There’s plenty of odd folks in Kansas, but sometimes those people like to leave behind a reminder to the rest of us that Kansas can be an odd place at times. These locations all around the state might be normal to you, but to many of us they’re the oddest places we’ve seen. Let’s see what weird things Kansas has to offer!
- Paul Boyer’s Museum of Animated Carvings
Rita Gutierrez Loeding/Google This museum in Belleville is one of the most unique in the state, completely revolving around these miniature carvings that move with little wires and gears. Most of them tell funny stories or perform small tasks. Comical body parts are all over the place, so please bring your sense of humor along with you!
- Museum of Odd
Nancy Rohr Harrell-BodenhamerMuseum of Odd Facebook This unique museum is held in a house in Lawrence, open Tuesday through Saturday. where you can see all sorts of oddities. There’s a pile of hundreds of sock monkeys, plenty of knick knacks that can’t be explained, and even some taxidermy animals. It most definitely is an odd place.
- The Shoe Tree
Rob Tremble/Shoe Tree Goff, Ks Facebook There’s a tree covered in shoes in Wetmore that grows more each year with the addition of more shoes. However, be careful when driving nearby, so you don’t get any stray nails in your tires on your visit.
- Deafy Boular the Legless Bricklayer
Google Maps Deafy Boular’s statue lives in Atchison, where he’s immortalized in bronze laying bricks. He lost his hearing as a young child, and his legs later when a train rolled over them. He had special boots made to fit his remaining leg stumps, and legend says he was the perfect height for laying sidewalk bricks. Stop by and say hi sometime!
- Truckhenge
Stefan Powell/Flickr Truckhenge in Topeka is the location where one man stood up against his local government, and proved that his “trash” meant more to him than just a few lawn trucks. From there, his exhibit evolved into even more, with boats, a bus, and concrete sculptures soon taking up more of his artistic vision and more of his property. You tell ’em!
- Lucas, Kansas
JOHN LLOYD/Flickr Yes, the whole town. It’s full of amazing art that comes from all sorts of local artists, including the coolest public toilet in America, and plenty of other installations displayed for any visitor to see.
- The Barbed Wire Museum
Lynda Butler/Google Not that it sounds like the most interesting thing in the world, but this museum in La Crosse is more interesting than you think. You assume that it just displays a bunch of barbed wire, but you’ll find yourself thinking about how each style would work, and which were most popular. Who knows, you might learn something cool.
- The Concrete Teepee
Mitchell Cope/Flickr Lawrence is home to this giant concrete teepee that’s been here for decades. It was once a motel complex, but now houses a local business instead.
- Wheat Jesus
Duncan Rawlinson/Flickr The legendary Wheat Jesus sits high above Colby, where he stares endlessly into oncoming traffic and anyone that wishes to take a photo.
- The Political Art of M.T. Liggett
Franklin B Thompson/Flickr The late M.T. Liggett proudly displayed political opinions and caricatures in Mullinville. They’re amusing and beautiful in their own way, so make sure to stop by if you’re ever in town.
- Rosalea’s Liar’s Pavillion
Google Maps This one might be mostly unheard of to many Kansans, but the little town of Harper is home to a fenced in area where baby dolls representing everyone who has lied to Rosalea Hostetler (the owner) at some point or another are impaled and/or tied to pieces of equipment and the fence. It’s super creepy, and definitely one of the oddest things I’ve seen.
If you’ve seen all of these odd places and you’d like to see something beautiful instead, check out this list of beautiful places in western Kansas that you should never miss.
Rita Gutierrez Loeding/Google
This museum in Belleville is one of the most unique in the state, completely revolving around these miniature carvings that move with little wires and gears. Most of them tell funny stories or perform small tasks. Comical body parts are all over the place, so please bring your sense of humor along with you!
Nancy Rohr Harrell-BodenhamerMuseum of Odd Facebook
This unique museum is held in a house in Lawrence, open Tuesday through Saturday. where you can see all sorts of oddities. There’s a pile of hundreds of sock monkeys, plenty of knick knacks that can’t be explained, and even some taxidermy animals. It most definitely is an odd place.
Rob Tremble/Shoe Tree Goff, Ks Facebook
There’s a tree covered in shoes in Wetmore that grows more each year with the addition of more shoes. However, be careful when driving nearby, so you don’t get any stray nails in your tires on your visit.
Google Maps
Deafy Boular’s statue lives in Atchison, where he’s immortalized in bronze laying bricks. He lost his hearing as a young child, and his legs later when a train rolled over them. He had special boots made to fit his remaining leg stumps, and legend says he was the perfect height for laying sidewalk bricks. Stop by and say hi sometime!
Stefan Powell/Flickr
Truckhenge in Topeka is the location where one man stood up against his local government, and proved that his “trash” meant more to him than just a few lawn trucks. From there, his exhibit evolved into even more, with boats, a bus, and concrete sculptures soon taking up more of his artistic vision and more of his property. You tell ’em!
JOHN LLOYD/Flickr
Yes, the whole town. It’s full of amazing art that comes from all sorts of local artists, including the coolest public toilet in America, and plenty of other installations displayed for any visitor to see.
Lynda Butler/Google
Not that it sounds like the most interesting thing in the world, but this museum in La Crosse is more interesting than you think. You assume that it just displays a bunch of barbed wire, but you’ll find yourself thinking about how each style would work, and which were most popular. Who knows, you might learn something cool.
Mitchell Cope/Flickr
Lawrence is home to this giant concrete teepee that’s been here for decades. It was once a motel complex, but now houses a local business instead.
Duncan Rawlinson/Flickr
The legendary Wheat Jesus sits high above Colby, where he stares endlessly into oncoming traffic and anyone that wishes to take a photo.
Franklin B Thompson/Flickr
The late M.T. Liggett proudly displayed political opinions and caricatures in Mullinville. They’re amusing and beautiful in their own way, so make sure to stop by if you’re ever in town.
This one might be mostly unheard of to many Kansans, but the little town of Harper is home to a fenced in area where baby dolls representing everyone who has lied to Rosalea Hostetler (the owner) at some point or another are impaled and/or tied to pieces of equipment and the fence. It’s super creepy, and definitely one of the oddest things I’ve seen.
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