This is a gem of a museum. We typically travel through Hayes twice a year and have been wanting to…read morevisit the Sternberg Museum. So, we finally planned our itinerary so we would be in Hays when the museum was open and when we could allow time for a visit. We were not disappointed. The staff at the front desk were amazing, especially the gentleman who I learned later was actually a paleontologist. He was very eager to talk about the museum and what attracted us to it. The main exhibits are on the 2nd level with a large, walk-through diarama on the 3rd floor. The exhibits were great - especially the famous "fish-in-a-fish" fossil. If you have any interest in natural history, you need to visit the Sternberg Museum.

The Sternberg is more than a natural history museum, it's an all immersive experience…read more Its exhibits go into great detail to show what Kansas life was from a few hundred years ago to a few million years ago. Dinosaurs, fossils, fish and wildlife, local settlers and inhabitants. It's all here. One of my favorite exhibits features live reptiles from the local habitat (turtles, lizards, etc...) that are paired up with displays to show how they evolved to their present state. I also like the educational discovery rooms. These rooms are full of toys, books and games. There's even a whale's skull. Do you want to dig for fossils? There's a pit where you and your youngsters can dig until your heart is content. Please watch the museum's website. They post interactive educational activities that are fun for all ages. I visited for a couple of hours. I could have stayed longer. I highly recommend.

Out in the middle of nowhere, about halfway between Kansas City and Denver (10 miles west of Hays)…read moreis this delightful museum of railroad memorabilia. It's a little haphazard, but it's worth a stop to stretch your legs and break up the monotony of the drive across western Kansas.THe Museum has lots of neat photos and artifacts from when Ellis was a major railroad town along the UPRR. There's also a great model train layout in the back room.

This was a great historical site visit. When I visit places, I am interested in the rich history so…read moreI try to schedule a trip somewhere while we are visiting to give me the history. Fort Hays Historical Site is the location of Fort Hays, Kansas and it's inception. This was formerly names Fort Fletcher but was renamed. This Fort was a very important part of defending our Nation's Union Army during the Civil War. I have often been educated by my family members about the Black Soldiers who fought alongside the Union Army; the were The Buffalo Soldiers. They were also stationed here at Fort Hays. It was great to see all of the exhibits. 3 original buildings remain on the land: 1. The Blockhouse, 2. The Guardhouse (Jail), and 3. The Enlisted Officer's Homes. This is where General Custer and his wife lived while he was stationed at Fort Hays. I highly recommend visiting this place if you are ever in Kansas. Thank you Kansas for maintaining our rich American History.

We made a side trip while in Kansas to see this fort. Completely happy we did. Not many buildings…read moreon the grounds, but is there is impressive. The displays are top notch. Staff is friendly and proud of the site. Kansas does it right!

Definitely the weirdest and quirkiest place I have been to in all my travels. Certainly very unique…read moreand I was not expecting to see The Main Dude in a state of decomposition in the backyard mausoleum. Yes, the embalmed body of the guy who built the Garden of Eden is on display in a glass-topped coffin. The entire place is bizarre and is built out of concrete. And the construction did not begin till the artist - an eccentric civil war vet with WILD political and religious ideas - was well into his 60s. The guided tour is nice and gives a good history about the place and the artist. Recommend visiting if you are in the Lucas/Wilson area. Weird. Delightfully weird.

My wife and I decided to take a different route home from Colorado to Texas and ended up cutting…read morethrough Kansas. On the way, we saw a sign for Garden of Eden as we travelled on I-70. We are so happy we took the time to go off the beaten path to see this place! Unfortunately, it had closed an hour or so prior by the time we arrived, so we could only read the signs outside and observe the exterior art. We really would have loved to see the inside. This is definitely a hidden gem and something out of the norm!

Don't go out of your way. We spent 25-30 minutes looking at crumbling buildings. The history of…read moreNicodemus - the past - is glorious and uplifting. The present tense is not worth the trip unless you find yourself driving along Kansas-24 and need a short break from the road.

