Orginally opened in 1984, the museum was Closed for three years to Completely revamp the Entire…read moremuseum with exhibits designed by award winning Dimensional Innovations (The Amelia Earhart Museum and Atlas9 are two of their amazing designs), the Kansas Museum of History reopened in winter 2025 and it is amazing! The Why Kansas Gallery acts as the crossroads of the 5 other galleries(plus a special events space) with themes of What Is/Was Kansas, Bleeding Kansas, Connecting Kansas, Making Kansas and Changing Kansas. Sit in a traditional teepee, play engineer on a 1880 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe train (which now has several cars open to explore, several airplanes, and look down into a log cabin from a new elevated ramp... don't miss this! It is easy to miss! Lots of fascinating information on the fight for statehood and freedom, women's suffrage,, civil rights, industries and SO much more plus interactive exhibits(actually smelling the stockyards was a highlight..LOL). Such a rich history. Lots of imaginative play areas for kids inside and out, plus an authentic one room school house and restored Indian mission visible on the nature trail with a swinging bridge. They gave us a scavenger hunt at the front desk that takes you through the whole museum and if you finish it you earn a fun souvenir button or snall toy :) Even if history isn't your thing this museum is vibrant colorful fun and informative and is a true gem and a worthy day trip for any and all.

This sucks. 80% poster boards. Very few actual items being displayed. So much better when downtown…read more Moved west and quality declined severely. Completely redone and so much worse once again. Terrible for kids due to limited displays. No kids want's or can read hundreds of poster boards. Takes about 10-15 minutes to see the items being displayed and a week to read all the posters.

Really cool to see somewhere so profound in our history. The sign was being repaired when we went,…read moreand the parking was a confusing but it was a beautiful day and worth the stop.

Ranger Lawson and Ranger Jeff welcomed me from the moment I stopped into this historic building…read more Ranger Lawson directed me towards the exhibits and made himself available if I needed. The exhibits were amazing. The videos and interactive media were all functioning. DYK there were actually five cases that were combined and argued in front of the Supreme Court in 1954, combined they were known as the historic Brown vs Topeka Board of Education that ended segregation of schools in the U.S. in 1954. The Hall of Courage is an interesting exhibit that shows videos of discrimination on both sides. It attempts to mimic the feeling that folks back in the 1950s and the Jim Crow South had to deal with. The building also has a recreation of a kindergarten in Topeka during the 1950. Where teachers believed that play was the highest form of learning. So children could let their minds run free and creativity develop their curious minds. The Legacy Room has plenty of exhibits. I particularly liked the Wall of Courage, that highlight post-Brown heroes, and the Protest in Music exhibit that had songs from Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, to Public Enemy. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about the case and be on the grounds where the one of the cases originated. This location presents the information well, and visitors cannot help but feel proud about the event.

Had a nice morning getting my nerd on (visiting family in nearby Topeka) & learning about combat…read moreaviation. Who knew any of this stuff? I did find a plane with Boston roots (101st Tactical Fighter Squadron--The Irish Guard) from "Logan Field" c. 1962. It's scheduled to be repainted to its original markings, complete with shamrock. I also didn't realize Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas. And the irony of putting Rosie the Riveter on a kitchen apron (see the cute gift shop) isn't lost on me! A wonderful outing for history buffs all sorts! Go!

My aviation nerd boyfriend loves anything aviation so I knew we had to go here. There are huge…read morehangars and the one has planes in greater repair than the other. One hangar was like an airplane graveyard, but that was fun too because you could see how the plexiglass on the planes shattered and how the old planes were created with curved wood. They have planes like the ones Snoopy flew and giant helicopters. It don't know my plane and airplane names, but I read some of the information and I know some were used in WWI, WW11, Korea, Vietnam and etc. up until the present day. There was an upstairs level with some airplane art. I would say if you are not very mobile, you will struggle with this place because there is a lot to navigate and if you are not paying attention you could hit your head on any number of things. One of the employees told a mom not to let her kids run under the airplanes becuase they could bonk their heads. True that! One has to pay attention in this museum. My favorite part was walking into this helicopter that was built in 1965 and in service until 1988 and a gentleman who worked in this actual helicopter when it was in service was fixing it up as a volunteer. History right in front of my eyes! It's $7 to get in, a bargain!

This small art museum on the campus of Washburn University is a bit dynamic and a bit challenging…read more It's interesting art that is a bit more contemporary and yet they have a few classic 16th century pieces too. When I visited, the exhibitions were Novel Art - Narrative Paintings by Michael Young and Ian Young, 100 minus 5: Variations in the art of Printmaking and Unpacking Chinese Apartment Art. I particularly enjoyed the "Geometric Abstration - 1960s and 70s" exhibit. Not a very large collection but definitely worth an hour of your time. [Review 11422 overall, 1199 of 2019.]

I visited during a student exhibit and on the final day of an exhibit by Montana artist Theodore…read moreWaddell - "Hallowed Absurdities". he uses dead animal carcasses, and creates weapon type instruments or transforms weapons with other medium; odd and unsettling and sometimes ironic, so I guess he did his job, but not my most memorable exhibit. The rest of the collection was not that impressive or vast, but a small museum is better that no museum. I would definitely return on future visits to Topeka for rotating exhibits. Loved the Art-o-mat vending machine!

