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Kansas Tourist AttractionsGuide to roadside oddities and other weird, strange & unusual attractions in Kansas.
And fields of sunflowers. Lots of sunflowers. And The Wizard of Oz of course. They don’t necessarily think of roadside oddities. There are some good ones, too. Here’s a few (along with some other fun weird tourist attractions).
A unique Kansas tourist attraction is this replica of one of Van Gogh's Sunflower paintings. It is 24 foot by 32 foot and is displayed on an 80-foot giant easel. Directions: On I-70 Take Exit 17, US-24/Ks-27 toward Sharon Springs/St. Francis. Turn on right on West 16 Street. Phone: 785-899-7130 And since you're already on I-70....Here's a great book about Kansas tourist attractions along I-70. Driving Across Kansas: A Guide to I-70
In 1907 he began building his log cabin home out of limestone logs. Yes. Logs made out of limestone! He surrounded it with tons of concrete sculptures and called it the Garden of Eden. He included Biblical figures and political messages like the Crucifixion of Labor along with a bunch of other characters. He even included himself. His real self. In a glass-covered coffin. Location: The folk art environment Garden of Eden is 16 miles North of I-70 at Kansas and Second Street in Lucas, KS. Phone: 785-525-6395 Read more about the Garden of Eden in Soul in the Stone: Cemetery Art from America's Heartland
Like Paul Bunyan only different.
He invented sunflowers and created the Kansas landscape. He could control the weather by chopping the funnels off tornados and create rain by wringing out the clouds.
A 30 foot tall statue of this Kansas tourist attraction is in Manhattan City Park, Manhattan KS.
Photo courtesy Manhattan Library.
Manhattan is the start of a great road trip down Route 177 through the Flint Hills to Cassoday. To see the largest parcel of virgin tallgrass prairie in the U.S take a short detour of about 5 miles on Route 901 to the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area Phone: 785-587-0441
Route 177 goes through Council Grove, an important supply stop for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Grab a bite to eat where the hardy pioneers traveling the Santa Fe Trail grabbed some grub. Hays House Restaurant was established in 1857. That's a looooonnnnng time ago! (It's the oldest continually operating restaurant west of the Mississippi.) For something different, try the brisket. Directions: Hays House Historic Restaurant & Tavern is at 112 W. Main St, Council Grove. Phone: 620-767-5911
Cassoday is the Prairie Chicken Capitol of the World. To see the World's Largest Prairie Chicken you need to go to Rothsay, Minnesota. Enough about prairie chickens...Let's move on to the Land of OZ....
How can a sightseeing trip around Kansas tourist attractions be complete without something Wizard of Ozzy? There's no way! Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz are in Liberal, KS at 587 E. Cedar. Phone: (316) 624-7624 Sedan has a Yellow Brick Road you can walk down.
There's a lot of Kansas tourist attractions off I-70.
Many are normal regular things to do like museums and stuff. But what would life be without those wonderfully quirky roadside oddities that make traveling so much funner! This roadside attraction has been here for years, entertaining travelers with their petting zoo, prairie dogs, animal freaks, and prairie dogs. And let's not forget about the prairie dogs! The World's Largest Prairie Dog resides here. A picture taking opportunity of a roadside oddity. (And enough about prairie dogs!)
And of course, no site of Kansas roadside oddities is complete without a mention of the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. It’s in Cawker City. This is one Kansas tourist attraction that keeps growing and growing and growing. Every year there’s a twine-a-thon and folks add more twine to the ball. Location: The giant ball of twine is on Wisconsin St (Hwy 24) half a block west of Lake Drive.
From Kansas Tourist Attractions to State Search
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