The Kansas Cosmosphere

What was once an inland sea has, over millions of years, transformed into a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, sightseers, town hoppers, concert goers and sports fans.

Central Kansas is full of towns, both small and large that offer something for everybody, no matter the interest, said Ron Kaufman, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism.

“You can spend a lot of time learning about history or spend time in Hutchinson at the Cosmosphere learning about space. It goes from the past to the future,” Kaufman said. “And you can drive through the Flint Hills, which are elevated, or go to the salt mine, which is called Strataca, which goes 600 feet underground.”

Heading into Central Kansas there are several possible airports to choose from, but the smartest option for someone hoping to dive directly into the culture and the landscape would be to drive, Kaufman said.

“Driving is the way to go when you want to spend some time in the area,” he said. “That way you can get off on to the side roads and spend some time seeing the sights, talking to the people and visiting the communities.”

“With an automobile you can immerse yourself in the area,” he said.

A few other Central Kansas towns to visit might include Strong City, Salina, Pratt, Great Bend, Lindsborg and Newton.

What to do

Hutchinson – Take a tour through an underground world of engineering marvels at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Strataca. The museum boasts a 650-foot drop down a mine shaft and a tram ride through the depths of the mine. Hard hats are mandatory through portions of the tour, but visitors may collect their own souvenir piece of salt.

Put your space suits on and take a trip to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. There you’ll find a gallery of newer and decades-old space artifacts, a digital dome theater for documentaries and adventure movies, a planetarium and a science lab with an interactive and explosive show.

Wichita – Take a walk on the wild side at the Sedgwick County Zoo, which opens Memorial Day weekend. This year the zoo will have a brand new exhibit, Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley, which boasts more than five acres of space, an indoor facility, a 550,000-gallon elephant pool, waterfall and water cannon.

Alongside the zoo, Wichita is home to dozens of museums, a variety of shopping districts and a number of festivals throughout the year. Two sports teams also reside in the town, the Wichita Force indoor football team and the Wichita Wingnuts baseball team.

Elephants at the Sedgwick County Zoo

Abilene – The Russell Stover Candies Factory and Outlet Store offers a wide variety of treats, including gourmet caramel apples, over 30 flavors of chocolates by the piece or by the pound, handmade fudge in 20 different flavors, a fully equipped espresso bar, nearly 50 flavors of jelly beans and more.

Things to see

The Flint Hills national Scenic Byway is a must-see of Central Kansas, Kaufman said. The entire drive offers unforgettable panoramas and a glimpse of what the wild frontier looked like.

In spring controlled burns cover the land, which is soon followed by a spectacular sprouting of green grass, Kaufman said.

“The Flint Hills are the result of erosion. A variety of streams and rivers cut through the floor of the old sea bed and created a number of canyons and valleys,” he said.

The Flint Hills

“The Flint Hills National Scenic Byway runs from Council Grove down to Cassoday and through the heart of the Flint Hills. It’s a beautiful, beautiful drive and with the tallgrass prairie ecosystem it’s one of the last vestiges of tallgrass prairie in the country,” Kaufman added. “You could go nuts if that’s what you’re interested in.”

Along the byway, near Strong City, rests the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, which offers an up close look at one of Kansas’s natural treasures, Kaufman said.

All throughout the central portion of the state are undiscovered outdoor adventures.

“There’s good driving and hiking, of course. The central part of the state is great for hunting and fishing,” Kaufman said. “You can spend several days in some of the communities. There are beautiful places to stay, wonderful bed and breakfasts, great hotels and, of course, we have campgrounds and cabins out at some of the lakes.”

Also, for outdoor lovers and birdwatchers, Cheyenne Bottoms in Barton County is a 41,000-acre basin that is a major byway for hundreds of birds known to inhabit Kansas and the rest of the country. Approximately 138 species breed and nest in the area, and around 70 species of birds live there year round.

For the family

Hutchinson – Between Sept. 9-18, Hutchinson will host the Kansas State Fair, featuring concerts, comic performances, a demolition derby, 4-H projects, food and more. The fair has been held in Hutchinson for more than a century. This year’s live entertainment guests include Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gabriel Iglesias and Crowder.

Wichita – Between July 29 and Aug. 13, Wichita will host the National Baseball Congress World Series at the Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The series is an organization of amateur and semiprofessional baseball leagues from both the United States and Canada. Over the course of the series more than 50 teams will compete.

Abilene – Abilene was home to the only 5-Star General who became president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Now the town commemorates the past president with the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home. There visitors may see enough historical records, papers, photographs, films and artifacts to last a lifetime. The museum is a tribute to Eisenhower’s childhood, military career and years of presidency.