International Museum in Topeka

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:56 pm

Que, what do you know about this? It wasn't on your list of attractions. What do they have? Was it seeded by the Treasures of the Czars exhibit?

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:23 pm

I drove through Topeka last weekend and was wondering the exact same thing...I went to school at KSU and never saw that sign so it must be new.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:10 pm

That list of "attractions" was jus' the most visted places in the state of Kansas...most of them near heavily populated areas. I'd like to make my own attractions list based on personal experience and it wouldn't include half the garbage in that Top 30 list on the closed post. But I'm sure if I did make a list, I'd get criticized by somebody in this forum

I wouldn't rank them though, I'd jus' base the list on my 25 favorites (I could do it for Missouri as well).

The International Museum, Inc. is brand new and is located inside West Ridge Mall. There are four of these museums nationwide, but the downfall is that they are only in use 6 months of the year. It's a new concept and will surely grow to be year 'round. There is no official museum building for these exhibits...unlike the Kansas Museum of History complex.

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:26 pm

I went to K-State too, and everything on the drive through Topeka looks different! I haven't seen the sign for the museum, though.

Is West Ridge Mall dead now too, like White Lakes? Malls suck. I like what you write about Wichita before. They really do have a lot to offer, people don't know about it because they just assume that Wichita sucks. I've been to the Cowtown museum and Lawrence Dumont. there is not much of a skyline, but it looks like they are working on developing downtown, so it will be intersting to see how that works out. (Wichita is my new Topeka, now that I'm driving back and froth from Phoenix!)

I would like to see your list. In fact, a comprehensive listing of attractions in both states would be a great addition to the site. KC is not just the metro, but the region, and if you can incorporate the attractions of nearby cities, that can only help the area. One thing I like about Phoenix is that LV, Cali and Mexico are nearby. St. Louism, Wichita, and Omaha don't compare, but if they look more attractive as day trips, KC would be more attractive.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:19 pm

phxcat wrote:Is West Ridge Mall dead now too, like White Lakes?

No. West Ridge is pretty busy with lots of nice stores. That whole area of Topeka is growing with development.

phxcat wrote:I like what you write about Wichita before. They really do have a lot to offer, people don't know about it because they just assume that Wichita sucks. I've been to the Cowtown museum and Lawrence Dumont. there is not much of a skyline, but it looks like they are working on developing downtown, so it will be intersting to see how that works out. (Wichita is my new Topeka, now that I'm driving back and froth from Phoenix!)

Wichita needs to do a better job marketing itself and it's attractions. Right now they're tryin' to launch another downtown riverfront development that will include more office space, retail and most importantly, housing. The three tallest buildings in Wichita are the Wichita Plaza building (26 floors), the Epic Center (22 floors) and the Kansas State Bank building (20 floors). That could change once the city does a better job policing the area and dropping the crime rate, making it more attractive for companies to move in and develop downtown.

phxcat wrote:I would like to see your list. In fact, a comprehensive listing of attractions in both states would be a great addition to the site. KC is not just the metro, but the region, and if you can incorporate the attractions of nearby cities, that can only help the area. One thing I like about Phoenix is that LV, Cali and Mexico are nearby. St. Louism, Wichita, and Omaha don't compare, but if they look more attractive as day trips, KC would be more attractive.

I'll make a list tommorrow night for both states based on personal experience. I never really thought about other smaller cities and towns three hours or less from KC until I met my wife 5 years ago. We dated for 3 years and I wanted to take her on original dates that would last a full day or weekend so we started to travel locally (outside KC) to visit the sights. I was surprised by what this region has to offer outside of Kansas City and St. Louis.

phxcat · Post by **phxcat** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:34 pm

I just watched about ten minutes of the history channel about Jesse James. Dr. Finnegan from KSU was on- I had a class with him. Not much time there for undergrads! I was thinking with that about the things nerby, with that all in St. Joe, liberty and Kearney. I don't know if Topeka has done anything with the Brown school (not much of a building to go with, but neither is the Alamo!)

I had posted something about that riverfront development below, but got no responses.

They had also been trying to build an arena dowtown. The problem is that they have another competing project in the burbs, and Wichita just isn't big enough for the two of them. I hope the Riverfront wins out.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Fri Apr 25, 2003 3:07 am

Alright, here's my list of the Top 20 attractions in Kansas (no particular order) based on my personal experience. This list doesn't include the attractions I haven't visited which I've heard are great. That list would include the Garden of Eden (Lucas), Eisenhower Center (Abilene), Gypsum Hills Scenic Tour (Medicine Lodge), Ulrich Museum of Art & Sculpture Garden (Wichita), Prairie Museum of Art and History (Colby) and so on.

TOP 20 ATTRACTIONS IN KANSAS (in my opinion)

1.) Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center (Hutchison) - World renowned space museum affiliated with the Smithsonian. Besides featuring the second largest space collection in the nation, it also includes an IMAX, planetarium, and astronaut training programs.

