I visited south central Kansas recently. If you asked me what I most remembered about my visit, I…read morewould say "ghosts" and "Ellinwood Underground Tunnels." If you're in Ellinwood or anywhere near this area, you need to take the tour. It's so interesting! There are tunnels under this small Kansas town, and the public (you) can experience them. The tour will lead you through a portion of the network of tunnels, and the tour guide will tell you all about the history. The tour starts at the Ellinwood Emporium, a charming little thrift/vintage store. You'll descend some stairs to the underground tunnels, where you'll learn about the activity that was happening in the tunnels in the late 1800s. The tunnels were a place to get a haircut and a shave, a place to bathe, a place to shop and relax. But also: Apparently, some stuff went down and now the tunnels also house spirits. There's one room that you'll see on the tour that the owner will not walk into, because there's a spirit in there that he doesn't want to mess with. Each room that you see on the tour is grim and creepy. The space in the Ellinwood Tunnels is heady, and is definitely housing some sort of bad energy, if you ask me. Head's up: This tour is not wheelchair- or stroller-friendly. You need to be able to climb down and up some steep stairs, and then navigate your way through tunnels, which have uneven ground.

It makes me sad that there aren't many reviews for these underground tunnels (outside of Yelp as…read morewell.) This was one of the most fascinating things we did while visiting this part of the country and I really wish that it was more of a destination. Listen, I understand. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere and the square footage is pretty low. However, Rick, the guide and owner (??) of the antique shop that sits above one portion of the tunnels is an incredible story teller and he has actual items that lived in and were used in the underground portion of this town. It's like a time capsule. I've been on other underground tours (like in Seattle) and even though they're more visited and more well known, they don't hold a candle to what Rick has. This isn't a kitschy, fake tour. This is about real and actual history, with real, appropriate artifacts and I loved it. The tour when you come back upstairs and head across the street to the hotel is a little bit different. The building, including the underground, was empty when they purchased it so all the items they have down there are found, bought or donated. But at least they are honest about it and don't make up fake stories for you. It's such a cool thing to do for such a minimal fee. I'd recommend this tour to anyone.

Next stop on our cross-country road trip was one I've been wanting do for years! The Twister…read moremuseum. We actually added about 3 hours on our drive just so I could visit! Twister is my favorite movie, so visiting was huge for me. The ladies at the museum had so much information and behind-the-scenes knowledge. There are artifacts from the originally movie, photos, letters, costumes and even THE original Dorothy from the movie. There are pieces from the new Twisters movie, including the yellow barrels and trailer used in the film. The museum is free, but they operate on donations, so please donate to keep this gem open. Also, but some merch to help them out!

This museum is located in nearly nowhere Oklahoma but it is the exact street where the twister…read moreaftermath scene from the movie was filmed. They have a plethora of memorablia and props to view. The employee on site is very knowledgeable of the town and the filming process/locations used in the movie. Street parking is available.

The Big Well Museum puts Greensburg, KS on the map. Not only does it feature the obvious, it also…read morechronicles the town's near-obliteration by a tornado and remarkable recovery since (with massive federal help). I wish there were a way to find out how the eco-friendly rebuild is actually working out. Is the solar power reliable? Did the money spent on extra insulation eventually pay for itself? There's no way to know; it's presented as a panacea. If I could change just one thing about the exhibits, it would be to introduce a 3 letter word: "sic". "Sic" would would show that the exhibit's creators knew about and were accurately reproducing the errors in quoted newspaper articles. "The supply of water found to inexhaustible." [sic] "There are about 4,000 gallons of water to the inch in the well" [sic]. (The well's diameter of 32 feet gives 500 gallons per inch, not 4,000.) Without "sic", most of the errors just look like typos.

