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.

What a great little museum and very interactive! They had QR codes for certain areas that gave a…read moredescription of what you were seeing. They also had a special area for military memorabilia. Very interesting and worth the visit. They also had outbuildings that we weren't able to see because of time constraints. They should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

Great museum along I80. Great stuff for the kids, definitely worth the time out of the car on a…read morelong road trip.

This is a very cool site. Bring he kids. It is fantastic to have this kind of exhibit in Kansas…read moreand the person that was taking care of the place was very interesting and knowledgeable. Who knew this was in Kansas!

From the owner: Discover the story of a Pawnee village that existed in the late 1700s. View the floor of this large…read morePawnee earth lodge left in tact from an archeological investigation. And see the rare sacred bundle that hangs above the altar. Learn more about the people of the Pawnee Nation and their stories. A finalist in the 8 Wonders of Kansas History.

We came for a field trip, and the staff seemed completely annoyed by the kids the whole time. They…read morewere trying to act like their teachers, instead of making things fun. I'm just saying, those people that work there should NOT be working with children.

The Edgerton Explorit Center is a stop on the 2023 Passport program and that is what brought us to…read moreAurora. Easy parking, great outdoor landscaping and a warm welcome was a great way to start our visit. Gift shop items were displayed in the lobby area and had a STEAM (science/technology/engineering/arts/math) focus. We toured the Doc Edgerton displays and activities (one was not working) that had interactive pieces. The central area would appeal to children of all ages with learn thru play components making bubbles, building blocks, pattern connections, memory sequence competitions and more. One of the stations was missing pieces but worker bees were swarming and resetting stations on our visit. Admission was $10 and you could spend 3-4 hours and keep busy. We did not make it down to the lower level. Restrooms needed attention, but we stopped during a busy time so that may have contributed. If you are looking for a fun place to spend a day immersed in learning and exploring with your children, this would be a great stop.

I'll admit that the only thing about this museum that I experience was the basement, which to most…read morepeople is the most interesting part. What I'm talking about is the history of Kool Aid! Kool Aid is a brand we don't hear very much about anymore, unless we're talking about cults. But the town of Hastings does take pride that the founder of Kool Aid is from there. There is a huge detailed display about the evolution of Kool Aid, and its very cool to learn about. Remember the Kool Aid toys and collectibles we all grew up with, regardless of generation? They're all there. And you can also watch a montage of classic Kool Aid commercials while there. There's a statue of the Kool Aid Man outside the museum as well. I feel really bad that I didn't check out other parts of the museum (I think there are 3 floors...) as it talks about the natural history as well as the agriculture and cultural part of the town. But maybe for another time....

OK, this museum is a lot of fun. There is a lot to do for families of all ages and groups of all…read moresizes. We got there and came in and we're looking at the animal exhibits when someone mentioned that a planetarium show was about to start about black holes, so we went inside and my cousin and I both adults and three young children under 10 took our seats and really enjoyed the approximately 20 minute presentation on black holes, looking up at the ceiling in the projection and it was a lot of fun. There are multiple types of exhibits in the museum, including a really cool area celebrating Kool-Aid. Because apparently Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. Who knew?! There is a antique car exhibit in the basement area as well and a Lego section that is interactive, and the whole experience was really nice. The bathrooms near the Lego exhibit were clean. We used the elevator to go between floors because my cousin has lots of small children in a rolling stroller/cart, and there's a little gift shop with fun things to view and purchase and I would definitely recommend if you're in the Hastings area. You spend some time here..

This is a wonderful little museum dedicated to the racers from the Midwest and to the Belleville…read moreHigh Banks facility. Don McChesney is doing a wonderful job curating and keeping this history alive. There are some very nice cars, some are on loan some are owned by the museum. There are quite a few engines on display and many gifts for the Racing! fans. It's just sets off of Highway 81 in Belleville Kansas so it's easy to get to. There's room for motorhomes or trucks too. Please stop and visit the museum and make a little donation and purchase something from the gift shop!

What an amazing haven of automotive history! So many interesting cars to see and take me back to…read moremy high school days when I first fell in love with Corvairs. They even have an Air B&B that's really nice. I'm told that they are just beginning and have plans to make this a world-class venue with all kinds of interactive exhibits. I know this will be a destination I will visit often.

Pretty good at showing what early settler life in the area was like in a variety of ways. The…read moremuseum exhibits -- in two separate buildings -- are slightly dated collections of objects and info about aspects of typical life. Then the Railroad Town gives depth to that experience, with relocated historic buildings staffed with living history. Considering the size of the town and daily operations, it makes sense that every building can't always be staffed -- and if they were, it'd sure take a long time to get through. The main exhibit building itself is a bit ridiculously grand: why is it surrounded by a moat and have fountains in the middle? That design would make more sense for an art museum maybe.

A huge amount of buildings and cool old things to see and touch! Our three and five year old…read moreenjoyed it and we stopped for lunch at the cafe which was very tasty. A worthwhile visit for sure! Friendly and fun workers there as well.

This is a gem of a museum and worth the drive to Ashland. The rotating exhibits are a draw, such…read moreas the recent Star Wars fun, but the standing exhibits are worth the visit on their own. We've been here several times over the years and the museum never always looks well maintained and current. Love that Nebraska's astronaut is the current CEO of the museum!

They really stepped up their game with this latest exhibit. Star Wars has taken over. Amazing…read moretoys/merch, outfits and replicas from the movies. All the movie posters were represented. There was a fun game as well. The cafe even got in on the fun with a Star Wars themed menu. Highly recommend checking it out.

A few miles off the interstate and you have a fun place to relive the past. With over 200 classics…read morecars to view in person the scale of this place does not disappoint. $10 for adults and $6 for ages 17 and under you have unlimited time to see the cars, read the info about them and enjoy historical treasures. The inside of the place was 50,000 square feet, the size of a football field. We were treated and provided with information about the museums roots and where the cars came from. I'm not much of a car person but I even enjoyed myself. If you are passing through Nebraska on I-80 make the short detour. It's worth it.

Come and support this museum! The sweet lady at the front/cashier did an excellent job of sharing…read morethe history of the museum. It has seen its shares of up and downs and currently runs on donations. The amazing people that donate their beautiful vehicles for public viewing help to fund the museum. Our family loved viewing history through the automobiles. The exhibits update constantly. You never know which vehicles you may catch that have been in films or driven by famous people. There is a huge selection of cars from the early model Fords all the way to late model Chevys and Dodge.