Have you heard of the 8 Wonders of Kansas before? The most beautiful and awe-inspiring locations in Kansas competed for a spot in the final list, but these 8 attractions were voted through to the top on the Kansas Sampler Foundation website. Let’s see what makes Kansas so beautiful, and what was chosen to represent the state.
Here is a link to the map if you’d like to take a look beforehand, or save it for later use.
Welcome to the 8 Wonders of Kansas road trip! All of the best Kansas locations that represent us best on one map.
Clarisa A/OnlyInYourState Of course, you are free to start your trip from either end, depending on what side of the state you live on.
- First stop on the list is the glorious Monument Rocks, also known as the Chalk Pyramids, that we know and love.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr If you’ve been holding out for a special day to see this attraction, wait no longer! There’s no better time than this road trip to see it for the first (or 50th) time. These Niobrara Chalk formations were left behind as part of a huge inland sea floor, and are filled with tiny fossils as well as plenty of Kansas sentimental value.
- Next up is the Cathedral of the Plains, also known as St. Fidelis Catholic Church.
Simon/Flickr It’s actually not even a cathedral, but it is still huge. A passing traveler gave it the nickname, but we still love it either way. The architecture for a building this old is impressive, and it was once the largest church west of the Mississippi river, back when it was finished in 1911.
- After that, rest your eyes for a while and enjoy the sounds of Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
Austin Young/Flickr This wetlands area is home to a number of unique Kansas species, as well as a temporary home for hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds every year.
- Next up is the Big Well in Greensburg, still the largest hand dug well in the world at 109 feet deep and 32 feet wide.
Chris Murphy/Flickr They’ve remodeled the whole well as a museum about the city and the tornado that changed the town forever. The whole town has come together to rebuild bigger and better than before, and they’ve created something absolutely beautiful.
- Then you’ll travel to Hutchinson, where two of the wonders are located. The first is the amazing Kansas Cosmosphere, where the sky is never the limit.
mperes01/Flickr Not only can you learn about rocket science, but also watch guided night sky shows and see relics from space flight.
- The other wonder in Hutch is Strataca, also known as the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.
Strataca Facebook Here’s a place where you can ride a mini train underground, see how salt is mined today and how it’s changed from when the mine was first made. Parts of the mine are still in use to this day!
- Afterwards, you’ll find another relaxing time at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills.
Randy Watson/Flickr It’s one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies in the world, and you’ll find that every angle you see it is absolutely breathtaking. Hearing the wind rush over the grass as you take it all in is a sound every Kansan should hear.
- Last but not least is the Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum.
A.D. Modlin/Flickr Eisenhower was an Abilene native, and the only five-star general to become president. Five galleries in the museum showcase his life and accomplishments, and you can also tour the home, where they lived until his mother Ida passed.
Feel free to use the map below to help you get to each location smoothly. It’s a 527-mile drive, so you might need to spread it over a couple days to leave time for food and sleep. Travel carefully, and make sure to have fun!
Clarisa A/OnlyInYourState
Of course, you are free to start your trip from either end, depending on what side of the state you live on.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
If you’ve been holding out for a special day to see this attraction, wait no longer! There’s no better time than this road trip to see it for the first (or 50th) time. These Niobrara Chalk formations were left behind as part of a huge inland sea floor, and are filled with tiny fossils as well as plenty of Kansas sentimental value.
Simon/Flickr
It’s actually not even a cathedral, but it is still huge. A passing traveler gave it the nickname, but we still love it either way. The architecture for a building this old is impressive, and it was once the largest church west of the Mississippi river, back when it was finished in 1911.
Austin Young/Flickr
This wetlands area is home to a number of unique Kansas species, as well as a temporary home for hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds every year.
Chris Murphy/Flickr
They’ve remodeled the whole well as a museum about the city and the tornado that changed the town forever. The whole town has come together to rebuild bigger and better than before, and they’ve created something absolutely beautiful.
mperes01/Flickr
Not only can you learn about rocket science, but also watch guided night sky shows and see relics from space flight.
Strataca Facebook
Here’s a place where you can ride a mini train underground, see how salt is mined today and how it’s changed from when the mine was first made. Parts of the mine are still in use to this day!
Randy Watson/Flickr
It’s one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies in the world, and you’ll find that every angle you see it is absolutely breathtaking. Hearing the wind rush over the grass as you take it all in is a sound every Kansan should hear.
A.D. Modlin/Flickr
Eisenhower was an Abilene native, and the only five-star general to become president. Five galleries in the museum showcase his life and accomplishments, and you can also tour the home, where they lived until his mother Ida passed.
If you’ve already seen most of these, you’ll want to check out this list of cool places to stop along I-70 the next time you take a long drive.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
