Lee Richardson Zoo
312 E. Finnup Drive
PO Box 499
Garden City, Kansas 67846
Phone: (620) 276-1250
The population of animals on display at the zoo is as diverse as the human population of Garden City itself, hailing from far away places such as China, Japan, Australia, Africa, and South America to name a few. Approximately 300 animals representing nearly 100 different species inhabit the 47 acre zoo. A professional staff cares for animals ranging from the tiny Pekin Robin to the immense African Elephant.

Hutchinson Zoo
PO Box 1567
Hutchinson, Kansas 67504
Phone: (620) 694-2672

Sunset Zoological Park
2333 Oak Dr
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Phone: (785) 587-2737
All kinds of animals including endangered and threatened animals and plants.

Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center
625 N Hedville Rd
Salina, Kansas 67401
Phone: (785) 827-9488
Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center is now home to more than 65 species of animals.

Topeka Zoological Park
635 SW Gage Blvd
Topeka, Kansas 66606
Phone: (785) 272-5821
Elephants, Hippos, Giraffes, Lemurs, Colobus Monkeys, Tropical Rain Forest, Apes, Gorillas, Orangutans, Black Bears, Red Foxes in a large naturalistic exhibit, African hoofstock, Birds of Prey area, featuring birds from our Golden Eagle breeding program, The Children's Zoo, where it's OK to touch the animals, Lion's Pride, where a pride of lions can be observed from three different viewing spots.

Sedgwick County Zoo
5555 W Zoo Blvd
Wichita, Kansas 67212
Phone: (316) 942-2213
The 247-acre Sedgwick County Zoo opened in 1971 and has been ranked among the best zoos in the world. Displaying over 2,000 animals of 436 species, it is the number one tourist attraction in Kansas.

National Parks

Fort Scott National Historic Site
Fort Scott, Kansas
Phone: (620) 223-0310
Fort Scott National Historic Site consists of 20 historic structures, a parade ground and five acres of restored tallgrass prairie. A short walking trail takes you through a portion of the prairie. The site is open daily for self-guided tours. An audio-visual program orients visitors to the history of the site. Guided tours are offered daily at 1:00 p.m. during the summer.

Fort Larned National Historic Site
Larned, Kansas
Phone: (620) 285-6911
Fort Larned was established in 1859 as a base of military operations against hostile Indians of the Central Plains, to protect traffic along the Santa Fe Trail and as an agency for the administration of the Central Plains Indians by the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the terms of the Fort Wise Treaty of 1861. With nine restored buildings, it survives as one of the best examples of Indian Wars period forts.

Nicodemus National Historic Site
Larned, Kansas
Phone: (785) 839-4233
This area preserves, protects and interprets the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War.

Museums

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum
200 Southeast Fourth Street
Abilene, Kansas 67410
Phone: (877) RING IKE
The Eisenhower Presidential Center in Abilene, Kansas commemorates the spirit of the Allied Expeditionary Forces of World War II, as well as the administration of the 34th president of the United States. The Eisenhower family home is at the center of the complex. The Museum, built of native limestone, depicts President Eisenhower's life and career from his early childhood through his two terms in office as Chief Executive. Five major galleries include exhibits ranging from presidential gifts from the world's heads of state to highlights of Mamie Eisenhower as First Lady to the simple artifacts of everyday life. The Place of Meditation is the final resting place of the President, his wife and their first-born son, Doud Dwight Eisenhower. The Presidential Library preserves papers, audiovisual materials, and other historical items relating to President Eisenhower. The Library's research facilities have been utilized by scholars from all 50 states and many foreign countries.

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
213 N. Broadway
P.O. Box 35
Abilene, Kansas 67410
Phone: (785) 263-7403
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the history of sports for the state to serve as a source of education and inspiration to all generations. The mission is achieved through providing exhibits, archives, facilities, services and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports, have brought distinction to themselves, to their communities and to the entire state of Kansas.

Dalton Defenders Museum
113 East 8th
Coffeyville, Kansas
Today, it's the Downtown Plaza, but in 1892 it was the center of gunfire as local citizens fought for law and order and the end of the Dalton Gang! You can walk the very steps of the notorious Dalton Gang, from the Old Condon National Bank where the hold up was staged, to Death Alley where the four dead gang members were "laid out" awaiting burial. You'll step across brass markers in the sidewalks; these markers commemorate the four citizens who lost their lives in that gunfight on October 5, 1892. Just a mile south of the battle site, you can visit the Dalton graves in Elmwood Cemetery.

Johnston Geology Museum
ESU Cram Science Hall
14th and Merchant St.
Emporia, Kansas
Phone: (316) 341-5978
You can see a western Kansas Cretaceous mosasaur, a giant ground sloth, a mastodon tusk plus other displays in the ESU Geology Museum. The museum contains geological specimens predominantly from Kansas. Included among the 45 displays in the museum are the world famous Hamilton Quarry Fossil Assemblage, the Tri-State Mining Display, petrified tree stumps, and the Hawkins and the Calkins Indian Artifact Collections.

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center Museum
Hutchinson, Kansas
Phone: (800) 397-0330
Hall of Space Museum, IMAX theater, Planetarium and more.

