Local guide: Donna Rae Pearson, Museum Curator for the Kansas Historical Society

When Donna Rae Pearson learned the Kansas Museum of History was planning to update its exhibit area, she returned for a second stint with the Kansas Historical Society. “I could have retired, but I decided to do one more thing,” she says of her job as museum curator. For the Topeka museum’s 2025 grand reopening following a multiyear renovation, Pearson researched boxcar communities of the 1930s. The resulting exhibit allows visitors to walk into the living quarters of an abandoned wooden boxcar. Newly acquired artifacts fill a replica dugout of a home of formerly enslaved people who founded the town of Nicodemus in 1877.

In addition to the museum, Pearson recommends Topeka’s Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, which tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that led to the end of racial segregation in public schools. And she lists the mostly flat and tree-lined Shunga Trail and Dornwood Nature Trails as favorite strolls. For families, Pearson suggests Animaland, home to climbable concrete creatures near the entrance to the Topeka Zoo, where she says the Japanese garden is gorgeous. When hunger strikes, Pearson prefers mom-and-pop restaurants like Jong’s Thai Kitchen in the Holliday Park neighborhood. Don’t miss her favorite Pad Ga Pow (garlic- and basil-seasoned chicken with jasmine rice and a fried egg).

Kansas Museum of History - Topeka
Credit: Courtesy of the Kansas Museum of History

Local guide: Jenny Losada, Owner of CoolTura Conexion

Jenny Losada, owner of CoolTura Conexion events center and music studio in downtown Emporia, was born and raised in Medellín, Colombia. After graduating from Emporia State University with a degree in nursing, she rooted herself in the community by becoming an RN. “Serving people is a passion of mine,” Losada says. That explains the success of CoolTura, a venue offering a cultural mash-up of events and entertainment. “The people of Emporia are very receptive to cultural innovations and integration,” Losada says.

That shows in the diverse dining scene—especially for a town of 24,000. “Casa Ramos is the best Mexican restaurant,” Losada says. “Their alambre tacos (loaded with meat, veggies and cheese) and the ceviche are my favorites. Ichiban has amazing Asian food—their teriyaki chicken is on point. Gravel City Roasters has delicious coffee and fun boba flavors.” David Traylor Zoo of Emporia is great for children and adults, Losada says, as is gaming spot Reality Check. She also recommends Emporia’s Cinco de Mayo Festival. “Hundreds of people come out for a family fun-filled event where culture is celebrated.” Two local sports events are also huge. “The Glass Blown Open disc golf tournament and UNBOUND Gravel bike races are must-sees to grasp the excitement that takes place in this community.”

Jones Park Disc Golf Course - Emporia
Credit: Aaron Patton

Local guide: Erin Dragotto, Executive Director of the Museum of Art + Light

Erin Dragotto left Kansas as a young adult but recently returned to serve as the executive director of the new Museum of Art + Light in her hometown of Manhattan. “Our mission is to bridge 21st-century digital technology with the visual and performing arts,” she says. “We are the first contemporary art museum in the world to feature immersive, digital and fine art exhibitions from inception.” The Mez, a multisensory gallery, projects animations onto the walls and floor to celebrate a rotating lineup of artists, themes and styles.

For visitors, Dragotto highlights top cultural venues, sips and hikes. Before heading to the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art or a performance at McCain Auditorium on the Kansas State University campus, she suggests dining at Arrow Cocktail Lounge in the former Wareham Hotel because of its quaintness and nostalgia, along with signature cocktails and a seasonal menu. “I also really like Liquid Art Winery and Estate,” she says. “It’s a great way to see the gorgeous Flint Hills.” For active experiences, Dragotto wanders around the spillway at Tuttle Creek State Park and hikes the Linear Park Trail and Konza Prairie Nature Trail to enjoy the natural splendor of the region.

