Kansas was put on the map decades ago with the classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” but there is more to this prairie state than yellow brick roads—although there is that, too. Tour planners might be surprised to find just how much there is to experience in the Sunflower State.
Numbers help to tell the state’s travel and tourism story: Kansas received more than 36 million visitors in 2022, generating some $7.7 billion in local spending, according to the latest numbers by Kansas Tourism. The reason is because Kansas has it all—wide open spaces, a robust business and retail climate, and progressive urban settings. And, of course, sunflowers.
With these offerings and more, tourism is expected to remain a big moneymaker for the state in the foreseeable future. To ensure that it does, tour planners have a variety of destinations to choose from when considering getting trips on the book.
Under the open spaces category are Kansas’ 29 state parks, some ranked in the top 1% nationally for scenic beauty. Many of the parks have cabins and other lodging opportunities for a pleasant night’s stay. During daylight, there is plenty to do outside, including exploring the parks’ trails.
Credit: Kansas Tourism
A suggestion is Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. Located between Oakley and Scott City, the site has 330 acres of chalk sediment formations whose genesis stretches back some 80 million years ago when a shallow sea covered much of the landmass. This rough-hewn natural wonder might look out of place amid the fertile prairie, but here visitors can get up close and personal with the formations to see Mother Nature’s handiwork and capture interesting photos. Keep an eye out for bison, ferruginous hawks, golden eagles, and mule deer, all of which sometimes make their presence in the area known. The site also has quarter-mile and 1 1/2-mile trails, deemed easy to moderate, respectively. Within driving distance are other natural attractions, including Monument Rocks National Landmark—one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas—and Battle Canyon.
Check out Butterfield Trail Museum in Russell Springs, a renaissance-style structure of brick and stone built in 1887 that now houses artifacts from a bygone era. Learn more about days now past at the Carroll Mansion, an 1867 Victorian-era home that offers guided one-hour tours in Leavenworth. This stately abode features handcrafted woodwork, stained-glass windows, and is decorated with period furniture to embolden it with a flair from yesteryear.
There perhaps is no place where the past comes alive as much as it does in Dodge City in the southwest region of the state. Here, relive the Old West at Boot Hill Museum, or take a trolley tour to see and learn about this historic city from those in the know.
Learn more about Kansas and world history at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, founded in 2016 in Atchison, which pays tribute to its namesake pilot who also happened to be born there. A bronze, stately statue of Amelia Earhart greets more than 75,000 people per year, and once inside, groups can learn of the accomplishments of Earhart, one of the first female pilots and the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic. Fourteen interactive exhibits, including the replica of Earhart’s cockpit and a virtual reality flight, allow visitors to get up close with the famous aviator.
Move your group over to Hutchinson to visit the Historic Fox Theatre, restored to its original grandeur from 1931. The site, designated as the “State Movie Palace of Kansas” and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers “an eclectic mix of entertainment, including nationally touring musicals, theatrical, dance, and comedic acts,” according to a flier by Visit Hutch. Tour groups will enjoy a variety of activities in Lindsborg, whether it be experiencing a taste of the past through its historic sites or enjoying an array of modern offerings. For a sampling, learn about the workings of a flour mill from 1898 at the Smoky Valley Roller Mills and Old Mill Museum, or see the area’s 1879 Railroad Depot and 1904 World Fair Swedish Pavilion.
Credit: Kansas Tourism
Events in this bustling and artistic community are geared for the season, so no matter the time of year a group tour is planned, there will always be a signature event to experience. Among them is the Messiah Festival of the Arts, which features the longest consecutive annual performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in North America. During the warmer season, groups will enjoy Midsummer’s Festival that brings Swedish culture to life with Swedish art, dancing, food, games, and the raising of the “Midsommarstang,” or the Midsummer Pole.
As for that yellow brick road, Sedan, in the lower east portion of the state, has such a sidewalk built of bricks with people’s names engraved upon them, both from residents and visitors alike. To date, more than 11,000 bricks make up the town’s Yellow Brick Road. There is also the Oz Museum in Wamego that has more than 2,000 artifacts from this book-and-film fantasy world.
By Andrew Weeks
Main Image: Riding the trails by horseback; Credit: Kansas Tourism
