Educational Activities For Kids Near Me in Victoria
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
3000 Sternberg Drive, Hays, KS
Mission Statement:
The Sternberg Museum of Natural History advances an appreciation and understanding of Earth’s natural history and the evolutionary forces that impact it. With an emphasis on the Great Plains, our goals are accomplished through research, publications, collections, interpretive exhibits, and educational programs created by our staff, colleagues, and community.
Boot Hill Museum
500 West Wyatt Earp Boulevard, Dodge City, KS
Mission & Vision Statement:
The mission of Boot Hill Museum is to preserve and interpret the Old West through exhibits, education and entertainment reflective of the area’s rich heritage.
Our vision for Boot Hill Museum is to be a recognized destination for our guests to experience the history and relive the legend of Dodge City.
Cosmosphere
1100 North Plum, Hutchinson, KS
The Cosmosphere International SciEd Center & Space Museum includes a collection of U.S. space artifacts second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. This unique collection allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any museum in the world while offering fully immersive education experiences that meet the Next Generation Science Standards and introduce students to the power of wondering—asking the critical questions that lead to discovery. The Cosmosphere also features the Carey Digital Dome Theater offering documentary showings daily and recently-released feature films on weekends; the newly renovated Justice Planetarium and Dr. Goddard’s Lab, where visitors experience live science demonstrations daily.
Kansas Underground Salt Museum
3650 East Avenue G, Hutchinson, KS
Salt: The Hutchinson Salt Member of the Permian Wellington Formation was formed about 275 million years ago when the Permian Sea dried up. One of the largest in the world, the extent of this bedded salt deposit is 27,000 square miles in central and south-central Kansas and is marginal to Permian Basin salt deposits in Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and southeastern New Mexico that cover 100,000 square miles. The purest portion of the salt vein at this location is 650 feet underground and is still mined here today. Strataca has access to about 300,000 square feet of mined out area.
Salt Discovery: Salt was discovered southwest of Hutchinson in 1887 by a land developer from Indiana named Ben Blanchard. He was drilling for oil to increase land sales and discovered salt instead. It was the first significant salt discovery west of the Mississippi. Today there are three salt companies in Reno County: Morton and Cargill operate brine evaporation plants and the Hutchinson Salt Company operates the original Carey rock salt mine in which Strataca is located. The original salt discovery site is open to the public in the city of South Hutchinson.
Carey Salt Mine: Emerson Carey, a local entrepreneur, opened The Carey Salt Mine in 1923. This mine remains the only rock salt mine in Reno County although Carey was also involved in the brine evaporation business. The original salt mine shaft is located just northwest of Strataca and is still used by the miners today. Now known as the Hutchinson Salt Company, over 500,000 ton of rock salt is removed each year. This salt is primarily used to de-ice roads across the mid-west and eastern US. For many decades, school children and other visitors were given salt-mine tours but these ended in the mid-1960's when the mine was sold. To this day, Hutchinson is known as the "Salt City" and its rich salt heritage is apparent in local traditions. For example, the Hutchinson High School mascot is the "Salt Hawk."
Kansas Underground Salt Museum: By 1999, the Executive Director and Board of the Reno County Historical Society recognized the importance of preserving and presenting the Hutchinson salt story to the public. It soon became apparent that the logical, yet most challenging solution would be to re-open a portion of the mine to public tours. Today's attraction is the product of collaboration of the Historical Society and the two business entities that exist in the mine: the Hutchinson Salt Company and Underground Vaults and Storage. UV&S is a large facility that is known for storing a vast number of original Hollywood movies, as well as millions of documents and items from all over the world in a secure and environmentally conducive environment. In the late 1990's, when it was decided that in order to expand their storage business a new elevator or hoist would need to be built, a partnership was formed that resulted in the development of the museum.
McPherson Museum And Arts Foundation
1111 East Kansas Avenue, McPherson, KS
The Museum’s mission statement:
McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation preserves and presents for public benefit the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the McPherson community.
Fick Fossil and History Museum
700 West 3rd, Oakley, KS
The Fick Fossil and History Museum, which was established to showcase the Ficks family’s findings and artwork, allows you to walk through the history of Logan County. Visitors start in the Prehistoric era, amid sharks teeth and fossils and end walking the through replicas of the early boardwalks of Oakley during the Dust storms of the 1930’s.
Most of the fossils in the museum were found within the vicinity of the Fick’s homestead near Oakley. Vi combined fossils and shells with oil painting to create one-of-a-kind artwork. These folk-art paintings are prominently featured in the museum.
The museum houses replicas of Oakley’s first Depot, a sod house, Prather’s Creamery, and Oakley’s General Store. The museum also houses a large, impressive collection of rocks and minerals from the Oakley area and around the world including the remains of ancient tombs! Among its more than 11,000 sharks teeth and many fossils there is the world’s oldest known mosasaur fossil, a 15 foot Xiphactinus Audax prepared by well-known fossil-hunter George Sternberg, and other rare fossils.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home
200 Southeast Fourth Street, Abilene, KS
Library History :
The basic function of the Library building is to provide a place for scholars to come to work in the rich historical materials housed there. Because of the necessity to provide a quiet atmosphere in which researchers, and staff can work, there is no general admittance to the research areas of the building.