Museum of Art + Light - Manhattan
Credit: Doug Stremel

Local guide: Kaydee Riggs-Johnson, Co-Owner of Ladybird Brewing

Kaydee Riggs-Johnson chose to stick around her hometown of Winfield despite job opportunities elsewhere. “There were so many people here I trusted, I loved … there was opportunity here for me,” Riggs-Johnson says. She balances a full-time career at Southwestern College with co-owning Ladybird Brewing alongside her wife, Laura. Opened in 2021, “The Nest” produces craft ales and lagers using locally sourced ingredients in a setting where all ages are welcome. A cornhole set and disc golf basket encourage play on the brewery’s patio between live-music sets. Customers pedal the brewery’s loaner bicycle to the Burger Station to order double chili cheeseburgers with jalapeños and pickles (Riggs-Johnson’s favorite).

A staycation for the couple starts at College Hill Coffee for a breakfast sandwich and a macchiato before a round of 18 holes at Quail Ridge Golf Course. Shrimp tacos at El Maguey or fresh spring rolls and pho at Khao Kham Market are their go-to lunches. During the Duck Jam in the Park summer concert series, they tote chairs and a beverage cooler to Island Park, where they savor tunes and the Winfield Lions Club’s pork burgers. “It’s a pretty idyllic way to spend a Thursday night in Winfield,” Riggs-Johnson says.

Ladybird Brewing - Winfield
Credit: Kansas Tourism

Local guide: Dr. Reese Barrick, Director of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History

In his paleontology career, Dr. Reese Barrick made Hays and its Sternberg Museum of Natural History his permanent digs in 2009. “It’s a very famous name in paleontology circles,” he explains. In fact, Sternberg’s rare fish-within-a-fish is one of the world’s most photographed fossils. “Kansas was covered by a 300-foot-deep ocean, and sea monsters swam here. We focus a lot on that, using real fossils, not just replicas. We’re also a bit of a ‘zoo,’ with tortoises, lizards, and other live animals,” Barrick says. “Plus, we have a T. rex that roars!”

Beyond Sternberg, Barrick’s favorite Hays hangouts include Las Hefas and its Latin cuisine; chipotle raspberry sliders and lemon ale at Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Company; and burgers topped with fried eggs at Vernie’s Hamburger House. “Parks are also a huge thing here,” Barrick adds, recommending Frontier Park’s disc golf course and resident bison herd. Downtown, he enjoys shopping in The Bricks district and perusing rotating exhibits at the Hays Arts Center. “You’ll find this amazing quality of life and a diversity of things to do,” Barrick says of this paleontological hub. “A small town with city amenities makes Hays an appealing place to stop.”

Sternberg Museum - Hays
Credit: Kansas Tourism

Local guides: Alin and Miguel Rodriguez, Owner of El Zarape

Alin Rodriguez started bussing tables at El Zarape when she was 10 years old. Today, she and her husband, Miguel, own the restaurant that her great-grandparents opened in 1967—Garden City’s first Mexican eatery. The legacy continues with new generations enjoying El Zarape’s beef enchiladas and house-made salsa. Alin describes El Zarape’s cuisine as a slightly Americanized take on Mexican fare. “It was what Garden City knew in 1967, and they fell in love with it,” she says.

When Alin and Miguel aren’t busy with the restaurant or prepping El Zarape’s salsa for customers around the country, you may find them across town at Pho Hoa One. The owner has their order memorized: No. 35, pork chops and rice. “And the egg rolls are to die for, along with the lime tea,” Alin adds. In the mornings, the duo’s go-to coffee shop is Central Cup Coffee House for Cafe Listo—a classic Salvadoran pick-me-up combining coffee and steamed milk. When they’re craving Italian food, they head to Napoli’s to order the Mario Special (chicken and shrimp in a creamy white-wine sauce) or the Alex Special (chicken and shrimp in a spicy pink sauce). It’s their one-stop spot for casual lunches or date nights: “They make you feel comfortable either way you walk in,” Alin says.

El Zarape - Garden City
Credit: Jason Donnelly