Kansas Museum of History
The Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, Kansas, USA, is the state history museum. It presents Kansas history from the prehistoric to modern eras in 30,000 square feet 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.
Important exhibited objects include:
- John Brown's pike
- William Quantrill's flag
- George Armstrong Custer's riding boots
- Carrie A. Nation's hammer
- William Allen White's printing press
- Dwight D. Eisenhower's World War II field jacket
The museum also holds one of the United States' largest collections of Civil War flags from African American regiments. At least one of these flags is always on display in the main gallery.
History
The museum is a division of the Kansas Historical Society, which was founded in 1875 by Kansas newspaper editors and publishers. Its first home was in the Kansas State Capitol. The current museum building was built in the 1980s to house the Society's object collections and exhibits. Dubbed the Kansas Museum of History, it opened in 1984 at an 80-acre site in west Topeka near the historic Potawatomi Mission. In addition to galleries, the building also houses a museum store, classrooms, and labs for conservation and exhibit fabrication.
In the mid-1990s, the rest of the Society's divisions moved to the new Center for Historical Research adjacent to the museum. Today the complex includes nature trails, an education and conference center, and a historic one-room school used for educational programs.
The museum's most popular programs include its changing exhibits schedule, the Cool Things section of the website (featuring interesting objects from the collections), and the related Cool Things podcasts.
Awards and honors
The Kansas Museum of History's main gallery and changing exhibits have won numerous Awards of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the American Association for State and Local History. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Visiting
The Museum is located at 6425 SW Sixth Avenue in western Topeka. It is easily accessible by car from exit 356 of Interstate 70.
The galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The facilities are closed on Mondays and state holidays. Group tours are available by appointment.
Admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, and $3 students, with a $1 discount for Kansas residents. Annual passes may be purchased. Group rates are available with prior notice. Society members, current military, and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge.
The grounds include free parking and picnic areas. The galleries are ADA accessible, and wheelchairs and/or strollers may be checked out at the front desk. There is a snack bar.
References
- "Building the Kansas Museum of History", Kansas History, Vol. 7, No. 1, Spring 1984. Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society, 40–45.
- "Voices from the Heartland: A Kansas Legacy", The Public Historian, Vol. 12, No. 1, Winter 1990. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California, 123–127.