Culture and Roadside Attractions in Kansas

Roadtripping through Kansas might not sound like the most exciting thing, but you’d be surprised. There are roadside attractions in Kansas all over, and some of these attractions have considerable cultural value. (Also, there is great hiking! Don’t believe us? Read up on some of your options in our post on Hiking Trails in Kansas).

TL;DR If you are trekking across Kansas, be sure to give some of these places a look. You won’t be disappointed, especially if you enjoy the unique and sometimes strange nature of roadside attractions.

Culture in Kansas

(Note that we won’t be covering Kansas City here, because we will have an entire post on that soon!)

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

These days our history of fighting racism is just as important as ever. Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is a museum within the Monroe school, which became the epicenter of the fight to desegregate schools in the United States. Visitors to this place will have the opportunity to explore the school, learn more about the history surrounding this struggle. In many ways, it’s like stepping back in time and it’s one of the highest quality “roadside attractions in Kansas” – in this case, I’m only including it in this list because it belongs on everyone’s Kansas roadtrip.

That all being said, this national historic site isn’t just about the past, there are rooms in the museum that cover racism in the US now as well. And these exhibits are highly immersive and emotional. As a white person who was born and raised in the United States, I think this is a great place to feel a little of the emotions that racism forces BIPOC to experience. We need this understanding in order to be better allies. It’s not an easy experience, but the exhibit isn’t meant to be easy, it’s meant to be educational.

The staff at Brown v. Board of Education are also amazing, lovely people that are happy to talk with you and help you navigate the museum. In terms of history and culture, I think this is a MUST see if you are visiting Kansas.

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: Free

Facilities: Yes

Address: 1515 SE Monroe St, Topeka, KS 66612

St. Fidelis Basilica

The St. Fidelis Basilica, also known as the Cathedral of the Plains, is a church on par with the historic, marvels of architecture and art that you might see in New York City or even Europe. It’s a complete surprise to find this stunning Catholic place of worship amide the rolling plains of western Kansas. That being said, its interior fits with the environment of Kansas in a very subtle and artful way such that it feels like it belongs. The surrounding town of Victoria is also very lovely as well.

Remember, if you visit this cultural “roadside attraction in Kansas,” this is an active place of worship. Please respect it as such. A good rule of thumb would be to avoid visiting during mass unless you would like to participate, and if you visit during a service, absolutely no pictures.

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: Free

Facilities: No

Getting there:

Victoria is just a few minutes east of Hays on the I-70. You can exit on the 255 and follow this right into town. The church is right on this street.

Sternberg Museum of Natural History

If you visit Hays, you are bound to see billboards for Sternberg Museum of Natural History. While I can’t say that this is one of the best natural history museums that I have ever visited, if you go with expectations tempered by the fact that this is an institution in a small city in the west of Kansas, you will really enjoy this museum.

They have done a really good job creating immersion with the resources that they have, and I must say, their dinosaur exhibit is pretty magical. I am OBSESSED with immersive museum experiences, so I really enjoyed taking a stroll through the Earth’s ancient past. There are also some really fascinating paintings and specimens throughout Sternberg Museum of Natural History. Really, if you enjoy the natural world and you are in Hays, make sure to take a peek at this cultural “roadside attraction in Kansas!”

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: Adults $9

Facilities: Yes

Address: 3000 Sternberg Dr, Hays, KS 67601

Roadside Attractions in Kansas

Strataca: The Kansas Underground Salt Museum

Of all the roadside attractions in Kansas that I’ve seen, Strataca is my favorite. (Some might not consider Strataca a roadside attraction… but I do because it’s on the side of a random road and it’s a great attraction.) Whatever your opinion, I’d highly recommend this place to anyone who doesn’t mind being deep underground.

I really like caves… even though I think I am a bit too claustrophobic to ever really go caving. So, I have to get my cave fixes via tours. If you are the same, a salt mine is a really interesting way to visit the underground world, learn more about an industry, and see something unique.

The tour will take you below ground, where you can spend some time exploring the museum. This covers the salt mine itself, as well as the fascinating history of the things that are stored in salt mines. Yes, I was unaware, but salt mines are a great place to store historic materials, in Strataca’s case, the Underground Vault, which includes movie props and reels. After the museum, you can take a couple rides (a little train and a little tram) around the mine to see more of its depths in a safe manner.

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: $19.00 for the adult Blast Pass (which is what we got)

Facilities: Yes

Getting there:

Strataca is just outside of Hutchinson, north of the US-50. In order to get there, approach Hutchinson, and either take the 50 east out of town, or if you are coming west into Hutchinson, exit the 50 just east of town on Yoder Road.

