True pioneer spirit is found
all throughout the city of Topeka - particularly in the picturesque rolling
hills, trees, lakes, and grasslands. If your seeking entertainment, The Epicentre
and the Topeka Performing Arts Centre bring the art culture alive in Topeka.
For the visitor interested in the fast track - there isn't a better way to experience
the racing excitement of motorsports racing than by visiting the Heartland Park,
one of the world’s fastest quarter mile drag strips.
The World Famous Topeka Zoological
Park provides visitors with the opportunity to visit with lions and other wild
animals. After a visiting the zoological park, take a ride on the restored Carousel
in the Park, an attraction known for brings out the child in everyone! If theatre
and art are more your style, make sure to visit the exhibits at the Mulvane
Art Museum. This museum features an ever-changing array of artwork for the art
enthusiast. In the evening, you can catch dinner and a show at the Topeka Civic
Theatre.
Attractions, sightseeing
in and around Topeka.
Brown vs. Topeka Board
of Education National Historic Site
Monroe Elementary School
17th & Monroe
Sumner Elementary School
330 SW Western
Tel: 785 234-1030
or 1-800-235-1030
These schools were the focus of the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Topeka
Board of Education that ended the doctrine of "separate but equal."
Both schools are listed as National Historic Landmarks, and Monroe Elementary
School is one of the nation's newest national parks.
Gage Park
635 SW Gage Blvd
Tel: 785 368-3700
This 160-acre park is home to the World-Famous Topeka Zoo, the Reinisch Rose
Garden, the historic Carousel, the Helen Hocker Theatre, and countless recreational
facilities, including tennis, swimming, softball, and volleyball. The carousel
built in 1908 by the Herschell-Spillman Company of New York, Topeka's carousel
can be found across the street from the Reinisch Rose Garden. This timeless
entertainment houses a 1909 Wurlitzer band organ. Purchased by the city in 1986,
community volunteers have donated money and time to ensure the success of this
quaint Victorian attraction. Well worth the 75 cents admission.
Kansas Museum of History
6425 SW 6th
Tel: 785 272-8681
The Kansas Museum of History, located on a branch of the Oregon Trail, features
the story of Kansas as told through exhibits, videos, and programs. Visitors
can learn about the prehistoric tribes that roamed the plains and the present
day people who have made the Kansas plains the breadbasket of the world.
Kansas State Capitol
10th & Jackson
Tel: 785 296-3966
Built in 1866, the Capitol houses Kansas' most famous works of art by local
born John Steuart Curry. The House and Senate Chambers are full of native oak,
cherry wood, and marble from Kansas, Europe and Tennessee. The knowledgeable
guides will explain the Fascinating history of the building and government.
Lake Shawnee Recreational Area
3137 SE 29th
Tel: 785 267-1156
Lake Shawnee is a man-made, 411-acre lake offering fishing, boating, sailing
and swimming. Within the 1,600-acre park surrounding the lake are foot trails,
fish hatcheries (for stocking the lake), a golf course, a marina, tennis courts,
shelter houses, horseback trails, baseball fields and gardens.
Topeka Zoological Park
635 SW Gage Blvd
Tel: 785 272-5821
Intimate views of nearly 400 animals from all over the world add to the reputation
of the Topeka Zoo as one of the nation's finest small zoos. Major exhibits include
Hill's Black Bear Woods, Animals & Man (a new Pachyderm Yard), Tropical
Rain Forest, Discovering Apes, Lions Pride, and the Children's Zoo & Playground.
Combat Air Museum
Forbes Field
Tel: 785 862-3303
This museum displays operational aircraft from every armed conflict since powered
aircraft have been involved. Much more than a collection of aircraft, the Combat
Air Museum houses a wide variety of military and aviation-oriented memorabilia.
Historic Wade-Meade Park
124 North Fillmore St
Tel: 913-295-3888
Historic Wade-Meade Park is as lovely as it is historic, with a restored mansion,
a cabin, a train depot, a one-room schoolhouse, and botanical gardens.
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