As the last light of the sun hits the top of the historic Chase County Courthouse a trio of dancers swings to the music of a country band in the middle of Broadway Street in Cottonwood Falls. Begun in 1871 and completed in 1873, this building is the oldest county courthouse still in use in the state of Kansas and was designed by noted Kansas architect John G. Haskell of Lawrence.

For some people, an opportunity to travel is an opportunity to learn.

Kansas has several programs to assist people in doing just that, including many at Kansas University, said Jim Peters, the director of professional programs for KU’s Continuing Education.

At the school’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, several opportunities exist for people to learn on the go. Though the programming changes, courses are always available, many of them taught by KU faculty, Peters said.

In the past, the institute has offered daylong bus trips to various sites, including Leavenworth, Topeka and Council Grove.

Another trip went to Cottonwood Falls in Chase County.

“It’s an educational thing, not just a recreational thing,” Peters said. Groups are accompanied by a guide who imparts knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Courses are also taught at various sites, including KU’s Lawrence campus, but also in retirement communities and other places throughout eastern and central Kansas.

One course focuses on how to keep a travel journal, for example, Peters said.

“There’s no test. There’s no studying. They just show up and soak stuff up,” he said.

The programming is designed for people 55 and older, but it’s open to all ages, and even teenagers sign up, Peters said.

Most courses are taught in three two-hour segments and cost about $30 to $35. Bus tours typically cost slightly more, he said, because of the additional cost of meals and other travel-related expenses.

Some of the other courses include travelogues, where people will come in and discuss a particular destination. Some of the courses are broadcast to community colleges throughout the state.

Anyone may peruse the list of available courses and enroll at the program’s Web site at www.continuinged.ku.edu or by calling toll-free at 877-404-5823.

Another option for travelers looking to learn something along the way is the Elderhostel program, which operates in every state.

That program is for people 55 and older; in some cases people accompanying someone 55 or older may attend.

For Elderhostel, too, programming changes occasionally, said Despina Gakopoulos, a spokeswoman for the organization.

This year, the program is offering two trips in Kansas. One, based in Council Grove, is called “Harry and Ike: Great Presidents from America’s Heartland.”

That program includes day trips to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Mo., and to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.

The historic role of Emporia newspaper publisher William Allen White is also explored.

Elderhostel’s programming has been around since 1975, Gakopoulos said, and has been popular with its target demographic.

At the program’s Web site, www.elderhostel.org, a list of programs from all 50 states and other countries is available.

The organization is not-for-profit and all of its pricing is available on its site, she said.

Another Kansas program available through Elderhostel allows adults to bring along grandchildren ages 10 to 15 to visit the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson.

Both programs are more expensive than the KU options, but involve multiple-night stays in hotels. The Hutchinson program, for example, costs $977 for five nights, but rates are available without hotels for commuters.

“We’re always developing new programs,” Gakopoulos said, but popular ones — such as one on the history and culture of New Orleans — tend to stick around from year to year.