Native American Experience

Prior to Kansas’ statehood, many American Indian peoples inhabited the lands. The Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, and Wichita tribes all considered present-day Kansas their home. Displaced from their original homelands, many emigrant tribes also occupied the area.

Lands in the West, including present-day Kansas, were determined to be unsuitable for white settlement. Nearly 30 American Indian tribes were relocated and given land in the areas with assurance by the government that they would not be moved. After the Civil War, conflicts between American Indians and the U.S. military occurred as white emigrants moved west to settle land in Kansas. One such encounter was the Battle of Arikaree in 1868.

Today, Kansas is home to four Indian reservations – the Iowa, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Sac and Fox. Museums and exhibits help you to discover the history of native people in Kansas – learn more below!

Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site

Features exhibits on the culture of the Pawnee Indians by using a combination of information from archeological investigation and...

Kaw Mission State Historic Site

Start of the Historic Tour of Council Grove. Mission school for state's namesake tribe, the Kaw or Kansas. Interpretation of the...

Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site

Come and see the manual training school attended by Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian nations from 1839 to 1862. The Shawnee...

Mid-America All-Indian Center & Museum

The only facility of its kind in Kansas that is solely dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich cultural history and...

Battle of Punished Woman's Fork at Battle Canyon

Travel to the place where the last Indian battle in Kansas was fought on September 27, 1878. Punished Woman’s Fork is about one...

El Cuartelejo Pueblo Ruins

Located within Historic Lake Scott State Park are the remains of a small seven-room pueblo and an extensive Plains Apache village....

Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park

Site of the Last Kaw (Kanza) Indian Village in Kansas prior to forced removal of the tribe (for which Kansas is named) to Oklahoma...

Chetopa Historical Museum

Artifacts, microfilm, genealogical research. Learn about Native-American Indian, Chief Che-to-pah.

Coronado Quivira Museum

The Coronado Quivira Museum focuses on the history of Rice County and Central Kansas. Exhibits feature the Quivira Indians,...

Crebbs Museum

Mabee Library is the newest building on the Sterling College campus, opening in April 1996. The Crebbs Museum, located in the...

Decatur County Antique Guild

A celebration of prairie life and history, the museum's 14 buildings house an impressive collection of artifacts. Learn about the...

Kansas Historical Society

This complex on 80 acres includes the Kansas Museum of History, State Archives & Library, Nature Trail, Potawatomi Mission and...

Grinter Place State Historic Site

Grinter Place State Historic Site offers the ideal setting for meetings, events and parties. Just minutes away from Kansas...

Haskell Indian Art Market

Annual art event at Haskell Indian Nation University. This colorful event attracts hundreds of visitors in search of Native...

Haskell Indian Nations University

Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) first opened its doors in 1884 as the United States Indian Industrial Training School. In...

Haskell Indian Nations University Cultural Center

Serving as a visitor center for Haskell Indian Nations University, the center features exhibits from the university's archival and...

Fort Larned National Historic Site

Fort Larned is the most complete and best preserved military post of the Indian Wars era on the Santa Fe Trail. The Fort consists...

Smoky Hill Museum

Whether your destination or just passing through, the Smoky Hill Museum in Salina, Kansas, has much to offer. The history of the...

Wakefield Museum

The Wakefield Museum, founded in 1974, consists of over 7,000 square feet of displays preserving the history of the Wakefield...

Oketo Community Museum

The main museum building is an 1884 store, with typical general merchandise displayed on the original counters and shelves. Other...

Kansas Territorial Capital Museum

Construction was begun in 1855 on the building intended as the Territorial Capitol but work was suspended in 1857 when it seemed...

Linn County Museum/Genealogy Library

Take a tour through the Linn County Museum and view some of the earliest history in Kansas. You will learn about the Indians who...

Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission State Historic Site

Exterior exhibits tell the story of the mission and those tribes that were brought here.

St. Marys Indian Pay Station Museum Complex

For special tours contact: Rita Muckenthaler 785-437-6387 The original building on this site, which still stands, was constructed...

Historic Adobe Museum Complex and Hotel Edwards

An Indian encampment on the banks of the Cimarron gives the visitor a glimpse into the life of the nomadic Indians who followed...

Geary County Historical Museum

This 3-story native limestone building is a unique and magnificent example of the stonecutters art. The museum served as a High...

Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection

Renowned artist Jerry Thomas kept his roots planted firmly in Kansas, using colorful mediums to depict life on the prairie. The...

Johnston Geology Museum

Internationally recognized Hamilton quarry fossil site help visitors appreciate the physical history of the prairie landscape....

Santa Fe Trail Center Museum and Library

A large museum tells the history of the Plains Indians, Mexicans and Americans along the historic route of the Santa Fe Trail....

Trail Days Cafe & Museum

Guests are transported back to a time when some homes along the Santa Fe Trail served as eating places. Delicious,...

Wilson County Historical Museum

Eclectic collection of pioneer and indian artifacts housed in former 1915 sheriff's residence and jail. Also houses extensive...

Rexford Hotel

14 Themed bedrooms reflecting area history, Indian Lodge common room, Snack area. RV hookups Rate- $75-$95 dbl occupancy

Marion Historical Museum

A wide variety of artifacts, keepsakes, and general memorabilia tell the story of the area. There are excellent biographies and...

Hamilton County Museum

Many interesting collections including western heritage, hospital and laundry equipment, Indian artifacts, locally found mammoth...

Kansas highlights

Haskell Cultural Center & Museum