This is a very interesting place for a couple of reasons. First, to walk down into the largest…read morehand dug well is pretty cool by itself and the museum, while small, has a lot of detailed information about this unique well. The impact of the well, and the water is a great read. But the well is only part of what is fascinating about this museum. For me, the tornado is the kicker. In May of 2007, the city of Greensburg was wiped almost completely out by a devastating EF5 tornado. Standing on the viewing deck of this museum and realizing that what we are seeing is a totally rebuilt community is just amazing to see. Within just a year, much of the town was rallied around and reconstructed. The history of the well, combined with the history of the town is a testament to our true American culture of ingenuity and resilience and shows in tangible form what great people can accomplish regardless of the challenges.

Well worth a visit! Great staff and with interesting displays that flows through history nicely.read more

I am a sucker for old school encyclopedic museums, and this one is pretty iconic in this arena…read more It's eclectic, filled with oddities, and super fun for the whole family. Where else are you going to see dinosaurs, mummys, and a handwritten letter by Elizabeth I? I really enjoyed walking around, exploring, and I know my kiddo did as well. It's in an old building downtown and has loads of charm everywhere you look. 4/5 stars because I thought the kids play area was a bit of a letdown - it felt a bit dirty and neglected. There also isn't a cafe, which I think would be a fun addition if they ever plan on expanding or remodeling. The exhibits were wonderful though, and I thought for the price it was a great deal. Overall I'd for sure go back and if you're the kind of person that enjoys something off the beaten path, or has a love for old stories and a solid diorama, this is the place for you.

Can't really say much other than from what you can see from outside of the fence. This is not a pet…read morefriendly place anywhere on the grounds. Really disappointed as we were looking forward to seeing the old town behind the museum. Dont leave your pets in the car, it's not worth it.

There is a lot of great history in this museum! We enjoyed the self-guided tour, we learned a lot,…read moreand even the mock gunfight was pretty dang good! We were glad we detoured to see this!

Super cool tourist spot to check out worth the hour drive from Wichita! We went with a group of our…read morefamily members and we really enjoyed it . The staff is very knowledgeable and the tour was very informative. Br prepared to walk and br underground. It is a large area so you shouldn't feel claustrophobic but you are still underground. Highly recommend this activity for adults and kids.

I went to this salt mine museum when I lived in southern Kansas for a year. The elevator ride 650…read morefeet down into the earth to the mine was a dark slow descent. It's much cooler down 650 feet into the earth. So it was a nice retreat from the hot day up above. I enjoyed the tram ride through the mine to see where miners once worked. I was happy to get a small souvenir of rock salt to take home with me. Don't lick it though. It's not table salt. They had a small room with real superhero costumes worn in Hollywood movies. Batman, Superman, and Agent Smith from The Matrix were a few. It's an educational place and fun to explore. It's worth visiting to go so deep into the earth into a real salt mining cave.

This was a special surprise for me. I really enjoyed my visit. Everyone will enjoy this museum -…read moreespecially Motorcyle buffs

I've been to Daytona I ve been to the HD museum and would…read morehave bet money that I would find some bikes I had never seen in Marquette kansas Well I would have lost If you like old iron or just love racing and some vintage bikes you HAVE TO come see this hidden treasure But I will warn you if you visits Marquette you need to be careful because you will want to never leave An amazing place

An amazing collection of flown space artifacts! So glad that I visited…read more My only complaint is the lighting of some exhibits needs improvement.

Cosmosphere kind of makes me want to live in Hutchinson, so that I could send my children to their…read morespace summer camp! They have day camps and overnight camps that immerse kids in the space experience, and they're solving problems, landing on the Moon, building settlements, and doing all kinds of STEM stuff. But even if you don't live in the area, if you do have kids with you when you visit Cosmosphere, be sure to visit the CosmoKids area, where there's lots of things to see, touch and explore. This STEM-focused area just for kids makes all of this space info accessible to little people. It was pretty cool seeing the Apollo 13 command module, lunar module, rockets, and all of the displays that outline humankind's journeys into outer space. They have a significant collection of space artifacts here, so I highly recommend this museum to people who are interested in space. It's worth a visit!