Kansas Museum of History facts for kids
Entrance (2015)
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| Established | 1984 |
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| Location | 6425 SW 6th Avenue; Topeka, Kansas 66615 |
| Type | State historical museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Owner | Kansas Historical Society |
The Kansas Museum of History is a special place in Topeka, Kansas, where you can explore the past. It's the official history museum for the state of Kansas. The museum shows you Kansas history from ancient times all the way to today.
Inside, you'll find a huge area of exhibits, about 30,000 square feet! You can see a real train, a full-sized tipi like those used by the Southern Cheyenne people, and even a 1950s diner. The main exhibits teach you about Native American tribes, the exciting journey west on the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, and the first settlers. You'll also learn about important times like "Bleeding Kansas" and the Civil War, plus the Populism movement around 1900.
Discovering Kansas History
The Kansas Museum of History is part of the Kansas Historical Society. This group was started in 1875 by Kansas newspaper editors. Their first home was inside the Kansas State Capitol building.
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The museum building you see today was built in the 1980s. It was made to hold all the historical items and exhibits of the Society. The Kansas Museum of History officially opened in 1984. It's located on an 80-acre site in west Topeka, close to the historic Potawatomi Mission. Besides the exhibit areas, the building also has a museum shop, classrooms, and special labs. These labs are where they work to keep old items safe and build new exhibits.
In the mid-1990s, other parts of the Historical Society moved next to the museum. This area is now called the Center for Historical Research. Today, the whole complex has nature trails, a center for learning and meetings, and an old one-room schoolhouse. This school is used for fun educational programs.
The museum also has popular online programs. These include changing exhibits and the "Cool Things" section on their website. "Cool Things" shows off interesting objects from their collections. They even have "Cool Things" podcasts you can listen to!
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum's main exhibit areas are set up in time order. This helps you follow Kansas history step by step:
- Early People (5000 BC to 1820 AD): Learn about the first people who lived in Kansas.
- Trails (1820 to 1860 AD): Discover the famous trails that brought settlers west.
- Civil War (1861 to 1865 AD): Explore Kansas's role in the American Civil War.
- Settling the Frontier (1865 to 1880 AD): See how people built new lives on the frontier.
- Trains and Towns (1880 to 1900 AD): Find out how railroads helped Kansas grow.
- Early 20th Century (1900 to 1940 AD): See what life was like in the early 1900s.
- Recent Past (1940 to 1990 AD): Look at more recent events and changes in Kansas.
- Special Exhibits: These are temporary exhibits that change throughout the year.
Some of the amazing objects you can see include:
- A pike (a type of spear) that belonged to John Brown.
- A flag from William Quantrill, a famous Civil War leader.
- Riding boots worn by George Armstrong Custer.
- A hammer used by Carrie A. Nation, a well-known activist.
- The printing press of William Allen White, a famous Kansas newspaper editor.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower's World War II field jacket.
The museum also has one of the largest collections of Civil War flags from African American regiments in the United States. You can always see at least one of these important flags on display.
Museum Achievements
The Kansas Museum of History has won many important awards. Its main exhibits and special changing exhibits have received "Awards of Merit." This is the highest honor given by the American Association for State and Local History. The museum is also officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for how museums are run.
See also