Museum History :
Built by the Eisenhower Foundation, with funds raised through public gifts, the Eisenhower Museum is constructed of Kansas limestone. Originally dedicated on Veterans Day, 1954, the Museum was built to house the materials and objects related to Dwight D. Eisenhower's life. It contains over 30,000-square feet of gallery space, with exhibits showing not only the fine art objects collected by and given to Eisenhower but also the story of his carrers as military leader and President of the United States.
The Museum is divided into five major areas consisting of an introductory gallery, changing exhibits gallery, a First Lady's gallery, a military gallery, and a presidential gallery. Of special interest and importance is the changing exhibits gallery. A different exhibit is presented periodically so that repeat visitors can experience something new.
Hillsboro Museums
502 South Memorial Drive, Hillsboro, KS
Hillsboro Kansas has two museums, the Mennonite Settlement Museum and the William F. Schaeffler House Museum. Both museums are managed by the City of Hillsboro Museums department, "Hillsboro Museums."
At the Mennonite Settlement Museum visitors experience the history of pioneer life on the prairies of western Marion County Kansas. Here in the early 1870s immigrant refugee Mennonites came from south Russia and central Poland. Their story is told in the unique 1876 Peter Paul Loewen House and the replica 1876 Jacob Friesen flouring windmill.
Later the town of Hillsboro was built as a railroad center for shipping wheat to market. The city grew and prospered. A leading family business in Hillsboro was the Schaeffler Mercantile Store. In 1909 prosperous William F. Schaeffler built a beautiful Queen Anne house, now the William F. Schaeffler House Museum. Tours of both museums start at the Hillsboro Museums Visitor Center located west of the Mennonite Settlement Museum on Memorial Drive in Hillsboro.
Old Cowtown Museum
1865 West Museum Boulevard, Wichita, KS
Old Cowtown Museum is a unique, 17 acre open-air living history museum which recreates Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas from 1865 to 1880. you'll experience life in the 1870s. Immerse yourself in a sampling of the sights, sounds and activities common to a Midwestern cattle town.
You'll experience the dramatic clash of Victorian ideals and economic realities as these competing forces strove to create an economically viable cattle town and a Victorian metropolis.Try a wagon ride, hear the ring of the blacksmith anvil, and visit the humble home of the town's founder, Darius Munger. Be sure to stop at the home of the Marshall Murdock, who single-handedly promoted the town through his newspaper. After you smell what the farmer's wife is cooking for her family, try an ice cold sarsaparilla in the saloon...but be prepared to duck in the doorway as gunfire erupts in the streets!
Exploration Place
300 North McLean Boulevard, Wichita, KS
Exploration Place is Kansas' premier hands-on science center for all ages, located on a 20-acre site along the Arkansas River in Wichita's downtown Museums on the River district. Five hands-on exhibit areas focus on flight, Kansas, medieval life in a three-story castle, imaginative spaces for toddlers, and a special traveling exhibition area. In Kansas' largest domed theater, the Boeing Dome Theater and Planetarium, travel to faraway destinations and embark on unforgettable adventures during these state-of-the-art, digitally-produced films. Other EP amenities include a snack bar, free parking, picnic grove/adventure play yard, Explore Store and family restrooms.
Mission:
Inspiring a deeper interest in science through creative and fun experience for people of all ages.
Wichita - Sedgwick County Historical Museum
204 South Main Street, Wichita, KS
Mission:
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum’s mission is to educate the community and its visitors about local history by collecting, preserving, and interpreting materials reflecting the heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County.
Vision:
To provide a world class Museum experience, advancing the understanding and exploration of the rich historical and cultural heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County Kansas.
Museum Of World Treasures
835 East 1st Street in Old Town, Wichita, KS
Mission:
To provide a gateway to the past that educates, entertains and inspires life long learning
History:
The Museum of World Treasures was founded by Dr. Jon and Lorna Kardatzke and opened its doors for the first time on April 22, 2001 at the Garvey Center in downtown Wichita, Kansas. About two years later – due to tremendous growth – the museum relocated to what is affectionately known as the Farm & Art Market. The building is located in the Old Town district of Wichita, just east of downtown and was converted from a warehouse as were most of the multiuse buildings in the district. The area is an eclectic mix of restaurants, shops, clubs, museums and theaters along with a rich and burgeoning population of citizens who are now choosing to live in the many loft condominiums that have sprung up in the district over the past ten years. While the Museum of World Treasures is young, you will find it has packed a great deal into its first six years and the artifacts you will witness here stand as testament to this fact.
