By Terri Lewis
Kansas, usually considered fly-over country, holds some fascinating sights for the traveler. In the early 1800s, what is now Kansas encompassed the lands guaranteed by treaty to Indians, so a part of the wild west.
Salina, KS, was actually founded by settlers from a wagon circle, a defense against the constant threat of tribal attacks, but by the time Kansas was declared a State in 1861, it was the westernmost town on the Smoky Hill Trail, an established trading post for westbound immigrants and gold prospectors bound for Pikes Peak. A visitor based in Salina can take in some early American history, including an art deco theater and two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Masonic Temple is home of the secretive Freemason Fraternity which began in the late 16th century in Europe and spread to the U.S.; both George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were members. The Masons arrived in Kansas before the civil war, establishing a lodge in Salina in 1856; when original lodge burned down, they built a new one in the Classical Revival-style, completed in 1927. John Phillip Sousa played at the inauguration. The building now houses co-working, events, and various businesses.
The second building on the National Register is a ten-minute walk down 8th street: the Episcopalian Christ Cathedral. Its elegance is a far cry from the group’s beginnings when their services were held in a general store. Eventually a Reverend’s widow decided to memorialize her husband and donated money to build the cathedral. Completed in 1908, the windows were originally clear glass, but donations from church members eventually replaced all 34 with stained glass.
For lovers of the art-deco style, the Stiefel Theater is well worth a visit. The auditorium, decorated with typical motifs of the period, is crowned by a stained-glass chandelier. If you’re lucky, there will be a performance; if not, call ahead, a tour can be arranged.
A day trip east on I-70 to Abilene and on to Enterprise offers an antique carousel, a mansion set in the past, a Heritage Center, and a ride on a real steam train.
The Seelye Mansion in Abilene was built for a wealthy promoter of patent medicine. Open daily for tours, it’s a showcase, featuring the original furniture, much of it bought at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. It also contains Edison light fixtures, a telephone/intercom system, and a bowling machine. Another room displays artifacts of patent medicine and some of the manufacturing equipment.
My family has a vague connection to this mansion. My mother, raised 6 miles down the road in Enterprise, graduated high school as valedictorian and was invited to a celebratory event in the Mansion with other valedictorians from surrounding towns. She remembered being allowed new patent-leather shoes for the occasion.
Children as well as adults will enjoy the Dickinson County Heritage Center. In addition to a display of farm toys, it has a working carousel from 1901 complete with a 1904 Wurlitzer Band Organ, a one-room log cabin, and a hands-on party-line switchboard which was used to connect calls throughout the country. When I was little, my grandparents in Enterprise had a party-line; we kids longed to lift up the headset and listen to other calls, but it was forbidden.
If possible, plan to arrive in Abilene when the Flint Hills Express, a 100-year-old steam train, is running. The schedule on the website offers a 2-hour trip from Abilene to Enterprise, 6 miles east. There is a 30-minute layover in Enterprise, time to visit the Hoffman Mill, recently restored and operational or walk down the main Factory Street and imagine the saloon where Carrie Nation was arrested (photo of her with the sheriff). A staunch opponent of liquor, she traveled the country destroying saloons with a hatchet, including one in Enterprise. By the way, the hatchet Nation used in Enterprise is on display at the Heritage Center in Abilene.
If you have time, walk to the United Methodist Church for the glorious stained glass. My grandmother attended this church and as a child I heard that the windows were created by Bohemian artists, I thought that meant hippies. Only later did I learn the workers were probably from the Wilson, the Czech Capital of Kansas, 50 miles west of Salina, where many Bohemian artisans settled.
Kansas is an overlooked State with many pleasures; I should know. My grandparents lived there and I visited often. And my book, listed below, is based on their travails after WWI. Thanks for reading.
Where to Stay in Kansas, United States
Topeka and Kansas City offer the most reliable lodging options for visitors exploring Kansas’s historic sites. In Topeka, the capital, you’ll find mid-range chain hotels near the Kansas State Capitol and the Kansas Museum of History, with several properties within walking distance of downtown. Kansas City, just across the border in Missouri, provides additional choices if you prefer a larger metropolitan area as your base.
For travelers interested in smaller towns and regional history, consider staying in Abilene, home to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, or Salina, which sits near several important historical markers. Both towns have modest hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns that cater to history-minded visitors. These central Kansas locations put you within reasonable driving distance of multiple destinations covered in a Kansas history itinerary.
If your travels take you to western Kansas, Dodge City remains the primary hub for accommodations. The town offers several hotels ranging from budget-friendly to mid-range, and staying there positions you well for visiting Boot Hill Museum and understanding the region’s cattle-trading past. The accommodations here are straightforward and practical, designed for travelers rather than luxury seekers.
State parks throughout Kansas also provide cabin rentals and campground facilities for those preferring outdoor accommodation. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City has limited lodging nearby but can be visited as a day trip from larger towns. Planning your itinerary around these regional centers ensures you’ll have comfortable, accessible places to rest between historical sites without spending excessive time on the road.
Recommended Reading
When They Came Home: A Novella
Enterprise, Kansas 1919
Based on the author’s family history and winner of the Miami University Press Novella Prize.
Milton returns home from WWI with shell shock. He marries Edith and they start a family. When shell-shock fells him, Edith fights for his health, eventually suing the government for his pension.
“A powerful historical novella, When They Came Homeis about a rural home life marked by the lingering tolls of war.” , Foreword Reviews
“A lean, powerful novel about war’s psychological aftermath.” , Kirkus Reviews
Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier
From a rediscovered collection of autobiographical accounts written by hundreds of Kansas pioneer women in the early twentieth century. Never before has there been such a detailed record of women’s courage, such a living portrait of the women who civilized the American frontier. Here are their stories: wilderness mothers, schoolmarms, Indian squaws, immigrants, homesteaders, and circuit riders. Their personal recollections of prairie fires, locust plagues, cowboy shootouts, Indian raids, and blizzards on the plains . vividly reveal the drama, danger and excitement of the pioneer experience.
Salina: 1858-2008 (Images of America)
Early in 1858, three men walked across the eastern half of Kansas Territory intent on starting a town. Although the volatile conflict between Free State and proslavery forces still simmered, the bloodshed had abated, and Free State factions had gained the upper hand. People turned their interests to more peaceful pursuits, including town building. Armed with a compass and stovepipe hat instead of a tripod, the three young Scotsmen selected and surveyed a town site along the Smoky Hill River, near the confluence of the Saline River in north-central Kansas. The tiny settlement soon became a way-stop for westbound travelers and a hub of activity for hunters, soldiers, land seekers, and surveyors. Now 150 years later, Salina (pronounced with a long i) still thrives.
It Happened in Kansas features over 25 chapters in Kansas history. Lively and entertaining, this book brings the varied and fascinating history of the Sunflower State to life.
Author Profile:
After a career as a ballet dancer, Terri Lewis focused on writing. She is the author of Behold the Bird in Flight, a Novel of an Abducted Queen, which was among the books named a favorite of 2025 by the Washington Independent Review of Books. When They Came Home, a lyrical telling of hardship and love, is her second book. Her third novel will be published in March of 2027. Her stories have appeared in Embark, Hippocampus, Denver Quarterly, Blue Mesa Review, and Chicago Quarterly Review among others. She lives in Denver with her husband and two entertaining dogs.
