Along and near the brick streets of downtown, 25 bronze plaques comprise the Historic Hays Walking Tour, giving a glimpse of local life and its characters (such as Gen. George Armstrong Custer) from the 1860s to the 1880s. 

The story continues at Fort Hays State Historic Site, where four original buildings and a visitors center recall this 1867 Army fort and the frontier it protected. 

Are you ready to really go back in time? The Sternberg Museum of Natural History features animatronic ancient beasts and a rare fish-within-a-fish fossil from the Cretaceous era. 

Tame roaring stomachs with comfort food such as a Brewben sandwich with No. 6 Oatmeal Stout-laced Thousand Island dressing at Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Company.

BRANCH OUT

CATHEDRAL OF THE PLAINS
Victoria
12 miles from downtown Hays
Once the largest church west of the Mississippi River, the native limestone Basilica of St. Fidelis seats up to 1,100 people.                        

KANSAS BARBED WIRE MUSEUM
La Crosse
25 miles from downtown Hays
Get hooked on the story of barbed wire and how it influenced 19th-century Kansas. Look (but maybe don’t touch) more than 2,400 types of barbed wire on display.                

WALTER P. CHRYSLER BOYHOOD HOME AND MUSEUM
Ellis
14 miles from downtown Hays
At age 14, the future founder of Chrysler Corporation helped build this 1889 home. The adjacent museum contains a 1924 Chrysler car.    

Dig up more unique—and sometimes prehistoric—Kansas stories in the 2024 Official Kansas Travel Guide.