I'm so glad this place was preserved! The entire farm is delightful to tour and it's great to just wander and imagine what it was like during the height of migration. read more

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm - Museums Near Me - Olathe, Kansas

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I've been here three times by now, and I can't say enough good things about this place. There's a full farm with a active stagecoach and driver, and for a nominal fee you can actually ride in a real stagecoach which is an experience that everyone should experience to appreciate modernity. The house is fully restored and owned by the city of Olathe, marked as a national landmark. There's a functional blacksmith and lessons on particulars of blacksmithing. There is a wash station, and goats and chickens and sheep and horses and all the accompanying accoutrement. The house particularly is wonderful. The stagecoach stop was essentially like a gas station of the old world, and one would get off the stagecoach, which was like a bus, and go down into the cellar of that stagecoach house to have supper at this massive table with functioning 1850s kitchen that they use to this day to make samples in the wood fire. It's really something to see, and they even have an ice house that they tried to make functional but couldn't figure it out. Essentially a massive building where you put huge blocks of ice packed with sawdust that keep the ice Frozen for a year nearly. It's such a neat place, and the dedicated staff really commit. I would recommend anybody that lives in Kansas to go here and check it out, because it truly is living history. read more

We were in town for the Oz Marathon. Unsure what to do in Olathe, KS, we found this gem. The history of how the area was settled during western expansion is very interesting and perfectly displayed at the Mahaffie's. From seeing a blacksmith, sheep sheering, and thread spinning. This was a great experience and helped connect me to the area. Definitely worth the visit! read more

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We went here in the dead of winter when outside was all dark and drear but, hey, I can't think of a better place to spend a dismal day. You walk through a small museum first, where you'll want to spend some time finding out about the Mahaffie family and their stage empire. Pictures of the past, contrasted with present times are fascinating. This would be an awesome place to bring kids because of the tons of interactive exhibits. Kids can touch all kinds of artifacts and dress up like pioneers. Opening all the discovery drawers was also pretty fun for a couple old folks! I loved touring the grounds, accompanied by gentle sheep. We spent some time in the barn looking at the horses and old carriages. Great photo ops. Even in winter, the grounds were lovely but I'd love to return in the fall..and the spring...and the summer. read more

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Wait, nobody has reviewed Mahaffie? Seriously? Am I missing something? I've lived in Johnson County for a bit over 3 years now, yet had never made it to Mahaffie. I understand a lot of school students do growing up, but I didn't grow up here, so... I had some family in town, and my mom wanted to check out Mahaffie, so I decided it was a good excuse to do so. At $5 per person (with a $1 Olathe resident discount), I figured it would be hard to feel ripped off. Indeed, far from it! I love history, and I love agriculture, so a historical farm really does fascinate me. All of the volunteers and workers were friendly and really seemed to know their stuff AND be interested in it. They even showed how things were cooked, and had biscuits and butter available in the basement of the house. The blacksmith was actively working, and gave my 11 year old cousin a hook he was making as a little souvenir. The stagecoach ride was short but fun. It was definitely a good 1 to 1.5 hours spent outside, roaming around, enjoying the quiet and the atmosphere, and learning a bit along the way. Highly recommended. read more

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New to town, and I wanted to check out a new place. I love all the ways to experience history. The house was lovely and I love the barn cats! We even got to ride in a stagecoach! I so fell in love with this place I have reached out to become a volunteer here. I look forward to many more experiences here bb read more

This place is awesome!!! We had the best experience yesterday with a stagecoach ride, farm exploration and hands on blacksmithing. It felt like we truly stepped into living history. Everyone who works here was so friendly, engaging and knowledgeable about the time period that adults and kids were sucked in alike. My son did a pioneer unit last school year and this just reinforced everything in such a real way. Highlights were the bumpy stagecoach ride (imagine traveling like that for hours/days), assisting the blacksmith in making a hook, touring the house (and working kitchen) and feeding the farm animals. Can not recommend this enough! Would love to come back next time we are in town. read more

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If you love family fun this is a great place to learn about old time farming...check out their animals that live all year long on the grounds. read more

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm - Looking forward to the old time fireworks that are about to start... - Museums Near Me - Olathe, Kansas

I am here for my cousin's wedding and the venue is absolutely gorgeous here! The barn is really nice and the wood finishings inside are well sanded and blends well with the overall ambient atmosphere here. The outdoor patio is sheltered with fans and it overlooks a nicely plowed farm. I do wish the outdoor section had heaters because it was slightly windy when we had a ceremony outside in mid-May and the wind made it very chilly. As for the indoor section again, the indoor wood furnishings are my favorite part of this barn! I never would have suspected this from looking at it from the outside. read more

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This past school year we had a wonderful Homeschool field trip here. It was a trek coming from the Northland, but it was worth it! We learned so much! My kids favorite part was helping to plant seeds. We learned that the Farm only plants Heirloom seeds as close to the time period they are referencing as they can get. We also got to ride in a stagecoach which really brought to life the hardship of a trek overland in the late 1800's. There was no such thing as frequent stops! I was really grateful for how accommodating they were because I brought my niece last minute. They just let her right in with us (for the same price). I would go again in a heartbeat! They usually have a Spring and a Fall field trip day for Homeschoolers and depending on the season they change what activities the kids get to participate in. read more

I took my 5 year old little here to give him a sense of history since I have done such extensive research on our own ancestry. I wanted him to kind of see what I was talking about all the time. Plus it was something to do during the week. I loved how they treat it like a real working farm. I also like that they dress the parts. They still have everything open and running during the week when nobody is even there. Plus you're free to roam and check things out on your own. And if you need or have questions someone is right there to help you out. My little thought it was cool to bring corn for feed and got some extra knowledge about the horses that pull the stagecoach since we were the only ones around while they were getting the horses together. So I definitely recommend maybe doing a little history lesson before taking your kiddos there so they have a bit of knowledge of what their actually doing and seeing. I loved all the hands on activities as well. And it is super close if you live in Johnson County! read more

This place is awesome, it's a good value for entertaining kids. Good museum exhibits with stuff for kids to do. Farm animals to check out. Terrific staff members who tell you all about the animals, describe how the farm machinery works, we got a tour of the barn letting our kids see the animals, farm implements, stagecoach, chuck wagon, mountain howitzer, etc. Some of the museum stuff was a bit graphic for kids, there's an excellent cartoon from the 1850s blown up for display http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b38347/ which was a bit much for our kids. But they survived. read more

This was an okay experience.during COVID, we were obviously social distancing. Some of the workers had masks, but most didn't. They had many social distancing signs, but the workers themselves failed to do so. They got less then one feet close and told us to stand shoulder to shoulder to them for a military sign up lesson. The horses were big, pretty, but gosh. They itched so much because they didn't fly spray them. It's a shame. They did provide lots of information though and my family seems to love it. Kudos to the people working out there, in the summer heat in those hot outfits. Good for family if you don't care about social distancing or masks. We did see a turtle, which was probably my favorite thing. read more

A gem of living history and a really fun and informative two hours! We went on Sunday and basically had the run of the place. Enjoyed the stagecoach ride, watching the new calf feeding, grinding corn, and seeing a real glimpse into 19th century life. The little museum was very informative. Such a great way to spend an afternoon off the beaten path for all ages. read more

When I told my 12 and 9 yr old that we were going to a living history museum for a summer "field trip", they rolled their eyes. 5 hours later, they begged to volunteer at this museum and wanted to go back the next day! The homestead is a very hands on place and the people who bring it to life are very nice and really want to share their knowledge of Johnson County during the 1860's. I would highly recommend this historic treasure. read more