Best things to do in Topeka

The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861. It is the second building to serve as the Kansas Capitol.
The dome, at 304ft, is taller than the 288ft United States Capitol dome, although its diameter (50ft) is approximately half that of the national capitol (96ft). It is one of the few capitols in the United States that continues to offer tours that go to the top of the dome. Visitors enter the dome by climbing 296 steps leading from the fifth floor to the top.
19th centuryThe land for Capitol Square was donated by Cyrus K. Holliday via his Topeka Town Company in 1862. The master architect was Edward Townsend Mix with the wings designed by John G. Haskell. Construction on the East Wing began in 1866, using "native" limestone from Geary County, Kansas. Construction began on the West Wing in 1879 using limestone from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas and in 1881, the legislature authorized and appropriated funds for the construction of a central building to link the two wings. Construction of this central building began in 1886, and the contract for dome construction was let in May, 1889.
20th centuryThe building was declared officially complete in 1903, after 37 years of construction.

The Evel Knievel Museum is a non-profit museum located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. The museum houses the largest collection of authentic Evel Knievel memorabilia in the world, including interactive experiences. It is 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) and two stories. The museum is located adjacent to Topeka’s Historic Harley-Davidson and opened in June 2017.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park was established in Topeka, Kansas, on October 26, 1992, by the United States Congress to commemorate the landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Brown v. Board of Education aimed at ending racial segregation in public schools. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously declared that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and, as such, violated the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws."

The National Historical Park consists of Monroe Elementary School, one of the four segregated elementary schools for African American children in Topeka, and the adjacent grounds. It was originally known as Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site until it was redesignated and expanded on May 13, 2022. The Park will also include Summerton High School and Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton, South Carolina, upon acquisition of property. Five additional schools were authorized as affiliated areas of the National Park Service: Robert Russa Moton School in Farmville, Virginia; Howard High School in Wilmington, Delaware; Claymont High School in Claymont, Delaware; Hockessin Colored School #107 in Hockessin, Delaware; and John Philip Sousa Junior High School in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service will not own these sites but will provide financial and technical assistance to exhibit their history.
The Brown v. Board of Education case was consolidated with four other cases on school segregation: Briggs v. Elliott (filed in South Carolina), Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (filed in Virginia), Gebhart v. Belton (filed in Delaware), and Bolling v. Sharpe (filed in Washington, D.C.). Inclusion of the history of these schools will show a broader story of educational racism and the legal fight against it.

The Kansas Museum of History is the state historical museum in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It presents Kansas history from the prehistoric to modern eras in 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of exhibits. The galleries feature a train (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe locomotive with two cars), full-sized tipi in the Southern Cheyenne style, a 1950s diner, and many other large features. Major topics covered in the main gallery include Native American tribal history, westward movement on the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, early settlers, the Bleeding Kansas and Civil War eras, and Populism at the turn of the 20th century.

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center is a nonprofit children's museum for children and families to explore and discover science, art, engineering, and nature together. The Discovery Center is located in Topeka's treasured Gage Park at 4400 SW 10th Ave Topeka, Kansas.

Daily admission prices: $10.00 adults, $8.00 for military, professional educators, college students & seniors (65+) and $5.00 for youth (2-17) . Children under 2 years old are always free!

Call 785-587-2726 or email membership.fhdc@cityofmhk.com to discuss the perks of membership.

School group and group pricing is available!

We are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

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Massachusetts Street (often referred to colloquially as either Mass Street or Mass) is the main street that runs through the central business district of downtown Lawrence, Kansas. It begins just south of the Kansas River at Sixth Street and continues south until reaching Haskell Indian Nations University. The street was given its name by members of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, most of whom were from the state of Massachusetts. In 2014, Mass Street was named the most popular tourist attraction in Kansas by TripAdvisor.

The 600 through 1200 block of Massachusetts is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Lawrence's Historical District. Most of the buildings were built between 1856 and 1953. Listed separately under the National Register are the Eldridge Hotel, the Douglas County Courthouse and Watkins National Bank (now Watkins Community Museum). Other listings along Mass Street but not located downtown are the Breezedale Historic District, the Goodrich House, the Edward House House, the Mackie House and the Roberts House (now the Castle Tea Room that was designed by Kansas State Capitol architect John G. Haskell).

Other historic businesses and sites of interest along Massachusetts Street are Liberty Hall, the Free State Brewing Company (Kansas' first legal brewery in over 100 years), the Round Corner Pharmacy (which was the longest-running pharmacy in the state until closing in 2009), the House Building (the only downtown building to survive Quantrill's Raid), the Replay Lounge, the Granada (a former theater and popular music venue), South Park (a city park established when Lawrence was founded in 1854), and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School (located in a former high school built in 1923).

The entrance to the Ted Ensley Gardens is our Trailhead shelter and restroom located just north of 37th and West Edge Rd. From there you walk through a beautiful 60 ft. covered bridge over a rocky stream. Then you stroll on the sidewalks through a meditation garden, rock gardens, many annual and perennial beds, rose gardens, and water gardens. There is also a gazebo, pergola, waterfalls, streams, and several ponds.

The Ted Ensley Gardens are a great place to take in the beauty of nature. The Horticulturists, with the assistance of volunteers plant more than 80,000 Tulips and Daffodils that are in full bloom for the annual Tulip Time in Topeka. In May more than 90,000 annuals are planted in beds throughout the gardens.

Come & explore over 100 years of OZ history, from 1st edition L. Frank Baum books to the most current collectible pieces. Shop the OZ Museum gift shop for everything from exclusive apparel to water globes and other unique souvenirs!

Admission Prices:

Adult (13 and up): $9.00

Child (3-12): $7.00

2 and under: FREE

We offer discounts with military IDs, college IDs, and Groups with at least 15 members. Residents of Pottawatomie County, KS also will receive a discounted rate (please call).

Discounted rates are as follows:

Military Adult: $7.00

Military Child: $5.00

College ID: (cardholder only) $7.00

Group Adult: $7.00

Group Child: $5.00

We are only closed three days out of the year: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter Day.

At Combat Air Museum, you can see a collection of aircraft engines, military aircraft, aviation memorabilia, and recreated German POW barracks. The collections cover a range of time periods, from World War I to the space shuttle program. Please be sure to go to the website for accurate opening hours, pricing information, upcoming events and/or classes, and other important practical information you may need to know.