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.

A historic house dating back to the pioneer era back when Kansas was a new state to the United…read moreStates. Although the museum portion was eye-pleasing and had artifacts relating to Kansas in the 19th century, the food was just alright and portions were small. The elk pot roast was underseasoned, but the rest of the meal was good. However, the person running the restaurant was knowledgeable about the history of Council Grove and the building itself which made up for less than ideal food.

No words can describe our experience. If I had to pick... Connectedness…read more We learned so much about the deeply-rooted history of this town, along with beliefs and traditions connected to the natives of this land. I want to try everything on the menu. But most of all, I want to return and spend more time with Shirley and Ken. If only the world had more folks like this in it.

Talk about a step back when life moved a little slower. They used to have a operating saw mill and…read moretractor pull, but those days are long gone unfortunately. Won't be long and all that knowledge will be gone as well. You walk your own pace. The school house was nice to walk in.

If you are looking for a well curated museum, with limited items well described... you may not…read moreenjoy this. BUT, if you are looking to see tons and tons of old stuff, from ag equipment to tools to household goods to telephone equipment to.. well, almost anything....DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE! Free admission, but we left a larger donation than they would probably have charged, because we VERY MUCH enjoyed our visit. Right of Rt 70, don't miss it.

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

So glad I stopped here and highly recommend taking the tour. Lots of fun memorabilia and even a…read moresmall theater playing the movie inside the tour.

Our family had an amazing time at the Oz Museum! From the yellow brick road to the interactive…read moreexhibits, every corner was full of magic and fun. The kids loved the characters and we all enjoyed learning about Oz history. Friendly staff, great photo ops, and a gift shop full of whimsical treasures made it a perfect family outing. Great for any Oz fan or just someone that likes to see cool things

Get ready to do some serious walking…read more This zoo is super clean, even the restrooms were spotless. They clearly care so much about the animals and park itself. Highly recommend getting the extra ticket for the tram ride. They give you a wrist band and you can hop on and off. The gentleman who was our tour guide was so sweet and made the ride fun. He knows the names of all the animals. We don't have rhinos at our zoo, so I was thrilled to see two here. Stop by and say to Carlos the Camel!! Quite affordable and your ticket and other purchases help fund the zoo which is really important.

We enjoyed visiting the refuge. However, we were disappointed that the petting zoo portion was not…read moreopen that day.

We had a terrific time touring the museum!…read more I especially enjoyed the mill portion of this Lindsborg tour, and especially (as also appealed to fellow Yelper Sarah G.) the St. Louis World's Fair Swedish pavilion so carefully transported and displayed. Whoever said that a jaunt through a small Scandinavian-heavy town in rural Kansas could be so much fun? Must recommend to friends in both Kansas City and Wichita alike, plus anyone else who happens to be zig-zagging through the Midwest in search of something fun and informative all at once.

My family greatly enjoyed our visit. The exhibits are well done in the museum. Lots of artifacts…read moreand examples early town life. The story of Lindsborg is carefully documented and easy to follow. The mill is beautifully restored and looks as if it could operate today. My family experienced a wonderful afternoon exploring the buildings and the museum. Lots to see and experience!

Great attraction. First floor includes more traditional museum type exhibits and is geared to…read moreadults AND young people. There is a lot of history and information on the tall grass prairie. The 2nd floor includes a lot of interactive exhibits and displays and is geared primarily for kids. Not much for adults. The third level includes an outdoor terrace. The weather today was not conducive to enjoying the outdoor environment. Adults- allow 1-2 hours. Adults with kids - allow more.

There are so many educational displays in this discovery center. They really make it fun to learn…read moreabout tallgrass prairies. I thoroughly loved all of the displays, the view of Manhattan from the rooftop, and the educational and enjoyable immersive theater. Do not miss the 15 minute theater experience where they engage all of your senses to learn about the Flint Hills. It's worth visiting Manhattan just to explore this place.

Great craftsmanship and crafts. Friendly gold also. All sorts of Swedish things to buy.read more

The most delightful stop on a rainy day as we headed toward McPherson, Kansas. I learned that my…read moregreat-grandfather was from Lindsborg only after booking a stay in this friendly town. It was too short a stay, so make sure you take several days to explore the area. This adorable shop was open around Memorial Day weekend. We could have easily spent more than an hour perusing and chatting. Unlike shops in Southern California, this Kansas gem of a shop doesn't rush you out the door. The employees there made you feel as though you belong, conversing with us and providing information on the methods they use to create works of art.

If you're in the area, this museum is well-worth a visit. Very extensive history of the Salina…read morearea. I learned a lot.

Great museum right off the main downtown strip. It's free (request donations) which is always a…read moreplus. Lots of historical information with a replica of a cabin from the settlement days. I enjoyed the industrial section related to flour mills. There are old stone grinding wheels and sacks from the different manufacturers. The gift shop is full of made in Kansas items, soap, honey, candles, marbles (news to me that marbles are made in Kansas) BBQ sauce and lots of books about Kansas. If you find yourself in Salina, Kansas definitely check out this museum.