2.) Museums on the River (Wichita) - You can spend a full day at the 5 main museums on the Arkansas River which include Exploration Place (a science and technology museum designed by Moshe Safdie), the Indian Center Museum (Native-American exhibits, foods and the "Keeper of the Plains" monument), Wichita Botanical Gardens (largest botanical garden center in Kansas), Wichita Art Museum (just completed multi-million dollar expansion and features Old World and Modern Art exhibits as well as sculpture garden) and the Old Cowtown Museum (nationally accredited living history site depicting 1800s life in a Kansas Cattletown).

3.) Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita) - Over 2,500 animals (KC Zoo only has 1,000) and home to one of the greatest African Lion exhibits as well as headquarters for the American Zoo & Aquarium Association.

4.) Great Plains Nature Center (Wichita) - Features Koch Habitat Hall with mounted animals, interactive exhibits, a 2,500-gallon aquarium and the Kansas Department of Wildlife Gift Shop along with an outside nature area with a couple of miles of hiking trails and a look-out tower for wildlife viewing.

5.) Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum (Chanute) - Located in the Old Santa Fe Depot station, one experience African safaris, sailing the South Seas, and Borneo adventures with Martin and Osa Johnson...the first American explorers in Africa.

6.) Boot Hill Museum, Inc. (Dodge City) - Relive the legend of Wyatt Earp and the Wild West with living history, live entertainment & drinking, wagon rides, historical artifacts/weapons and the Gunfighters Wax Museum.

7.) Fort Leavenworth (Leavenworth) - View Oregon and Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts, the Berlin Wall Monument dedicated by George Bush Sr., the Buffalo Soldier Monument dedicated by Colin Powell and the Frontier Army Museum which features artifacts and exhibits depicting the history of the Army from 1804 to the present including the carriage that Abraham Lincoln visited the area in during his Presidency.

8.) Lee Richardson Zoo (Garden City) - The pride of Western Kansas, the zoo features more than 700 animals in naturalistic exhibits and includes rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions and many more.

9.) Sternberg Museum of Natural History (Hays) - The "Dome On The Range" features exhibits that focus on prehistoric life on the plains, including the famous fish within a fish fossil, life-size dinosaur dioramas and discovery room.

10.) Lindsborg (Lindsborg) - Swedish town in the Smoky Hills features many art galleries and ethnic foods. Museums include the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery (art museum built in the memory of Swedish-born landscape painter), Courtyard Gallery (over 100 plains states artists represented), Small World Gallery (fine art by National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson), Red Barn Studio Museum (historic working studio for artist and craftsman Lester Raymer) and the Old Mill Museum (restored 1898 flour mill, 1904 World's Fair Swedish Pavilion, Swedish town replica, mounted animal displays and other history exhibits). Other Lindsborg attractions include Hemslojd, Inc. (watch craftsmen in Swedish woodworking shop) and Coronado Heights (prominent geological landmark and lookout point of the Smoky Valley once visited by the Spanish explorer Coronado during his 1541 expedition. Includes a replica Spanish fort built in the 1930s). Three popular Swedish festivals occur each year and include Midsummer's Day Festival (Swedish American celebration to welcome return of summer - June 21, 22), Svensk Hullningsfest (celebration of Swedish heritage - Oct. 17, 18, 19) and Luciafest (traditional 18th-century Swedish Christmas celebration crowning of Lucia). The largest of the three festivals is Svensk Hullningsfest which features a large parade, but all three festivals include folk art and artists, craftsmen, entertainment, Swedish music & dancing, in addition to traditional Swedish delicacies and smorgasbord.

11.) Konza Prairie Biological Area (Manhattan) - The 8,600-acre Konza Prairie Preserve, located in the Flint Hills region of northeastern Kansas, is owned by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University and operated as a field research station by Kansas State University Division of Biology. The Konza ecosystem contains forest, claypan, shrub and riparian communities in addition to the dominant tallgrass. There are 7 miles of hiking trails open daily to the public. Native tallgrass prairie vegetation dominates Konza with more than 600 species of flora and several dozen species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and more than 200 species of resident and migratory birds have been documented on the preserve. There is a scenic overlook near Highway 177 entering Manhattan.

12.) Flint Hills Scenic Tour (Highway 177 from Manhattan to Cassoday) - Take an adventure off of I-70 at Highway 177 in the scenic Flint Hills with the first stop in Council Grove where visitors will head down Main Street and tour the Neosho Riverwalk (scenic walkway surrounding the most documented river crossing on the Santa Fe Trail) and see the Ten National Park Service Sites on the Original Sante Fe Trail which includes the AL-LE-LA-WA-HO Heritage Park & Kaw Mission State Historic Site (last Kaw Indian Village in Kansas), the Council Oak (U.S. commisioners and Osage chiefs signed treaty in 1825 guaranteeing safe passage to Euro-Americans on the Sante Fe Trail), the Guardian of the Grove (bronze statue that is tribute to native Kaw people), Madonna of the Trail (statue honoring pioneer women who traveled on the Sante Fe Trail) and Terwilliger Home (1861 stone home on Santa Fe Trail and 1858 log house). The next stop along 177 is outside Strong City at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and Z Bar Ranch (rare remnant of expansive tallgrass prairie with historic buildings and cultural resources) with the last stop being in Cottonwood Falls where visitors want to see the Chase County Courthouse (native limestone, French Renaissance, built in 1872), Roniger Memorial Museum (collection of Native American artifacts) and the Chase County Historical Museum (comprehensive history of Flint Hills area) before ending your tour at Highway 177 and I-35. If you have a couple of days to spend, try a Flint Hills Overland Wagon Train Trip (pioneer prairie adventures, 1870s transportation, meals and entertainment).