It's hard to rate state capitol buildings as they all have something unique about each one of them…read more Like in Kansas, they have the dome which you can go to the top and go outside it! But I would advise that you do so if you are not afraid of heights. I've been skydiving before so I didn't think it was a big deal. But going up and down the steps was very intimidating. There's so much history in that part of the building as kids would write graffiti all over the inside of the top part by the dome. Kansas does have some cool history as it pays tribute to its culture, the Native Americans, its most famous residents, agriculture, and much more. A lot of it may surprise the visitor, or even a Kansas resident! Parking is underground, and it doesn't cost extra. They do have a cafeteria or restaurant in there.

This building is gorgeous. We travel to see all the capitol buildings, and this one did not…read moredisappoint. You enter on the lower level from the front of the building, and there is a looping video, gift shop, and mini museum on that floor. Then you can go up and tour the bulk of the building. The state library has cool, glass floors that you can see through, and there is a tour that takes you all the way to the top of the dome (if you dare). Worth a visit!

This was an interesting look into the life of Robert "Evel" Knievel. It covers his childhood to his…read moredeath. Many of the displays contain original items like his drawing of Man O'War, letters from fans, and letters he wrote for business. Many of the exhibits contain video of him and his jumps, along with the motorcycles, leathers that he wore, etc. It took us about 1.5 hours to go through. The staff at the entrance and exit were friendly. I took off one star because they'll be moving to Las Vegas.

I will start by saying GET THERE WHILE IT'S STILL HERE. I want to thank the staff for a fantastic…read morevisit and we feel very lucky to see it in person as it will be permanently closing an moving to Vegas in November. We grew up with Evel in our lives and this place is just filled with so many cool memories....and so many things I didn't know about the life of a true daredevil....definitely a highlight of our cross country adventure.

This is a fantastic place to bring the whole family--fun for all ages! For just $9 per person (kids…read moreand adults), you get access to a huge indoor play space filled with themed areas like a veterinary clinic, grocery store, mechanic garage, painting station, dinosaur zone, and more. There are also sensory stations that encourage imagination and creative exploration. A brand-new indoor water area is set to open on June 10th, which will be an exciting addition. The outdoor space is just as impressive, featuring nature trails, a sandbox, water play area, treehouse, bikes, and more. We especially appreciated the separate toddler-only zones that keep the littlest ones safe while they play. With so much to do, we easily spent around 3 hours exploring. You're welcome to pack a lunch and enjoy it at one of the indoor picnic tables or outside in the peaceful pollinator garden. Highly recommend for a fun, interactive, and affordable family outing!

We had the greatest time here with our Grandson. He is 17 months old and played for 2 1/2 hours…read moreand could have played longer but we needed to go eat lunch. There are many activities that entertain kids and I would say up to ten maybe. Some of the areas included were painting, grocery store, a car repair shop, restaurant, water feature, air flow type activities, small area for toddlers, outdoor activities, blocks, plus many more things. I like that adults have to be with children in order to enter. We decided to go ahead and get a year long membership. With the membership I could put my grandchildren on it and they can even go with their parents if we are not with them at no charge. There are also workers spread throughout the area who are so very kind and do a great job at keeping the place picked up and organized.

Very cool train museum! Opened originally in 1927, and recently restored to its original…read moreappearance. It is apparently available as an event venue as the large room can be set up with chairs and tables with a kitchen off to one side. Mini-train set that was very cool, full-size train driver system set up, many artifacts and exhibits showing the early history of Kansas and specifically the Union-Pacific Railroad. Interesting to see the marker for the Kansas River flood of 1951 that was above the height of my head! [Review 11418 overall, 1195 of 2019.]

So patriotic, love the flags! They caught my eye as I crossed the Kansas River and I had to see…read morewhat they were. The monument honoring the Medal of Valor recipients is beautiful!

The Holley Museum of Military History is a five-room, self-guided museum tucked away inside of the…read moreRamada Topeka. The museum features numerous miniatures, mementos, diagrams and dioramas that are described by a recording that plays on loop throughout the day. At the entrance to the museum is a seat where a curator may have once sat, but next to it is a sign that reads "Will return in five minutes." The individual must have gotten lost years ago, because in all of my visits to the hotel I have never seen anyone sitting there. The museum is a wonderful way to pass twenty to thirty minutes if you have a break in whatever conference you are attending at the hotel. The museum takes guests through each American war chronologically. The collection was started by a Mr. Holley who built models and dioramas in his basement as a hobby. After his death others have added their memorabilia and memories to what eventually became the exhibit that is on display now. There are sections on women in the military, buffalo soldiers, Navajo wind talkers, as well as more conventional military history. If you are looking for a diversion it's a fun oddity to come across randomly as part of the hotel. If you invest the experience with any prior expectations it would be disappointing, however. I definitely enjoyed the museum and if you're in the hotel for other business I highly recommend popping in to check it out.

Loved the little shops here. Wall paintings are awesome! Really need to look around each building…read moreto find all the hidden items.

I love how they have revitalized North Topeka and made it into an Art District. They have some…read moregreat food and really neat places to checkout, also a first Friday artwalk every month.