Monument Rocks National Landmark

I debated whether to put this in my hiking post or roadside attractions in Kansas post, and I ended up putting it here because there isn’t really much hiking to be done here. That being said, Monument Rocks is a beautiful natural formation- that’s also really surprising.

If someone asked you if you thought there were badlands in Kansas, what would you say? Maybe you know Kansas better than I did, but I never would have guessed that it does! It just doesn’t fit my imagined image of the endless plains of crop plants.

Of course, being a desert lady, this isn’t much of a “bad” land, but it is quite a bit more arid than other portions of the state, and it’s just downright awe-inspiring. What’s great is that you can visit these amazing formations for free (as long as visitors keep respecting the private landowners that care for this land).

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: Free

Facilities: No

Getting there:

Take the I-70 west of Hays, and exit on the 83 going south. From the 83 you will take several small, local roads, so I would highly suggest that you load this up on Google Maps before you head out.

The Big Well Museum

Take one guess what you can see at the Big Well Museum…

Did you guess a big well?

If so, you are right! The Big Well Museum, in the middle of Greenburg, is a home to the “world’s largest hand dug well.” And it’s pretty cool. The well itself has a circular stairwell that you can walk down to experience the scale of the well (it’s big). You will also be given a penny with your entrance ticket that you can use at the bottom of the stairs to make a wish.

Besides the well, the attached museum covers the history of Greenburg and covers a catastrophic tornado that almost completely destroyed the town in 2007 and killed 11 people. I wasn’t expecting to experience such a sobering exhibit next to the Big Well, but considering that EF5 tornado didn’t destroy the historic landmark, this makes some sense. The Big Well survived this tragedy and now serves a linchpin of sort for the past and future of Greenburg. What’s really amazing about this town is that since 2007, they have decided to rebuild as a green town. So, if you believe in sustainability, give them a visit!

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: $8 for adults

Facilities: Yes

Getting there:

Take the 400 west out of Wichita until you make it to Greenburg!

Two Roadside Attractions in Kansas that I am Sad to Have Missed

Mount Sunflower

Don’t let the name deceive you, while Mount Sunflower is the highpoint of Kansas, it is not a mountain. While I haven’t been able to visit myself, I’ve seen pictures. You’d do better trying to visualize this place if you imagine very gently rolling hills in the drier, western part of Kansas. You will know that you are there because the owners of this land have built a very beautiful little marker with the highpoint name and as far as I understand, a little registry for people who “summit.”

Since I enjoy visiting highpoints, Mount Sunflower was on my list of roadside attractions in Kansas to see, but we were unable to go because of how far away it was from the western-most place that we stayed on our roadtrip. If you aren’t into bagging highpoints, or aren’t on your way into Colorado, or back in Kansas from Colorado, this little spot might be a bit disappointing. However, if any of those things apply to you, definitely do visit. This is a very unique little highpoint.

That all being said, Mount Sunflower is on private property and the owners are doing the world a favor by allowing us to visit. Be supremely respectful of their land. Do not use the restroom here or bother any of the homes.

Need to know information:

Entrance fee: Free

Facilities: No

Getting there:

Mount Sunflower is between the I-70 to the north, the 40 to the south, and the 385 and 27 to the west and east respectively. You will need to take country roads to get there, so I would suggest getting your exact directions from Google before you leave your home base.

The World’s Largest Ball of Twine

Whether this is true or not, the World’s Biggest Ball of Twine seems to me to be the most quintessential of the roadside attractions in Kansas, if not the world. So, while I don’t think this would have been the most engaging of places to visit, I am sad to have missed it. Once again, we weren’t able to hit the big ball o’twine because of how far away it was from our primary roadtrip route.

To learn more about the history of this classic roadside attraction check out Roadside America’s story! Seems that there is quite an interesting community that has popped up around this man-made wonder.

If you do make the trek out to see it, be sure to also enjoy Glen Elder State Park as well.

Getting There:

From Salina, KS head north on the 81 to the 24 which you will take west to Cawker City. The Ball of Twine is smack-dab in the middle of town.

One Stop for Sugar Addicts

Wichita Dessert Stop: Churn and Burn

For you dessert lovers out there, whether you are passing through Wichita or staying there for a time, be sure to give Churn and Burn a look. This unassuming little shop serves and interesting mix of coffee and ice cream that’s delicious and fresh. It’s the perfect place for a snack while exploring the roadside attractions of Kansas.

For up-to-date hours, check the Churn and Burn website.

Address: 548 South, Oliver, Wichita, KS 67218

More thoughts on visiting Kansas…

Visit our Guide to Kansas for our hub of information for history and nature-loving travelers to this Midwestern US state.

And if you’d like to know how to visit all these places on a roadtrip, be sure to give our Kansas itinerary a look.

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