8 Of The Most Charming Towns In Kansas
Of the 50 US States, Kansas is the 15th largest and 36th most populous state in the American Midwest, bordered by the adjoining states of Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska. Once considered the ‘agricultural heartland’ of the nation, the landlocked Kansas’ western flat terrain of high-yielding wheat fields and the eastern hills and forests appeal to travelers of all ages. Although the Sunflower State’s urban centers, like Kansas City, Overland Park, Wichita, and the capital city, Topeka, entice a large number of vacationers, the innumerable charming towns dotting the state are vying for a similar kind of tourist attention. Boasting mind-boggling sceneries, spellbinding Wild West histories, generous Midwestern hospitality, and exciting year-round celebrations, these tiny communities are worth adding to your itineraries.
Wamego
Priding itself as a “Small Town with Big Experience,” Wamego, named after the chieftain of the Potawatomi tribe, is set at the meeting of the U.S. Highway 24 and K-99 by the Kansas River, around 14 miles east of Manhattan, Kansas. This 4,841-inhabitant burgeoning pastoral community invites vacationers to survey its downtown district, overflowing with novelty venues and mom-and-pop shops. The restored 1893s Columbian Theatre, Oz Museum having more than 25,000 Oz artifacts, Wamego City Park, Beecher Bible & Rifle Church, Oz Winery, Wamego Historical Society Museum & Prairie Village, Wamego Public Library, and the childhood home of Walter Percy Chrysler are some of Wamego’s remarkable tourist magnets.
Abilene
Abilene, an Old West-style settlement and seat of government of east-central Kansas’ Dickinson County, is located in the Great Plains’ Flint Hills region on the northern shores of the Smoky Hill River. Founded as a stagecoach stop called ‘Mud Creek,’ the town was rechristened ‘Abilene’ in 1860 with reference to a Biblical verse. As the homeland of the 34th US President Dwight David Eisenhower, vacationers sojourning Abilene can get more insights about him at the famed Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home. Other interesting attractions include the A.B. Seelye House & Museum, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Greyhound Hall of Fame, Old Abilene Town, American Indian Art Center, Heritage Center of Dickinson County, and the Great Plains Theatre.
Lindsborg
Popularly referred to as “Little Sweden, USA,” Lindsborg is a tiny town in McPherson County located almost an hour north of Wichita. Primarily settled in 1869 by a bunch of immigrants hailing from Sweden’s Värmland province, Lindsborg is best known for its rich Scandinavian heritage and energetic cultural scene. When in town, browse the multiple gift shops putting up Swedish souvenirs for sale and wonder at the dozens of multicolored Wild Dala horse statues beautifying the sidewalks. Furthermore, the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, Bethany College’s Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Clara Hatton Center, Coronado Heights, Broadway RFD Outdoor Theatre, Small World Gallery, Red Barn Studio Museum, Bethany Lutheran Church, and International Chess Institute of the Midwest are must visits. Spare time from your busy schedules to attend any of the town’s various events, such as the Messiah Festival of the Arts, Chocolate Lovers Affair & Art Auction, Midsummer annual Summer Solstice Festival, Christmas in Lindsborg, Smoky Valley Classic Car Show, and the biyearly Svensk Hyllningsfest.
Atchison
This pleasant Atchison County town, labeled after David Rice Atchison, is situated at the meeting of U.S. Route 59 and U.S. Route 73 highways in Northeastern Kansas next to the Missouri River’s western shores, approximately 25 miles northwest of Leavenworth. In addition to Atchison’s impressive waterfront environs offering incredible vistas of the Missouri River Bend and Victorian-era structures filling the tree-lined brick streets, travelers touring the town should visit the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, Evah C. Cray Historical Home Museum, International Forest of Friendship, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison County Historical Society Museum, Sallie House, Muchnic Art Gallery, and Atchison Santa Fe Depot Rail Museum.
Cottonwood Falls
Cottonwood Falls, Chase County’s administrative center and its biggest community, sits at the core of the Flint Hills region by the southern sides of Cottonwood River to the south of Strong City. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the conspicuous Chase County Courthouse, designed by eminent architect John Gideon Haskell and constructed using locally quarried limestone in the French Second Empire architectural style, is Kansas’ oldest continuously utilized courthouse and Cottonwood Falls’ most remarkable site of interest. Walk down the Downtown’s brick-lined streets and peruse the art galleries like Flint Hills Gallery, top-notch restaurants like the Grand Grill in the Grand Central Hotel, and antique stores like Tallgrass Antiques. Apart from this, do not forget to stop by the Chase County Historical Society Museum & Library, Roniger Memorial Museum, Cottonwood River Dam & Bridge, and more than 40 miles of hiking trails at the surrounding Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
Council Grove
The seat of Morris County, Council Grove is situated along the Neosho River banks in east-central Kansas, approx. 55 miles southwest of Topeka. The settlement, at the outset, was set up in a grove of oak trees as an Indian campground, where an agreement between a council of US officials and chiefs of Great and Little Osage Indian tribes was signed for granting westward passage of wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail via the Osage Territory. The Kaw Mission State Historic Site, Council Grove Aquatic Center, Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park, Hermit’s Cave, the 1857 Hays House, Neosho Riverwalk, and the Madonna of the Trail monument are some noteworthy attractions. Campers, boaters, and fishermen can engage in recreational activities at the adjacent Council Grove Federal Reservoir and Council Grove City Lake, while merrymakers must attend the town’s yearly Heritage Rendezvous and Washunga Days celebrations.
Lucas
Dubbed the ‘Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas,’ this Russell County town is located at the intersection of K-232 and K-18 highways, about 115 miles northwest of Wichita. Initially named Blue Stem at the time of its establishment, the town, later renamed after St. Louis, Missouri’s Lucas Place, is famed for its diverse sites dedicated to regional folk art. Created by the eminent sculptor and Civil War veteran Samuel Perry Dinsmoor in Lucas’s Downtown is the ‘Garden of Eden,’ which includes his house, a mausoleum, and over 150 sculptures illustrating scenes from the holy Bible and world history. Additionally, do not miss Lucas’s other artistic-oriented sites of interest, such as the Florence Deeble Rock Garden, Bowl Plaza, Miller’s Park, Fork Art Park, Grassroots Arts Center, World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate, Flying Pig Studio & Gallery, and the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction & Museum.
Fort Scott
Bourbon County’s seat of government, Fort Scott, christened in honor of Winfield Scott - the American Military Commander, sits on the Osage Plains in southeast Kansas along the southern shores of Marmaton River roughly 88 miles south of Kansas City. Founded as a US Army garrison in the 1840s, Fort Scott became the chief city of the frontier following the American Civil War and slowly metamorphosed into an agricultural and minor industry mecca since the first half of the 20th century. Besides the few Victorian-era properties, entertainment venues, hotels like Courtland Hotel & Spa, boutiques, art galleries, and dining establishments like Crooner’s Lounge and Nu Grille in the Downtown, the town is also home to Fort Scott National Cemetery and Fort Scott Historic Site providing exclusive insights into the settlement’s bygone days. Furthermore, adrenaline junkies can partake in several family-friendly activities at the 155-acre Gunn Park.
From Lucas - the “Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas” to Lindsborg - the “Little Sweden, USA,” America’s Heartland is sprinkled with a cornucopia of under-the-radar hamlets waiting to be explored. Whether you want to check out eccentric attractions, traverse the unrivaled landscape of tallgrass prairies, or soak in the Scandinavian culture and Wild West heritage, these Kansas towns provide unforgettable experiences for holidayers touring The Wheat State either during extended vacations or short weekend trips.
