Top 7 Activities to Do in Kansas

Kansas offers it everything, from large city lights to boundless grasslands. However, despite the fact that it is mostly a rural state, it has a multitude of urban attractions. It’s possible to get a close-up look at animals at zoos, lakes, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries around the country. Small towns dot the landscape of Kansas, and the state’s various museums and historic sites provide a wealth of information for history aficionados and curious visitors alike. Take a look at these top activities to do in Kansas:

1. The Flint Hills Are Yours to Roam.

It’s not necessary to mount up to see the last great expanse of tallgrass prairie in North America, even if cattle and cowboys still roam these pastoral places. In Manhattan, the immersive Flint Hills Discovery Center is a great place to get your bearings before heading out to the adjacent Konza Prairie Biological Station for a day of nature exploration. Tallgrass Grassland National Preserve, located in the heart of the Flint Hills, offers guided tours by rangers and treks along the Southwind Nature Trail to bison pastures and picturesque vistas on its 11,000-acre prairie. Explore the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, a 47-mile route that crisscrosses the region.

2. The Wichita Museums Will Astound You.

A riverside promenade connects five of Wichita’s culturally significant institutions to the Arkansas River. The Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita has actors dressed in period costumes that recreate the town’s frontier past. Exploration Place has around 50 animations depicting 1950s Kansas, while the Wichita Art Museum houses more than 10,000 pieces of American art. The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot-tall sculpture by Blackbear Bosin, is the most prominent masterpiece along the river. The Mid-America All-Indian Museum has more of its art on display.

3. Swim and Go Fishing in the Lakes of Kansas.

Wilson Lake, Kansas’s Clearest Lake, is blighted by red sandstone cliffs and pillars. Mountain bikers and paddlers alike may enjoy the 25-mile Switchgrass Trail inside Wilson State Park, which twists across the Smoky Hills. Cheney Lake, one of the nation’s best sailing and windsurfing lakes, attracts a nautical crowd because of its steady breezes. Fish for channel catfish and walleye at Clinton Lake in Lawrence. The ideal starting point for a day on the water is a marina with 590 boat spots and rentals.

4. Taste the Swedish Culture in Lindsborg.

Traditional celebrations and festivals have made Lindsborg a popular destination for visitors from Scandinavia. At Coronado Heights, a 300-foot-high cliff with a castle-like stone shelter, you can get a bird’s eye view over the area. Then enjoy Köttbullar at Crown and Rye, a pub and restaurant. A herd of Wild Dala Horses in the Lindsborg area was inspired by the Swedish tradition of the Dala horse. Getting a guide is the best way to find the painted wooden animals in town, or online Hemslöjd offers custom-made Dala-shape house signs if you like the design.

5. Try Your Luck with Online Sportsbooks in Kansas.

While Kansas does not have the sportsbook opportunities that Las Vegas has, Kansas sportsbooks promo codes provide a range of gaming alternatives for locals and tourists to enjoy online. There are many online sportsbooks in Kansas that are owned and operated by the Kanza people, popularly known as the Kaw Nation. Well-regulated sportsbook industry is available in Kansas, although there are also certain prohibitions. However, the state allows regulated sportsbooks, poker rooms, lotteries, bingo, and prize tournaments, which together provide gamers a fairly open gambling landscape and a chance to grab some extra bucks while on vacation.

6. Dodge City Offers a Wild West Experience.

The Santa Fe Trail brought a steady stream of travelers to Dodge City, even before it became famous as the setting for Gunsmoke. The evidence can be found in the ruts etched into the grasslands to the west of the city. To see some of the most well-marked wagon ruts on the path, follow a boardwalk and explanatory markers. Boot Hill Museum, with its saloon, prison, and general store, and the gunfights on Front Street, is a great place to relive the glory days of Dodge City. During such a mimicked buffalo stampede, the exhibit hall’s floor shakes in response. During Dodge City Days, you may see rodeos, a Western parade, and a longhorn cattle drive.

7. Explore Hutchinson’s Mines and Space.

Hutchinson has two world-class attractions, one above ground and one below. With a combined collection of American and Russian space artifacts, Cosmosphere relaunches the Space Race. The only Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Kansas displays a Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo piloted vehicle. Strataca’s salt mines aren’t just any old place to work. Throughout a frozen reservoir and rock strata, a 6-ton hoist lowers you 650 feet to a salt mine museum. Learn about the sorts of items kept underground, including Hollywood memorabilia, while exploring extensive subterranean exhibitions.

The Bottom Line

There are several tourist attractions in Kansas, including parks and museums, as well as the state’s eight natural wonders. When you visit the “Sunflower State,” you can expect a lot of fun.