Nice little NPS site. Very glad they are preserving this part of American history. Very friendly…read moreand informative rangers. Decent junior ranger program. There is just not a lot of the history to engage with onsite. If in area, definitely worth a visit.

I visited south central Kansas recently. If you asked me what I most remembered about my visit, I…read morewould say "ghosts" and "Ellinwood Underground Tunnels." If you're in Ellinwood or anywhere near this area, you need to take the tour. It's so interesting! There are tunnels under this small Kansas town, and the public (you) can experience them. The tour will lead you through a portion of the network of tunnels, and the tour guide will tell you all about the history. The tour starts at the Ellinwood Emporium, a charming little thrift/vintage store. You'll descend some stairs to the underground tunnels, where you'll learn about the activity that was happening in the tunnels in the late 1800s. The tunnels were a place to get a haircut and a shave, a place to bathe, a place to shop and relax. But also: Apparently, some stuff went down and now the tunnels also house spirits. There's one room that you'll see on the tour that the owner will not walk into, because there's a spirit in there that he doesn't want to mess with. Each room that you see on the tour is grim and creepy. The space in the Ellinwood Tunnels is heady, and is definitely housing some sort of bad energy, if you ask me. Head's up: This tour is not wheelchair- or stroller-friendly. You need to be able to climb down and up some steep stairs, and then navigate your way through tunnels, which have uneven ground.

It makes me sad that there aren't many reviews for these underground tunnels (outside of Yelp as…read morewell.) This was one of the most fascinating things we did while visiting this part of the country and I really wish that it was more of a destination. Listen, I understand. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere and the square footage is pretty low. However, Rick, the guide and owner (??) of the antique shop that sits above one portion of the tunnels is an incredible story teller and he has actual items that lived in and were used in the underground portion of this town. It's like a time capsule. I've been on other underground tours (like in Seattle) and even though they're more visited and more well known, they don't hold a candle to what Rick has. This isn't a kitschy, fake tour. This is about real and actual history, with real, appropriate artifacts and I loved it. The tour when you come back upstairs and head across the street to the hotel is a little bit different. The building, including the underground, was empty when they purchased it so all the items they have down there are found, bought or donated. But at least they are honest about it and don't make up fake stories for you. It's such a cool thing to do for such a minimal fee. I'd recommend this tour to anyone.

We visited this place today and actually I thought it deserved four stars, but more about that…read morelater. Lucas is a tiny town, but it's become a center of grassroots art (for example, self-taught artists and folk art/etc.). The Grassroots Art Center has a permanent exhibit for which the charge is $6.50 (it's not a real large exhibit, but there's some neat stuff) and it also has some colorful items for sale in the main room. In addition, there's a good-sized room where lectures are given. The woman working there today was very enthusiastic (also a little pushy, but we ended up really benefiting from our visit and therefore I don't begrudge her). We wanted to visit the infamous Florence Deeble House, and someone from the Grassroots Art Center needs to take people there (it's free of charge). It just so happened that a festival was held in Lucas today, and the artist who made all of the items on the walls of the house was in town. The woman at the Grassroots Arts Center had the artist take us and another couple on a tour of the house - and that house is FASCINATING! The artist (Pilar) has - during the past 11 (I think) years - made *thousands* of colorful, unusual and fascinating objects that are hanging all over each wall in the house. It's truly indescribable and she told us many interesting anecdotes. If you're within a few hours of Lucas, I highly recommend a visit (there's little else to see, with the exception of Eric Abraham's Flying Pig Studio and Gallery [see my separate review] - and admittedly Pilar isn't often available to give tours of the Deeble House - but we were enthralled). The reason why I gave five stars is because the Grassroots Art Center enables a visit to the extraordinary Florence Deeble House. HOURS: May-September: 10-5 on Monday-Saturday and 1-5 on Sunday. October-April: 10-4 on Thursday-Saturday & Monday, and 1-4 on Sunday.

What a fun place to explore! It's a good sized museum exhibiting midwestern grassroots artists. If…read moreyou go outside there is a nice display of local limestone. Be sure to ask about the Diebel house down the street - it's a great companion to the main museum.