OTTAWA
(FRANKLIN COUNTY)
There is so much you can take in and learn about Franklin County, Kan. A wonderful mixture of history and beauty await. The area is blessed with historic architecture, great antique shopping, and fun-filled community events.
In this historic community you can learn about the tragedies in the battle over slavery and see how Kansas was the beginning of the Civil War. Franklin County is included in the Freedoms Frontier National Heritage Area which explores the pre-Civil War border wars between Missouri and Kansas, shaping of the frontier by early settlers and our enduring struggles for Freedom even to the present day.
You can see what an 1888 train depot was like at the Old Depot Museum or stroll down historic Main Street and learn about the buildings built in the late 1800s from an interactive kiosk system beginning at the Old Depot Museum and ending near the Carnegie Cultural Center. And don’t forget to stop by the beautiful Franklin County Courthouse, built in 1893 by famed Kansas architect George P. Washburn.
If outdoor activities are your game, hop on your bike for a ride or hike on the 51 mile-long trail called the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail State Park from Ottawa to Iola. If you like to ride horses the Flint Hills Trail crosses the Prairie Spirit Trail in Ottawa. This trail when completed will span over 117 miles from Osawatomie to Herington. In the fall, residents and visitors enthusiastically take part in annual day trips to Peckham’s Pumpkin Patch and Pome on the Range Orchards and Winery for fresh farm pickings from pumpkins to Christmas trees and more.
AT-A-GLANCE
Region: Northeast
Phone: (785) 242-1411
Website: Visit Franklin County