13.) Fick Fossil and History Museum (Oakley) - The Fick Fossil and History Museum features Cretaceous Period fossils from extensive digs in the area. The museum contains over 11,000 shark teeth, and complete specimens of Pteranodon, Plesiosaurus, Mosasaurs, and many others representative of the Cretaceous Period. The skull of a Mosasaur, which was an ancient marine reptile about 30 feet in length, is the oldest ever documented. Mammalian history is equally represented with specimens of hoofed mammals and the Oligocene Rhinoceros. Fossils of plant life, mineral and rock collections, and archeological pieces are also on display.
There is a Folk Art Collection which includes pieces created with fossils and rocks. Other items of interest are a Kansas Wildflower Collection, 1886 replica depot, and an early 1900's General Store with many fascinating items on display. There is also a Sod House within the museum for your viewing.

14.) Rolling Hills Exotic Wildlife Refuge (Salina) - Rolling Hills Wildlife Refuge is dedicated to the conservation and propagation of rare and endangered species and is located on 145 acres of pristine Kansas prairie in the Smoky Hills. The zoo is home to more than 80 different species of animals, housed in spacious, naturalistic habitat settings. Among the Refuge residents are many animals that are rare or endangered in the wild, including chimpanzees, leopards, orangutans, white tigers, and two species of rhinos. Guests can take the paved walking path that is approximately 1.5 miles long, or there is a narrated tram tour.

15.) Kansas Museum of History (Topeka) - The museum complex located on a branch of the historic Oregon Trail, consists of the nationally recognized Kansas Museum of History, the Center for Historical Research, the Stach one-room school-house, and the Koch Industries Education Center. Kansas history is told through a variety of exhibits ranging from the Indian era to the Civil War and up to the present. Visitors will see a full-sized Cheyenne tipi, a fully stocked covered wagon ready for a trip on the Oregon Trail, a 1950s diner made by the Valentine Industries and many other outstanding features. The centerpiece is an 1880 locomotive, turned museum restaurant, which traveled the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Learn about history and natural history of Kansas on a five mile nature trail outside the Kansas History Center.

16.) Kansas State Capitol Tour Center (Topeka) - Built in 1866, the State Capitol Building has a variety of architectural features and one of the most elaborate senate chambers in the country. The native limestone structure houses some of the most famous artworks of native-born John Stewart Curry and other magnificant works by Kansas artists.

17.) Gage Park (Topeka) - The park features the Topeka Zoo & Rainforest (Educational, conservation attraction featuring numerous animals and naturalistic exhibits which include a Tropical Rainforest, Gorilla Encounter, Lion's Pride, Black Bear Woods and a Children's Petting Zoo), Reinisch Rose Garden (6,500 roses and annual flowers with Doran Rock Garden and pond nearby), Mini-Train and Carousel (enjoy a mile long ride around Gage Park, then go round on a 1908 restored carousel).

18.) Monument Rocks National Landmark and Keystone Gallery (South of Oakley) - Rising majestically from the seemingly flat prairie are the Monument Rocks or Pyramids as most local people call them.Â Over 200 million years ago, western Kansas was part of a large inland sea that extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean separating the North American continent into two distinct bodies of land. Tropical vegetation grew far to the north and sea-dinosaurs lived in the warm waters. Many of the bottom sea structures (or cretaceous chalk formations) remained after the ocean dryed up, some of which have been designated by Congress as a National Natural Monument. Some may rise from the plains only a few feet, but many tower over one hundred feet above the grassy plains. Silent...still...they bear a present testimony to the ancient past. Nearby is the Keystone Gallery which features Kansas fossils, artwork, rock and mineral specimens.

19.) Maxwell Wildlife Refuge (Canton) - Buffalo and elk tram tours at refuge in the Smoky Hills. There's also a tour center with displays and a gift shop.

20.) The Dalton Museum (Coffeyville) - Contains momentos of the famous gun battle when the infamous Dalton Gang tried to rob two Coffeyville banks simultaneously. Other Wild West items are also on display.

KC_JAYHAWK · Post by **KC_JAYHAWK** » Fri Apr 25, 2003 1:42 pm

I grew up in Wichita and I was back there a few months ago (it had been probably five years since my last visit) but I was impressed with what they had done downtown and Old Town. It's similar to Westport and the River Market combined and there were actually quite a few people walking around on a Sunday afternoon.

fyi....the Epic Center, when orignally built was suppose to have a twin...but it was never built.