During your visit to this Kansas history museum, discover the story of the people of Kansas through award-winning exhibits. Special exhibits delve into fascinating topics and highlight the Kansas Museum of History’s vast collections. Stop by the Museum Store to browse unique Kansas gifts.
Exhibits
Early People
Learn about the indigenous people of Kansas. The Early People exhibit explores the stories of Kansa, Osage, Pawnee and other native tribes. To better illustrate the lives of the Native Americans, this exhibit features a 5,000-year-old human effigy head, a grass lodge like those built by the Wichita people, a Cheyenne war lance and a tipi in the Southern Cheyenne style.
Forts and Trails
Forts and Trails let’s you re-live the exciting stories of the Oregon and Santa Fe trails. See a covered wagon, a prairie diorama, a tombstone from the Oregon Trail and the hatchet of Kit Carson, an American frontiersman and Indian fighter.
Civil War
Discover Kansas’ role during the Civil War. Highlights of the Civil War exhibit include a pike purchased by John Brown, an American abolitionist; a camp scene with a Sibley stove and camp chair; uniforms and weapons; and Quantrill’s flag dropped by raiders under the command of the notorious Confederate guerrilla, William Quantrill, during an attack on Olathe.
Settling the Frontier
See how Kansas became the principal source of grain supply for the nation in Settling the Frontier. Many settlers came to Kansas following Civil War, drawn by the cheap land. With most of the settlers being farmers, it was not long before they established the region’s agricultural identity. After planting corn and experimenting with other crops, farmers discovered how successfully wheat grew in Kansas and the state soon became the leading wheat producer that it is today. Highlighted in Settling the Frontier is a log house from the banks of the Saline River, a stagecoach used by the Southwestern Stage Company, a Sodbuster plow and a “Queen” windmill.
Trains and Towns
The Trains and Towns exhibit explores Kansas’ exciting transportation history from the native peoples who used horses to hunt, carry belongings and move to new regions, to the emergence of the aviation industry in the 1920s. See the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe locomotive, the oldest surviving locomotive from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. Additional items on display include an ATSF superintendent’s car, railroad tools and uniforms, and a biplane built in 1914.
The Early 20th Century
During the early 20th century Kansas endured drought, war, intolerance and economic depression. Experience the hardships of Kansans through artifacts that echo this tumultuous time such as a hammer used by Carry Nation, a windmill that once pumped water for a Wabaunsee County farm and a 1930s Chevrolet automobile.
Fast Food
Kansas restaurants were among the earliest to find new ways of serving to people on the move. Learn about the birth of the fast food industry as you discover a 1950s diner vignette, an early McDonald’s sign, a Harvey House dinner gong and a Coca Cola vending machine in the Fast Food exhibit.
African American History
The involvement of African Americans in Kansas history dates back to the state’s earliest days. Embrace the heritage of Kansas’ African American citizens as you explore African American Civil War flags, an Underground Railroad chair and a shackle from an escaping slave.
Kansas Families
Learn about the families of Kansas. The Kansas Families exhibit features a log house with pioneer furnishings, cowboy boots from the Hyer Boot Company and a printing press from Emporia Gazette.
Recent Past
Recent Past spans from the 1940s to the 1980s from the nation at war, to Kansas politics in the 80s. Highlights in this exhibit include Eisenhower’s jacket, moon rocks, a crown from the Miss America pageant and a Kansas (the band) album.
- Take home a piece of Kansas history from the Museum Store. A large selection of books related to Kansas history, unique Kansas made gifts, arts and crafts, clothing, collectibles, home and office supplies, jewelry, posters and photo prints, and souvenirs are all available to purchase.