museum was founded by a group of rail enthusiasts during the late 1980s. Today they operate the museum's miniature railroad on a volunteer basis. The extensive collection of rail cars, locomotives, and rolling stocks—all from the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad—are are kept outdoors and open for viewing on weekends during the summer. Collection highlights include the Santa Fe 789-class steam locomotive No. 811 and the Missouri Pacific M of W dining car.

More than 9 acres of perennials and woody plants are cultivated here, among dozens of fountains and pools. Twenty-five distinct gardens showcase a variety of themes, such as native wildflowers in the Cissy Wise Wildflower Meadow, 350 rose plants at the Jessie Wooldridge Brosius Rose Garden, and a living-herb wall at the Sally Stone Sensory Garden. A highlight is the 2,800-square-foot free-flight butterfly enclosure that is home to more than 5,000 butterflies in various stages of development; it is open from June to September only. The very interactive children's garden features a tree house to climb into and a pond to hop across.

Built in 1892, this two-story redbrick bank is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—and it's still a working bank, one of Kansas's oldest. The striking architecture combines Romanesque arches, stained-glass windows, and a stunning Byzantine dome. Around 1900 a decorative tin ceiling was installed, followed in the 1940s by marble panels on the lower walls and around teller stations. Tours are available by appointment.

On the outskirts of Atchison, a 15-minute drive from downtown, trees from 50 states and 38 countries were planted in honor of men and women involved in space exploration and aviation, and grow in harmony at the International Forest of Friendship. Overlooking Lake Warnock, the forest was a gift to the United States for its 1976 bicentennial from the city of Atchison, the University of Kansas Forestry Extension, and International Ninety-Nines, Inc. Access the forest through a gate marked "Allingham Drive" and travel down Memory Lane, paved with plaques that list the names of more than 1,200 pilots, astronauts, and manufacturers who have contributed to aviation. The Amelia Earhart Earthworks sculpture can be seen from the walking trail.

In 1851 Methodist Episcopal missionaries built a school for Kaw children, now known as the Kaw Mission State Historic Site. You can learn about the converging of the two cultures through exhibits featuring leather handicrafts, beadwork, textiles, weapons, and furniture, which also showcase the heritage of the Kaw Indians, the Santa Fe Trail, and early Council Grove. Its oak floors, rosewood features, porches, and light fixtures—added during a 1926 remodel—are in immaculate condition. An eight-minute video, "The Original Kansans," is a great prelude to the self-guided tour.

Displaying artifacts from numerous tribes, including the Crow and the Sioux, this is among the country's best museums devoted to Native American culture. Artwork and other exhibited items trace back to early tribes but also cover contemporary lifestyles. A program of special exhibitions have included toys made by Native American through the 1960s and the history of moccasins. In Ceremonial Hall, hundreds of flags represent many of the country's 549 recognized tribes. An aboriginal encampment features walking paths and the sounds of water and wind.

Part of the National Park Service, this national preserve memorializes 170 million acres of tallgrass that once flourished in the United States. It contains the last large vestiges of the bluestem—or tallgras—prairie once prominent in the Great Plains, especially Kansas. Just 4% remains in the Flint Hills region. A visitor center here, staffed by junior rangers, hosts temporary exhibits and airs a short film. Other sites include a one-room schoolhouse.

Owned by the International Ninety-Nines Inc., a group of female pilots, Amelia Earhart's childhood home displays treasures celebrating her aviation career. Earhart was born in this wood-frame Gothic Revival cottage in 1897, a period reflected in the interior style and replica furnishings. There is also a lot of flying memorabilia and, in the butler's pantry, maps depicting theories about Earhart's ill-fated final flight.

Depicting a pioneer mother with two children, this is one of 12 monuments across the country dedicated to America's pioneer women. St. Louis sculptor August Leimbach's work, made of algonite stone, was dedicated in 1928. Other sculptures can be seen in cities such as Cumberland, Maryland, and Upland, California, all along the National Old Trails Highway, now U.S. Highway 40 and Route 66.

In the heart of Wichita's museum district along the Arkansas River, this is a re-created 19th-century town, where historic reenactments include a trader's cabin staffed by buffalo hunters and cowboy stories at the Drovers Camp. There's a residential street where early settlers established homes such as the Marshall W. Murdock house, with its cast-iron fence and flower beds, which really bring this bygone era to life. On the 5-acre DeVore Farm, animals are milked and fed as they would have been on an 1880s farm.

The Wichita Center for the Arts forms the hub of the local arts community, with a gallery, a theater, and various activities. The permanent art collection contains works from regional and national artists, and recent temporary exhibitions have included watercolors by Kansas artists and pastel on paper. The center has a lively program of classes and workshops, from four-week and 12-week fine-arts classes—ranging from pottery to printmaking and photography—to one-day workshops on topics like jewelry making and painting (while sipping wine). Performances in the theater range from Pulitzer Prize-winning plays to original scripts from Kansas playwrights.