7 Towns In Kansas With The Best Downtown Areas In 2024

When looking for your next vacation spot in 2024, you want to be sure to find towns with vibrant downtown areas. Kansas is a welcoming state that offers tourists plenty to experience in its towns. You will be kept busy touring downtown life, exploring non-traditional shopping, local flavor dining spots, budget-friendly live entertainment, and memorable walking trails in Mother Nature. Dive into seven towns in Kansas with the best downtown areas to visit.

Great Bend

Great Bend is most famous for the 1,203-mile Santa Fe Trail, which runs through its town. The trail goes from Missouri to New Mexico. The downtown area is alive all day long with great spots like Great Bend Coffee, which serves the best hot and cold coffees and sandwiches, such as the Stuffed Tom or the Lugi. Don't pass by this town without visiting Jack Kilby Square. This dedicated spot is named after a Nobel Prize winner who was born there. In 1958, Kilby invented the monolithic integrated circuit that became known as the microchip. Along with dining and cultural art experiences, Great Bend boasts a fantastic library. This library not only has books but also offers classes and experiences for residents and tourists, making it a must-see if you pass through downtown Great Bend.

Emporia

Emporia’s downtown life is unique in that it has 19th-century architecture that makes its history come alive. This town has a well-rounded downtown area with shopping, dining, and entertainment to make the vacation a worthwhile one. Enjoy arts entertainment at The Emporia Arts Center. This space offers various art classes, performing arts entertainment, and even a gallery showcasing the work of local artists.

What would entertainment be without a good meal? So, at Emporia, you can choose plenty of places to dine in, from the Radius Brewing Company to get a cold glass of craft beer to the family-owned restaurants such as the Casa Ramos to get the freshest guacamole or the best bowl of queso you've ever had.

Hays

Hays, with a population of around 22,000, has a busy downtown life. Those with shopping goals will thoroughly enjoy stores like Be Made on Main Street, which offer unique items in apparel, home decor, stationery, kids, and even a “shop the look” section. After shopping, you can sip good coffee at the Breathe Coffee House, which is much more than just a simple cafe. Here, you can find the pleasing sight of artwork by local artists on display.

History buffs will also find delight in exploring the town's many historical attractions. The Fort Hays State Historic Site is an old military fort that protected railroad workers and other travelers. The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a great museum to take the whole family to. For families with children, there are dinosaur exhibits and gorgeous nature trails. If you visit this bustling town during the fall, you can attend its famous HaysMed Oktoberfest. This fall festival celebrates the town's history yearly with live bands, beer, food vendors, games for children, and booths where you can purchase clothing and other items.

Pittsburg

The downtown area of Pittsburg is like a scene out of a movie. There are historic buildings at every corner, making the downtown tours a walk down the history path. Stroll through Immigrant Park, which is close to the Pritchett Pavilion, to see scenic views, plaques, and statues that share Pittsburg's rich history.

This truly American town is known for its ability to throw some fantastic parades and festivities like the Fourth of July Celebration, which has traditional American food vendors selling hamburgers and hotdogs, live country singing, and fireworks. The town also celebrates a yearly tradition with its Christmas parade to light the downtown area up with the reason for the season.

McPherson

If you’re looking for a small, cozy town packed with attractions, then make sure you visit McPherson, Kansas. The downtown area has buildings that go back as far as the 19th and 20th centuries. The McPherson Opera House dates back to 1889 and is currently on the National Register of Historic Places. This downtown area is known for its unique businesses, such as Twice Told Tales, a used book store featuring distinctive collections. The Cook’s Nook is a uniquely named small kitchen shop that has everything you can imagine to make your cooking dreams come true.

Take a break from the downtown shopping and dining and visit Wall Park. Here, your kids can enjoy running around on the sports field or playground. There are picnic areas for your family to enjoy a time of rest and recuperation before you continue on your downtown tour.

Lindsborg

Lindsborg is known for its strong Swedish ties and is often referred to as “Little Sweden.” If you’re into Scandinavian gifts such as crafts, jewelry, and even souvenirs, make sure to stop by the little shop known as Hemslojd. Complete your downtown touring experience with food from places such as Ol Stuga and Courtyard Café, where you can get the best beer and homemade soup all in one. And what downtown experience wouldn’t be complete without a show?

The Messiah Festival of Arts is located annually for a week at Bethany College. This festival showcases solo and choir performances as well as theatrical productions. Get to learn more about the Swedish history of this downtown area by visiting the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, which showcases work by a Swedish-American artist, Birger Sandzén, known for his colorful landscape paintings.

Newton

Newton has a population of right around 20,000 members, making this town one of the busiest of all seven. There are endless opportunities to stay busy at the Railroad Park that is in the center of the downtown area. There are picnic tables, walking trails, and playgrounds to keep the kids busy on this railway hub. You can rent a bicycle as you tour the downtown which is an eco-friendly way to save on gas. Stop at local dining spots like The Breadbasket to enjoy a tasty sandwich.

From the Swedish history of Lindsborg to the busy streets of Newton, these towns' downtown areas are unique, vibrant, and entertaining. Whether you’re into history, architecture, performing arts, mom-and-pop shops, local cuisine, or walking trails, these seven downtown spots have it all for you to experience in 2024.