Don't go out of your way. We spent 25-30 minutes looking at crumbling buildings. The history of…read moreNicodemus - the past - is glorious and uplifting. The present tense is not worth the trip unless you find yourself driving along Kansas-24 and need a short break from the road.

Nice little NPS site. Very glad they are preserving this part of American history. Very friendly…read moreand informative rangers. Decent junior ranger program. There is just not a lot of the history to engage with onsite. If in area, definitely worth a visit.

Out in the middle of nowhere, about halfway between Kansas City and Denver (10 miles west of Hays)…read moreis this delightful museum of railroad memorabilia. It's a little haphazard, but it's worth a stop to stretch your legs and break up the monotony of the drive across western Kansas.THe Museum has lots of neat photos and artifacts from when Ellis was a major railroad town along the UPRR. There's also a great model train layout in the back room.

This is a gem of a museum. We typically travel through Hayes twice a year and have been wanting to…read morevisit the Sternberg Museum. So, we finally planned our itinerary so we would be in Hays when the museum was open and when we could allow time for a visit. We were not disappointed. The staff at the front desk were amazing, especially the gentleman who I learned later was actually a paleontologist. He was very eager to talk about the museum and what attracted us to it. The main exhibits are on the 2nd level with a large, walk-through diarama on the 3rd floor. The exhibits were great - especially the famous "fish-in-a-fish" fossil. If you have any interest in natural history, you need to visit the Sternberg Museum.

The Sternberg is more than a natural history museum, it's an all immersive experience…read more Its exhibits go into great detail to show what Kansas life was from a few hundred years ago to a few million years ago. Dinosaurs, fossils, fish and wildlife, local settlers and inhabitants. It's all here. One of my favorite exhibits features live reptiles from the local habitat (turtles, lizards, etc...) that are paired up with displays to show how they evolved to their present state. I also like the educational discovery rooms. These rooms are full of toys, books and games. There's even a whale's skull. Do you want to dig for fossils? There's a pit where you and your youngsters can dig until your heart is content. Please watch the museum's website. They post interactive educational activities that are fun for all ages. I visited for a couple of hours. I could have stayed longer. I highly recommend.

What a great collection they have. I'm glad we were able to stop, but wish we had more time to see…read moreeverything- this place is huge!!

If you would like an extraordinary museum where you can learn about central Nebraska and see an…read moreastonishing collection of everything from arrowheads to tractors...this is the place!!! Having been to the Smithsonian American History museum in Washington DC i was completely impressed by this mini version of that venerable institution here in Holdrege. The professional quality and thoughtful exhibits need several hours, or more than one visit to fully enjoy the detail and history. I also stopped in their genealogy room which is fantastic if you have local ancestors to learn about!

We were in Oakley to see the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center on our way to Monument Rocks and Little…read moreJersuleum State Park - both just about 20 miles south of Oakley. While at the Buffalo Bill Center, we spotted signs for the Fick Fossil and History Museum which is practically across the street from the Buffalo Bill Center. So, we decided to stop for a quick visit. This is a great little museum and was an unexpected find in the middle of Kansas. In my opinion, this was more of a history museum than a fossil museum although they did have several impressive fossil displays. Having recently visited the Sternberg Museum, I was more interested in some of the historical exhibits than I was in seeing more fossil displays. Admission is free; it's convenient to I-70 (Oakley exit). Allow 1-2 hours, longer if you have kids.

This museum was awesome! My sister and I stopped in here on our way to Denver and it was an amazing…read moredecision. It was free to enter and no more than 2 minutes off of highway 70, so no worries if you're on a budget. We planned to get in and out in an hour, which did not happen. We took 2 hours. It was very very fun, but don't come here if you like fossils and have somewhere to be! All of the fossils were found here, and they also have a wide variety of natural, local, and American historical artifacts. They even had some artifacts/pieces of stone from international landmarks (like Vesuvius and Egyptian tombs)! All in all, a very neat little gem off the side of the highway.

What an amazing experience! This is a collection of 15 buildings full of treasures. Some of the…read morebuildings are historical and have been moved to preserved at this location. Each building houses memorabilia relevant to that subject. For example, all of the train memorabilia is in the train depot, so when you walk into each building it is like stepping back in time. The one room schoolhouse was one of my favorites. I also loved Duke's grocery store. There is so much to see. This place is definitely worth a stop!

Definitely the weirdest and quirkiest place I have been to in all my travels. Certainly very unique…read moreand I was not expecting to see The Main Dude in a state of decomposition in the backyard mausoleum. Yes, the embalmed body of the guy who built the Garden of Eden is on display in a glass-topped coffin. The entire place is bizarre and is built out of concrete. And the construction did not begin till the artist - an eccentric civil war vet with WILD political and religious ideas - was well into his 60s. The guided tour is nice and gives a good history about the place and the artist. Recommend visiting if you are in the Lucas/Wilson area. Weird. Delightfully weird.

My wife and I decided to take a different route home from Colorado to Texas and ended up cutting…read morethrough Kansas. On the way, we saw a sign for Garden of Eden as we travelled on I-70. We are so happy we took the time to go off the beaten path to see this place! Unfortunately, it had closed an hour or so prior by the time we arrived, so we could only read the signs outside and observe the exterior art. We really would have loved to see the inside. This is definitely a hidden gem and something out of the norm!

My seven year old son and I visited this amazing place yesterday. This was the main highlight of…read moreour mini vacation. If you are a history buff, this place is for you! If you are a motor head, this place is for you! If you a hunter, this place is for you! If you are a fan of airplanes, this place is for you! I was amazed with all the items that are within the 26 different buildings. The pictures attached is a small glimpse of what is beheld. The main facility is a former car dealership from probably the 30s or 40s. They have a camp site right next to the campus. There is also a sign for a motel, next door, they own, but it did not look active.

Very nice people to deal with, relatively easy spaces to get into. Very interesting collection of…read moreAmericana, and a much better drive than interstate 80!