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    Clay County Museum

    5.0 (1 review)

    Clay County Museum Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Clay County Museum

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    6 years ago

    We discovered this museum by accident and I'm glad we did. Jeff gave us a very informative tour. A very enjoyable 2 hours.

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    POW Camp Concordia Museum - Reconstructed Guard tower

    POW Camp Concordia Museum

    4.0(4 reviews)
    32.3 mi

    As you travel through farmland, hidden among the crops there are remnants of a once very large POW…read morecamp. ...Very interesting part of our history hidden in the fields of Kansas. History is everywhere! From 1943 to 1945 during the second world war over 4,000 Germans were held in an internment camp here in Kansas where I am visiting. The stories of these men are pretty fascinating - so many of them were talented musicians, cooks, artists, etc. Many renounced Hitler (as they were forced into military service for a cause they didn't support). Those who supported Hitler were taken to a different location in Oklahoma. I enjoyed just speaking with the women leading the tour. We tried to analyze photos that have no captions. The time, energy, and dedication to preserve and communicate history is admirable. IHistory

    A very quiet but important piece of Kansas' WW2 and agriculture history!…read more I'd wanted to get by this Museum for years. Just recently, I made a committed effort to do so. And, am I ever glad I did! Camp Concordia at its peak had 304 buildings including a 177 bed hospital, fire Dept, warehouses, Cold storage, and officers club, and barracks, mess halls and administrative buildings and was holding over 4,000 German POWs. Though there are a few of the POW camp's original buildings standing, there are a few still remaining - pretty funny since they were designated "temporary" structures. Also, there are a surprising number of interesting artifacts on display. The docents give a very interesting accounting of the camp's function, population and impacts on agriculture and other projects in the area - without this available source of labor, crops wouldn't have gotten harvested because most of the capable US male labor was off fighting the war. Another interesting aspect of the camp is that after the war ended and the POWs were sent back to Germany, some returned to the US to live and others just to visit. Why? Because of the humane treatment they received from the guards and the local farmers for whom they had worked.

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    POW Camp Concordia Museum - Replica SS officer's uniform

    Replica SS officer's uniform

    POW Camp Concordia Museum
    POW Camp Concordia Museum

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    Seelye Mansion

    Seelye Mansion

    4.9(20 reviews)
    32.4 mi

    Constructed in 1905, the Seelye Mansion is a historic piece of Kansas that has some fascinating…read morehistory.. 11,000 Square feet of a century+ of history. The one fact that blew me away was that Thomas Edison himself designed the electrical and lighting plans for the mansion. We saw an Iron that screws into a light socket in order to heat it up. Fascinating. The original furniture was in immaculate condition and you could feel the history. Furniture and decor purchased from the 1905 World Fair in Chicago was intriguing to me. I couldn't imagine moving all that 100+ years ago. The Box Bowling alley in the basement was my favorite. It was in great condition and you get to roll a couple of balls down the lane. Fantastic. The guide was phenomenal and really knew his stuff on the history of the Seelye family. The facts kept you engaged and I really got a feel of how this mansion was way ahead of it's time in the early 1900s. This is a must visit if in the Abilene area. Safe Travels!

    Midwest road trip continues. And comes to an abrupt halt in Abilene, Kansas. At the Seelye Mansion…read more I say abrupt because I had my reservations about going here. My friend hasn't steered us wrong except one time she brought me somewhere and tried to get me high ... a story for another day. Anyway. It was the non-food highlight of the entire trip for me. I love history. I love museums. I especially love it when the tour guides are friendly, funny and know their sh*t. And you gotta love it when you're up close and personal with the artifacts to the point where you can sit and play on a Steinway. Listen to music on the Phonographs. Bowl on their old school bowling alley. More on that later. The house and its contents are preserved and well cared for. The current owner even lives on site but other than a few modern touches, you wouldn't be able to tell. See pics of a glimpse of what you'll see. Touch. Smell. Hear. And know that if you're in Abilene - this place is a must. As for bowling. I choked. Hard to follow after someone who rolls a perfect frame. At least it was for me. I rolled two gutters, scored a five.

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    Seelye Mansion - The owner and fantastic tour guide

    The owner and fantastic tour guide

    Seelye Mansion
    Seelye Mansion

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    Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum - 1st Presidential campaign

    Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

    4.4(74 reviews)
    33.4 mi

    If you are looking for a day-long adventure in the middle of nowhere in Kansas, this is your place!…read more There's plenty of free parking by the visitor center. Start in the visitor center / gift shop to buy tickets. Highly recommend the combo ticket (house tour & library) to save some money. The staff was super helpful in orienting us and making recommendations for how to spend the day. Try to arrive at 15 or 45 minutes after the hour because that's when the 24 minute video begins playing in the visitor center. The video was mostly just hype for Eisenhower and not super educational, but it's a good way to start the experience. The grounds includes the boyhood home, library, museum, place of meditation, and visitor center with gift shop. It's so convenient to have all of this history in one place! Make sure to take a picture with the Eisenhower statue in the middle of the lawn! When you buy your tickets, you are assigned a tour time. I recommend getting there earlier in the day because the tour times will fill up. The boyhood home is very small. You can only enter a few of the rooms, but you can look into all the rooms on the first floor. You cannot go upstairs. So the tour only takes about 20 mins, depending on questions. The tour guide told some good stories about Eisenhower's parents. Eisenhower, his wife Mamie, and one of their sons are buried in the place of meditation. There is only one small exhibit upstairs in the library. Currently it's about women voting for Ike. Don't budget much time for the library because it's quick to breeze through. The museum on the other hand is extensive, so budget several hours! There's a lot to look at and read. You can come and go if you need to take a break for a home tour or lunch. They currently also have a special exhibit on the Cold War. You could spend a whole day in there! There are picnic tables for resting and eating throughout the day. The gift shop has lots of gift options for browsing. Overall, this is a great historical place to spend the day! You will leave exhausted and full of information. Highly recommend checking out the World's Largest Belt Buckle on your way out of town!

    Be sure to pay the extra money to see his childhood home. It is very humbling. Most of this museum…read moreis about his service in WW2 pre-presidency. I loved learning about the more personal side of Ike

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    Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum - Space race

    Space race

    Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum - Becoming Supreme Commander

    Becoming Supreme Commander

    Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

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    Clay County Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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