BOOT HILL MUSEUM

DODGE CITY

Mosey down a detailed re-creation of historic Front Street, stopping at the jail, general store, and saloon (stocked with sarsaparilla). Get ready to rumble during a simulated buffalo stampede.
 

CIMARRON NATIONAL GRASSLAND

ELKHART

Prairie dog towns and Santa Fe Trail ruts pop out along the 30-mile Sea of Grass driving tour, accompanied by sweeping vistas of the Cimarron River valley.
 

FORT LARNED NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

LARNED

Salute frontier Army life in the 1860s by touring this well-preserved fort with nine fully furnished sandstone buildings, including a blacksmith shop and a commissary.
 

M.T. LIGGETT ART ENVIRONMENT

MULLINVILLE

Quirky (and often political) sculptures welded from machinery parts and scrap metal move in the wind along US-400. Learn about the curmudgeonly creative folk artist in the visitors center.
 

SANDSAGE BISON RANGE AND WILDLIFE AREA

GARDEN CITY

There’s something magical about close encounters with bison on a never-been-plowed sagebrush prairie. Call ahead for reservations and pack the camera.

If you thought seeing giraffes, digging for fossils and speeding over sand dunes would require plane tickets for the whole family, save the dough and do it all here in less than 24 hours.

Depending on the season, the best time to see the animals at Garden City’s Lee Richardson Zoo may be early morning when they tend to be most active. Walk through for free or drive through for a minimal fee, and be sure to see Miguu, a male giraffe calf born in December 2022. (He won’t reach full height until 2027.) Beyond Miguu’s realm, explore 50-plus landscaped areas with hundreds of native and exotic animals, including desert tortoises, Chilean flamingos, and jaguars. Stop for lunch at Garden City’s Pho Hoa One, a Vietnamese restaurant that dishes up beef pho (soup) and crunchy egg rolls. 

Follow US-83 north to Scott City’s new Western Kansas Fossil Lab at El Quartelejo Museum, where kids can dig for their own fossils. Next door, you’ll find nationally recognized wildlife and Western paintings and sculptures at the Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection, which also displays Native American artifacts. If you have an ATV or dune buggy in tow, cruise southwest to Syracuse for a wild adventure across dunes, bowls, and speedy flats at Syracuse Sand Dunes Park. For dinner, follow the herd of locals to Black Bison Pub, known for its thick, hand-cut ribeyes and KC strips—or try the Bacon Mac Attack burger (ask for bison) and ale to wash it down. 

Kick up your heels at Trail City Bed and Breakfast in Coolidge. In the 1880s, cowboys and dance-hall girls filled the saloon-and-gambling establishment that now offers three renovated guest rooms, two log cabins and a hunting lodge that was once a church. After breakfast, ride across the sand hills or pedal a 6-mile loop on complimentary mountain bikes.

A local celebrity among Liberal’s growing Hispanic community, Enrique Rodriguez Franz has managed La Mexicana radio station—a job that includes hosting the Spanish-language morning show on 101.5 FM— since 2008. When Franz tells out-of-towners where he lives, they often ask about Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz and International Pancake Day. But there’s much more to see and do, including the Mid-America Air Museum. “It’s one of those places you have to go there to understand,” Franz says. “Whether you like planes or not, it’s a must.”

Born in Nicaragua, Franz loves to dine at El Gallo Pinto, which serves both Nicaraguan and Mexican cuisine. Liberal’s culinary scene also features more than a dozen food trucks around town. Many of them, such as personal favorite Antojitos Originales Chilangolandia, offer car hop-style service with employees coming to your vehicle to take your order. For Americana, Franz suggests Billy’s Blue Duck BBQ and Billy’s Ayr Lanes. “It’s one of the best barbecue places in Kansas,” he says. “You can eat and have a good time bowling; everything is under one roof.” 

ALEJANDRO’S

ULYSSES

House-recipe cocktails join the menu of Mexican classics at this restaurant in business for more than 30 years. The Red Beer begins with a tomato base to which a special blend of spices is added. The Kansas Sunrise, with tequila, orange juice, grenadine and lime, satisfies citrus-loving palates.

HIDDEN TRAIL BREWING

GARDEN CITY

Well-behaved dogs are welcome to join the laid-back scene at this family-friendly brewery. Explore the crisp flavor profile of El Compadre, or fall for the fruity BTG Strawberry Honey Wheat, a brew infused with 120 pounds of strawberries per batch. Both have proven to be crowd-pleasers.

DODGE CITY BREWING

DODGE CITY

Want to taste a beer just like the cowboys drank in the 1800s? The classic American pilsner called 1872 Lager (named for Dodge City’s founding year) takes you back 150 years with its big and bold flavor. Tip your hat to 10 other handcrafted beers, including IPAs, an ale, a stout, and pilsner.     

White rock formations and cottonwood trees surround a deep pool of water called St. Jacob’s Well on the Big Basin Prairie Preserve near Ashland. A 3.4-mile, out-and-back trail follows a gravel path through the prairie, past the rim of the mile-wide Big Basin sinkhole, and to a summit with views of the Gypsum Hills and free-roaming bison.

Uncover more legendary landscapes and attractions in the 2024 Official Kansas Travel Guide.