Children's Museum of Kansas City
4601 State Avenue
Kansas City, Kansas 66102
Phone: (913) 287-8888
Explore a museum that invites them to "Touch everything!" Exhibits are designed to stimulate the imagination and creativity of children ages two through eight and encourage all-age family interaction.

Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center
1345 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, Kansas 66045
Phone: (785) 864-4450
The mission of the KU Natural History Museum is to study the life of the planet for the benefit of the earth and its inhabitants.

Clyde Tombaugh Observatory
500 Lindley Hall
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas 66045
Phone: (785) 864-3166
This University of Kansas facility opens its doors to the Douglas County community during special astronomical events and on a regular basis on the second and fourth Sundays of the month from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mid America Air Museum
2000 W. 2nd
Liberal, Kansas
Phone: (316) 624-5263
This exciting air museum, formerly known as the Liberal Air Museum, boasts the fifth largest collection of military and civilian aircraft in the United States. The museum is more than just aircraft. It houses one of the country's finest "hands-on" aviation science exhibits, hosts special events like its Liberal Air Show, and features aerospace education to students in its theater.

Wonder Workshop Children's Museum
Manhattan, Kansas
Wonder Workshop Children's Museum provides fun, interactive learning experiences and environments where youth, adolescents and their families come together to explore, discover, and create through exhibits and programs in the arts, sciences and humanities.

Pawnee Indian Village State Historic Site
Republic, Kansas
When you enter the modern museum at Pawnee Indian Village State Historic Site in north central Kansas, you'll find an excavated Pawnee earthlodge inside. A walking trail is located on the grounds and is dotted with the remains of the village - lodges, storage pits, plazas, and a fortification wall. Interpretive signage discusses these site features.

Wonderscope Children's Museum
5705 Flint Street
Shawnee, Kansas 66203
Phone: (913)268-8130
Enjoyable hands-on, interactive environment for children, their families, and school or community groups to explore science, technology, the arts, and humanities. Visitors are encouraged to make choices, invent, imagine, create, discover, play, and learn together. Exhibits and programs are designed to allow children, ages six months through 12 years, to experience the wonder of learning and enable adults and teenagers to participate in that adventure.

Kansas Aviation Museum
3350 George Washington Boulevard
Wichita, Kansas 67210
Phone: (316) 683-9242

Theme Parks, Amusement Parks & Water Parks

Joyland Amusement Park
Go-karts, bumper boats, roller coaster and picnic grounds for the family.
2801 S. Hillside
Wichita, Kansas 67216
Phone: (316) 684-0179

Family Activities

If you know of a family activity in Kansas, let us know and we will add it here.

Summer - Family Vacation Hot Spots (Beaches, Lakes, etc.)

Clinton Lake - Spans eight miles up the Wakarusa Valley and covers 7,000 surface acres. Small coves along the shore offer protected fishing spots. Several developed areas around the perimeter of the lake have hiking and mountain biking trails; swimming and water sports, boating and fishing, and picnicking and camping.

Lawrence Parks & Recreation Department
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
Phone: (785) 832-7900
Lawrence Parks and Recreation operates the community building and six recreation centers, including indoor and outdoor aquatics centers. It oversees the city's Prairie Park Nature Center and Eagle Bend Golf Course, in addition to 50 city parks and numerous city trails. It also sponsors a wide array of popular recreational classes in such varied areas as Hatha yoga, ballet, aerobics and bridge. It sponsors both adult and children's sports leagues and programs for individuals with disabilities.

Prairie Park Nature Center
2730 Harper St.
Lawrence, Kansas
Phone: (785) 832-7980
The Prairie Park Nature Center offers 72 acres of nature, including nine acres of virgin (never plowed) prairie with 180 species of native plants. It has a prairie observatory, a bird-watching area and a vast system of trails. Programs for children and adults are offered through the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Program. The programs are designed to be fun for all ages.

Wilson Lake - Fishing, swimming and camping. Wilson Lake is one of the clearest lakes in the state. Located about 50 miles west of Salina off I 70 and the Wilson exit.

Perry Lake - Hiking, fishing, swimming and camping. There are nine parks located around the lake with over 650 campsites. Be sure to visit the 30 mile recreation trail on the eastern shoreline. Located 17 miles northeast of Topeka on U.S. 24.

Eldorado Lake - Fishing, swimming and camping. Northeast of Wichita off I 35 and Kansas State Route 54.

Zoos, Museums, National Parks, and Amusement Park listed above.

Winter - Family Vacation Hot Spots (Ski Resorts, etc.)

Snow Creek Ski Area (located in Missouri near Kansas border)
P.O. Box 567
Weston, MO 64098
Phone: 816-640-2200
Snow Creek Ski Area is Northeast Kansas'/Missouri's only Alpine ski area. Facilities include nine intermediate trails, 2 triple chair lifts and 2 beginner areas with 3 rope tows. A day lodge features a cafeteria-style restaurant and a lounge, ski rental and ticket sales.

If you know of a fun winter family vacation spot in Kansas, let us know and we will add it here.

Helpful websites and services

If you know of a website or company that is helpful to families traveling to Kansas, let us know and we will add it here.

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(specials are updated weekly)
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