Attractions abound throughout Kansas for kids, but here are some top-notch museums to put on your itinerary
Getting the family ready for an adventure can be challenging—but finding appropriate attractions for a variety of ages can be more difficult than packing the car. A good museum can be a genuine lifesaver and, often, the cornerstone of an entire vacation.
Kansas has plenty of kid-friendly museums to spark the imagination. And let’s be honest—these museums aren’t just for kids. They hold lots of magic for Mom and Dad, too.
Museum at Prairiefire
One of the most spectacular and celebrated new attractions in Kansas, the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, which opened to the public in 2014, was founded in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and focuses on natural history and science.
World-class exhibitions, programming, events and educational opportunities celebrate natural history and regional culture in a unique and dynamic environment. The Museum at Prairiefire displays two main traveling exhibitions annually from New York, along with smaller exhibitions from a variety of institutions that rotate on a regular basis. Outside the museum’s doors is a jaw-dropping façade: a towering, colorful 55-foot-tall glass-and-steel design that suggests a prairie fire’s dancing flames. It commands attention and is the perfect photo opportunity for the whole family.
The Museum at Prairiefire’s Great Hall is an introduction to the natural world—fossils are scattered about, a suspended television screen sends a swarm of animated prehistoric monsters flying about your head and a computerized touch screen engages visitors of all ages. The Discovery Room is a sanctuary of natural science for kids age 3 to 12 (and their adult companions), an interactive classroom experience that begins at 15 minutes past the hour each day.
Can’t Miss! Bigger than life, a stunning, 17-foot-long skeleton of a marine reptile and a 16-foot-long skeleton of a large, bony fish ignite the imagination. Collected in west central Kansas during the early 20th century by Charles H. Sternberg, the fossils were donated to the museum by the San Diego Museum of Natural History.
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
A natural history jewel, the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, part of Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in Hays, features collections considered to be of significant scientific importance, including marine and vertebrate fossils and fossil grass seeds.
The museum’s holdings began to be accumulated in the early 20th century, after FHSU was established as part of the Kansas State Normal College in 1902. The college became a repository for private collections from early Kansas settlers captivated with the abundant fossils they found on the prairie. George F. Sternberg, a famous fossil collector trained by his father, Charles H. Sternberg, was appointed to develop the burgeoning museum, and he spent his life amassing materials for exhibits, research and education, including the well-regarded paleontology and geology research collections. Sternberg collected his first notable fossil in 1892 at the age of 9.
Today, the Sternberg Museum of Natural History is housed in FHSU’s former metroplex dome. It boasts a realistic Cretaceous diorama and a Discovery Room which invites visitors to explore nature’s wonders. The entire museum is living natural history, showcasing ongoing field work and scientific research to advance the continually evolving understanding of the world. Permanent exhibits include Kansas fossils from the age of the dinosaur, chalk cliffs, evolving grasslands and much more.
Adventure Starts Here! Immerse yourself in the natural world with Sternberg’s replicated fossil dig site, where the fossil hunter’s most famous discovery is on display: the world-famous 14-foot-long “Fish Within a Fish.” Watch the home movies next to the specimen for a glimpse into the original extraction of this world-renowned fossil.
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Nestled within Topeka’s lush Gage Park, the modern Kansas Children’s Discovery Center is a delight for all ages. With a mission of jump-starting creativity and a passion for lifelong learning, the interactive center encourages exploration and discovery through play. And if that sounds like fun—it is. Hands-on exhibits, camps, daily programs and more contribute to the vibrant learning atmosphere at the four-year-old center.
Indoor interactive exhibits include “Art,” “Build,” “Careers,” “Grain,” “Grow,” “Science” and more. Outside adventure includes four and a half acres of dedicated green space where kids can plant and tend vegetable, flower and butterfly gardens; balance on gigantic fallen tree limbs; scale rocks; build forts; and make old-fashioned mud pies. There are also obstacle courses, hiking trails, bike paths (the Discovery Center provides bikes) and a two-story tree house.
Wildflowers and a Native Tallgrass Prairie Restoration greet visitors at the Discovery Center, where they can observe native birds, insects, and wildlife that claim the Tallgrass habitat as their home. Here children can learn more about the native Tallgrass that has played an essential role in the environmental and agricultural evolution of Kansas, and that continues to be a source of state pride.
C.W. Parker Carousel Museum
Approximately 1,000 carousels were produced by the C.W. Parker Company. Only about 16 of them are known to be in operation today, including three at the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth, opened in 2005. Named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs by the Kansas Sampler Foundation, the museum displays the oldest primitive carousel in the United States—along with a restored, fully operational 1913 carousel made in Leavenworth.
Charles Wallace Parker of Abilene purchased a used carousel in 1892 and became intrigued with fanciful amusement rides, especially the merry-go-round. The entrepreneur started producing small, portable carousels of the country fair-style, which were designated by elongated, carved horses, often without saddle girths. Parker’s carousels were prolific in Kansas, throughout the Heartland and the West. His manufacturing company expanded and relocated to Leavenworth in 1911, during the so-called golden age of the carousel; here the machines were produced until the mid-1950s.
Explore the fascinating history of the carousel and, with the price of admission, enjoy a ride on one of Parker’s carousels, including the 1913 Parker Carry-us-all #118. Kids young and old appreciate the charming step back in time that the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum offers.
Take a Spin! In August 2001, the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum acquired a second carousel, The Liberty, which was painstakingly restored during the course of a year. This classic 1950s portable machine, built by Parker’s son, features 20 aluminum horses and two benches, and can accommodate 24 people.
