The Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan offers two floors of exhibits dedicated to the Flint Hills tall-grass prairie ecosystem and a rooftop garden that provides a view of the city and Kansas River valley.

Why go there?

Manhattan is home to Kansas State University and is nestled in the Kansas Flint Hills. The state’s largest reservoir, Tuttle Creek Lake, is 4 miles to the northeast.

K-State’s presence shaped the community. Aggieville, a student shopping/entertainment center sprung up immediately to the southeast of the university and now covers about five square blocks. Visitors will find other shopping and entertainment opportunities in the historic downtown near the city’s eastern and southern gateways.

What to do there:

Manhattan is in the Flint Hills, a rugged terrain formed by erosion and shaped, in part, by the presence of the Nemaha Mountain range buried below the surface.

The city and area offer various ways to enjoy and learn about the Flint Hills. One, the Flint Hills Discovery Center, 315 S. Third St., announces itself to visitors at the city’s main gateway off Kansas Highway 177, which links Manhattan to Interstate 70 about 9 miles to the south.

The Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan offers two floors of exhibits dedicated to the Flint Hills tall-grass prairie ecosystem and a rooftop garden that provides a view of the city and Kansas River valley.

The Discovery Center opened in April 2012 with the mission of inspiring people to care, explore and celebrate the Flint Hills tall-grass prairie ecosystem. It has public access areas, including a ground-floor information center on Flint Hills attractions and a rooftop garden with a view of the city and the Kansas River. The “Amazing Dinosaurs!” exhibit will run from May 14 through Sept. 11. Promotional materials promise visitors will be able to “touch real dinosaur teeth and bone, explore their habitat, stand in their tracks and even dress up as a dinosaur.”

Admission is $4 for children ages 2 to 17, $7 for college students, teachers or those 65 or older, and $9 for adults. To learn more, visit the center’s website at flinthillsdiscoverycenter.org.

For those looking for a more direct experience with the Flint Hills, the Konza Prairie offers hiking trails of 1.4, 4.5 and 6 miles. The Konza Prairie is on the scenic McDowell Creek Road about 8 miles south of Manhattan or 2 miles north of 1-70.

For the kids:

If the dinosaur exhibit at the Flint Hills Discovery Center doesn’t quench the young ones’ thirst for things wild, a trip to Sunset Zoo might be in order. On display is a menagerie of animals, including chimpanzees, red pandas, a large prairie dog town, caimans, black swans and much more. Ticket information and directions can be found at sunsetzoo.com.

Also near:

Fort Riley, an active U.S. Army base, is about 7 miles southwest of Manhattan on Kansas Highway 18. The fort dates to the 1850s and served as home for U.S. Calvary units, including the famed Seventh Calvary. It has been the home of all or part of the 1st Infantry Division since 1917. Both histories are honored with museums and historic sites open to the public. The sites include Custer House, a set of officers’ quarters dating to the 1850s and named for George Armstrong Custer, who lived there with his wife while serving with the Seventh Cavalry; the United States Cavalry Museum and Vehicle Display; and the Fort Riley U.S. 1st Infantry Division Museum, which tells of the “Big Red 1” from 1917 to present. For more information, visit www.kansastravel.org/fortriley2.htm.

Mark the date

The annual outdoor country music festival, the Kicker Country Stampede, will return June 23-25 to Tuttle Creek State Park. Music starts at 2 p.m. with the headline acts taking the stage at 10 p.m.

This year’s main stage lineup will have 15 acts, including headliners Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen. Information on tickets, camping availability and more can be found at countrystampede.com.