We have fine for several years in a row. The artists being booked has regressed but we always have…read morea blast. Their security is nice. The food vendors are as well! The whole camping/clamping situation is very unorganized. But we will be back.

The Country Stampede has been a summer event in Kansas for almost 20 years now. They have 4 days of…read moretop country music artists come in to perform each afternoon and evening. In 2013, the headliners were Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins and Miranda Lambert. Over 160,000 people show up for the event. And, It's hot. If it rains, it gets muddy and stinky. But still, people come in droves. They camp there and they stay in the hotels in Manhattan, and they drive in from all over the US. This is the "biggest party on the plains". This was my first year to attend the Stampede. The staff and vendors were all wonderful. The Performers were all top notch, and even the people attending were fun to talk to. Lots of bare skin - as the temps were in the 90's and no shade - although as the sun set, it became comfortable and a beautiful evening to be out. Oh yeah, and it's LOUD. No joke - wear ear protection! At first pass, the tickets seem a bit steep, but after attending the event, I get it. There are all kinds of various packages you can purchase, but a basic 1-day event ticket is about $80. That's to see 4 - 5 different artists perform! Concert tickets generally run $80 a piece! Definitely a bargain. Plus, the 94.5 Country radio station in Topeka was practically handing them out this year - for a month before the event they gave them away on air, at remotes, and with online contests. Sure, you had to win them, but there were SO many opportunities to get your hands on some free tickets. Lastly, there are a bunch of freebie-giveaways from the vendors. (Rockstar was giving away free, full size beverages, for example.) There was also a bunch of expensive stuff to purchase. Tickets to use at the vendors were $5 for 8 tickets. 0.63 cents each. Prices were typical of a festival and so were the offerings. Corn Dogs to Ice Cream, Funnel Cakes and BBQ. Nothing healthy whatsoever - so don't go looking for it. ;) So, if you go, WEAR SUNBLOCK, take earplugs, and eat before you go. ;)

A lovely Art Deco building with very friendly ushers. The seats and carpeting feel very 80's but…read moreeverything is in good repair. The temperature was fine (I hate being cold!) They got us in and out of the building quickly and the bathroom line (for women) went fairly quickly (and we were told there were bathrooms on the upstairs level too.)

Our family attended a concert here a couple weeks ago!…read more With a location in downtown Topeka, right off the highway, it's not too difficult to find! On the flip side of that, the location DID make parking a little tricky - there are numerous garages and street parking options around, but if you read carefully, many are highly restricted, and/or close to the public early in the evening, and/or have other restrictions. We parked in one garage, only to read on the door on the way out that it was set to close and lock down 20 mins later. So, back to the car, and I had to drive a couple blocks over to (luckily!) find what was probably the very last street parking space within a 10 block area. Inside the venue, I feel this place has aged particularly well. I remember when it was newly renovated, and despite that being decades ago, it still seemed in good repair and was a nice place to see a medium-sized event. Lighting and sound were both excellent, and the acoustics from our angle on the floor, near the back, was also very good. The view was perfect - no obstruction in front, due to ample rise in the auditorium as you go back. Navigating the building was also simple, well organized, and well attended by staff to help. Maybe the only thing that could really use some help is the restroom facilities, at least the one on the main floor. It's very tight, and falling into a bit of a state of needing some update and repair. Security did a nice job on our visit, and moved through our line pretty quickly! I'll probably have a better plan for parking next time; other than that, this was a good experience!

Great place to watch this documentary - -#hatersmakemefamous .... this was a real life drama played…read moreon the streets of Topeka.

One day this will be a beautiful, premier venue in downtown Topeka! I attended their first ever…read more"Rocky Horror Picture Show" interactive event a couple of years ago and it was the first time I'd been. The theater itself is in rough shape, but the bones are there. With some TLC, this will make for a gorgeous art house style theater. I can't wait to attend more events here in future and show my support for the Jayhawk!

Did a work team building paint day. Very hospitable and a ton of fun! Highly recommend.read more

Had a nice morning getting my nerd on (visiting family in nearby Topeka) & learning about combat…read moreaviation. Who knew any of this stuff? I did find a plane with Boston roots (101st Tactical Fighter Squadron--The Irish Guard) from "Logan Field" c. 1962. It's scheduled to be repainted to its original markings, complete with shamrock. I also didn't realize Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas. And the irony of putting Rosie the Riveter on a kitchen apron (see the cute gift shop) isn't lost on me! A wonderful outing for history buffs all sorts! Go!

My aviation nerd boyfriend loves anything aviation so I knew we had to go here. There are huge…read morehangars and the one has planes in greater repair than the other. One hangar was like an airplane graveyard, but that was fun too because you could see how the plexiglass on the planes shattered and how the old planes were created with curved wood. They have planes like the ones Snoopy flew and giant helicopters. It don't know my plane and airplane names, but I read some of the information and I know some were used in WWI, WW11, Korea, Vietnam and etc. up until the present day. There was an upstairs level with some airplane art. I would say if you are not very mobile, you will struggle with this place because there is a lot to navigate and if you are not paying attention you could hit your head on any number of things. One of the employees told a mom not to let her kids run under the airplanes becuase they could bonk their heads. True that! One has to pay attention in this museum. My favorite part was walking into this helicopter that was built in 1965 and in service until 1988 and a gentleman who worked in this actual helicopter when it was in service was fixing it up as a volunteer. History right in front of my eyes! It's $7 to get in, a bargain!

Every year the German Catholic Church has a weekend of Beer, Food, Music, and Mass. It is one of…read morethe few festivals we make sure we attend every year!

Very cool train museum! Opened originally in 1927, and recently restored to its original…read moreappearance. It is apparently available as an event venue as the large room can be set up with chairs and tables with a kitchen off to one side. Mini-train set that was very cool, full-size train driver system set up, many artifacts and exhibits showing the early history of Kansas and specifically the Union-Pacific Railroad. Interesting to see the marker for the Kansas River flood of 1951 that was above the height of my head! [Review 11418 overall, 1195 of 2019.]

So patriotic, love the flags! They caught my eye as I crossed the Kansas River and I had to see…read morewhat they were. The monument honoring the Medal of Valor recipients is beautiful!

Food is delicious. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, the food came pretty quick and the waiter…read morewas nice. The chicken sandwich was crispy and cooked to perfection.

We put on an event at the Topeka Country Club with great success. Anna and Chris made the…read moreexperience fantastic. The prior week we had put on the same event in Oklahoma City where the answer to nearly every question was a firm "no." Topeka was nothing like this - thankfully! We had last minute changes, including adding four tables to the back and changing the entire room from 7-top tables to 6-top tables. In about 10 minutes, the entire room had been rearranged! It was fantastic. The team was agreeable, always cheerful, always excited to help make the event fantastic. I would cheerfully return to this venue to do another event. Everything was done elegantly, with class and grace!