BackgroundKansas Historical SocietyStories from Kansas's past and present come together in exciting ways at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka. The complex is composed of four buildings on 81 acres at the city's western edge and presents dramatic exhibits and fascinating programs to thousands of visitors each year. Nestled among the prairie grasses and woodlands on the grounds is the Kansas Museum of History, which opening in 1984, the Potawatomi Mission, the Stach School, and the State Archives & Library, a state-of-the-art facility housing extensive research collections and which opened in 1995. The Nature Trail features a 2.5 mile walk with panels of information about the natural and historic resources of the area. The Kansas Museum of History holds more than 22,000 square feet of exhibits about the state's colorful past. A full-sized Cheyenne tipi, covered wagon, and log house are just a few of the main gallery's outstanding features. The centerpiece is a meticulously restored train with an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad locomotive from 1880. Displays in the museum's special gallery change each year. Also at the museum you will find the Discovery Place, a hands-on gallery for children, and the museum store offering crafts, books, and many fine Kansas products and gifts. The State Archives & Library, opened to the public in 1995, features a large research room, with clerestory windows and soaring ceilings, gives researches access to an extensive collection of more than four miles of books and periodicals; 67,500 cubic feet of manuscripts, records, and newspapers; a half-million photographs; and 58,000 rolls of microfilm. The Library Gallery features changing photo exhibits. Also on the grounds is the Potawatomi Mission, a conference facility located in the renovated Potawatomi Baptist Mission (built in 1848), and the Stach School, a one-room schoolhouse restored to its 1920s appearance. Both structures are open to the public. The Kansas Historical Society is located at 6425 SW 6th Avenue in Topeka, just off exit 356 on Interstate-70. For more information call the Kansas Historical Society at 785-272-8681, ext. 262; TTY 785-272-8683; www.kshs.org. The Kansas Historical Society does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs. The Society requests prior notification to accommodate individuals with special needs or disabilities. Contact: |
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