Six Awesome Day Trips: Kansas

Though Kansas is sometimes referred to as one of the “fly over states,” each of the travel regions has amazing points of interest and a wide range of outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy. For decades thousands of people migrated across the Sunflower State on the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails. The famous Lewis & Clark Expedition, Pony Express Mail Service, and the Chisholm Trail are all part of Kansas’ captivating past. Today, a trip through Kansas will uncover its Native American roots, cowboy culture, European influences, aviation history, and, of course, the location of one of America’s most-loved movies— The Wizard of Oz. Our day trip recommendations start from Wichita and highlight some of the state’s amazing things to do.

Here are six great day trip destinations across the Sunflower State:

Abilene (Museums & Attractions)

Located 95 miles north of Wichita, Abilene is famous for being the hometown of the 34th President of the United States. This day trip takes you to the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. Begin your visit with the 23-minute orientation film and then explore the museum’s first floor, which includes 25,000-square-feet of new interactive exhibits. Before leaving the main building to see other sites on the 22-acre campus, reserve a time slot for a tour of Eisenhower’s Boyhood Home- sure to be one of the highlights of your day. For those of you taking a road trip through Kansas, Eisenhower’s 62-day road trip that was inspiration for the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System might peak your interest. If you have a little extra time, historic downtown Abilene is worth a stop, as well as the Dickinson County Heritage Center History Museum to ride on the oldest operational C.W. Parker Carousel in the country.

Courtesy of Kansas Tourism Office

Dodge City (Tours & Experiences)

The famous wild west town of Dodge City, once nicknamed the “Queen of Cowtowns”, is located about 155 miles west of Wichita. Spend the day walking in the footsteps of Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp and visit the historical sites, museums, and landmarks related to Dodge City’s Old West heritage. Our day trip recommendation is the Boot Hill Museum on the original site of Boot Hill Cemetery. The museum’s collection features over 60,000 historic items. While strolling along Front Street, have a cold sarsaparilla at the Long Branch Saloon and watch a performance by the World Famous Gunslingers. Extend your day trip into the evening and attend the nightly Long Branch Variety Show followed by a country style dinner served in the Occident Saloon.

Hutchinson (Museums & Attractions)

“Hutch”, located 55 miles northwest of Wichita, is home to a few of the best day trip attractions in Kansas. For aviation and space enthusiasts, the Cosmosphere (a Smithsonian-affiliate) is a must-see, with over 13,000 spaceflight artifacts. The collection is the largest combined collection of U.S. and Russian spaceflight artifacts in the world. The museum does an excellent job outlining significant space achievements through timelines, stories, and related exhibits. A few of the collection highlights include spacecraft from early manned U.S. space programs: the Mercury capsule Liberty Bell 7, the Gemini X, and the Apollo 13. It’s possible to spend an entire day at the Cosmosphere, but if you have time after you visit the museum, take a tour of Strataca, Kansas Underground Salt Museum. This is your chance to journey 650 feet below the surface into the dimly lit tunnels of a salt mine or board the Salt Mine Express and venture into a portion of the salt mine where everything was left exactly as it was over 50 years ago. Before leaving Hutchinson, the downtown area is worth a stop with dozens of unique shops, antique galleries, and cafés.

Courtesy Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lindsborg (Small Town Experience)

Nicknamed “Little Sweden, USA,” Lindsborg features a beautiful downtown lined with small retail shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and galleries. Our day trip to Lindsborg focuses on Swedish heritage: exploring the historic sites, unique museums, and charming downtown. Visit the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery to see prints, drawings and watercolors by Swedish-born artist Sandzén. While looking for the perfect gift among the downtown shops and galleries, stop in Hemslöjd Swedish Gifts and watch the craftsmen and local folk artists at work. The gift shop overflows with traditional, unusual, and practical Swedish gifts, crafts, housewares, and more. Curb your appetite at the Swedish Crown Restaurant, a unique twist on traditional Swedish and American cuisine. Time your visit to Lindsborg with one of the many annual events and festivals. There are more than a dozen events to choose from— Våffeldagen (International Waffle Day) in the Spring and a series of events that take place during the Christmas in Lindsborg celebration are very popular.

Strong City (The Outdoors) 

Located about 80 miles northeast of Wichita is the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, home to over 700 varieties of plants, 300 birds, and 80 mammals. The preserve protects a small portion of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Today, visitors can experience the wide-open prairie and the patches of forest by driving the 15-mile scenic bison loop and hiking along old gravel ranch roads and mowed paths. From April to October guided prairie bus tours leave from the visitor center and travel through the historic ranch site, across the bison pasture, and to the prairie overlook area, providing information about the flora, fauna, and cultural history of the prairie. 

Wamego (Museums & Attractions)

The iconic Oz Museum is located in downtown Wamego, about 150 miles north of Wichita. The museum has a collection that includes over 2,000 artifacts and is a tribute to all things “Oz.” Follow the yellow brick road and see comprehensive exhibits of the 4 main characters – Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. There’s a lot to see and learn at this uniquely American museum and the magical world created by L. Frank Baum. Don’t forget your camera, great picture opportunities abound and the gift shop with unique items to remember your visit.