Ulrich Museum of Art
1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS
The Ulrich Museum of Art, located on the campus of Wichita State University, is the region's source for modern and contemporary art. Since its founding in 1974, the museum has served as Wichita's premier venue for contemporary works by established and emerging artists of national and international significance. A lively schedule of provocative and challenging exhibitions is complemented by an important collection of 20th-century painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography, as well as works by 21st-century artists.
Mission Statement:
Expand human experience through encounters with the art of our time.
Kansas Aviation Museum
3350 South George Washington Boulevard, Wichita, KS
Kansas Aviation Museum opened on April 19, 1991 to showcase Kansas aviation history.Today the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is being restored to its original glory.
The museum currently owns or has on loan 40 planes, several pending restoration. Some of the most notable planes include: a Beech Starship, a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a 1934 Stearman Trainer, the Boeing model 737, a KC 135E refueling tanker, and a 1927 Swallow. Work begins this spring on restoration of the B-47. Check back for updates on progress and specific times you can observe major restoration work.
The museum also houses an extensive display of aircraft and engines from a variety of time periods. The control tower, added to the building in 1941, is accessible to the public and provides a view of the area from the highest point in Wichita. Also available to the public with prior arrangement is an archive of an estimated 200,000 photographs and documents of aviation-related memorabilia
Mission:
- Preserve the birth and living heritage of Kansas aviation.
- Educate the world on the past, present and future of flight.
- Promote the Spirit of Flight in the Air Capital of the World.
The OZ Museum
511 Lincoln, Wamego, KS
What words could be more appropriate when describing the dream of a small community that literally built a museum out of a rainbow's notion? It took the brains of a small group of leaders, the heart for what L. Frank Baum began in 1900 as a simple children's book and the courage to take on the task of constructing a home for over 2,000 artifacts dating from 1900 to today.
The OZ museum was built with a major grant from the State of Kansas and the generosity of the people of this small community, who also provided thousands of hours of volunteer time. The museum houses more than just memorabilia from the famous 1939 MGM musical starring Judy Garland! It encompasses earlier silent films, one of which starred none other than Oliver Hardy (Laurel and Hardy fame) as the Tin Man as well as "The Wiz" starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The OZ Museum offers everything imaginable from the earliest Baum books and OZ Parker Brothers board games to today's collectibles that can be purchased in Auntie Em's Gift Shop.
The OZ Museum is dedicated to ALL things OZ. It is a treasure trove of delight and wonder and thrills visitors young and "young at heart."
Combat Air Museum
7016 SE Forbes Ave., Forbes Field, Topeka, KS
The Combat Air Museum has served as an educational institution and tourism destination for more than thirty years. It is one of a handful of major aviation museums in the United States located on an active air field. Visitors to the museum are regularly treated to flying activities of Air Force fighter aircraft and Army helicopter operations.
The Museum's “Young Aviators' classes offer students a unique opportunity to be immersed in the midst of a museum covering aviation history from the earliest days of flight to the present day.
Located at Forbes Field in Topeka, Kansas, the Combat Air Museum is a non-profit institution dedicated to the creation of facilities and resources for the education of the local and regional communities through the collection, preservation, conservation and exhibition of aircraft, information, artifacts, technology and art associated with the military aviation history of the United States of America.
On exhibit at the museum:
37 aircraft ranging from the WWI period to the present day
Aircraft engines of many sizes and types
An extensive display of artifacts and dioramas and a gallery of military aviation art
Little House on the Prairie Museum
2507 CR 3000, Independence, KS
Mission:
Little House on the Prairie Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historic site and history of the Ingalls family and their time in Kansas from 1869-1871. Our historic site consists of a reproduction cabin similar to the one the Ingalls lived in while on the prairie. We have a 19th century one room schoolhouse, post office and the hand dug well that Charles Ingalls dug for his family on the historic property. Our site is privately owned and maintained and depends upon donations and sales from our gift shop to keep our site open for all to enjoy.
Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum
111 North Lincoln Avenue, Chanute, KS
Vision Statement:
To cultivate a spirit of adventure and exploration through the preservation and presentation of Martin and Osa Johnson’s life work.
Chanute Art Gallery
17 North Lincoln Ave., Chanute, KS
About the Gallery:
Located in the Heart of Downtown Chanute, Kansas, in four buildings built in the early 1900’s, renovated to meet a Galleries needs, the exterior integrity of the four 90 year old buildings has been preserved. The interior of the four buildings has been carefully renovated: the four buildings joined inside by wide doorways and handicap ramps now beautifully accommodates all types of Art Exhibits, Lectures, Parties, Dinners, Gallery Walks and Open House Events for Artists.
The Art Gallery includes four Exhibit Galleries, a Director's Office and Board Room, an Artwork Storage Vault, other Storage Areas, a Kitchen and a beautiful Gift Shop.
Changing Exhibits every month, a Permanent Core Collection of over 600 Works of Art and a beautiful Gift Shop featuring Original Works of Art and “Doing” Gifts for Children makes the Chanute Art Gallery one of the finest Art Galleries in a small town in Kansas.
Spencer Museum Of Art
1301 Mississippi Street, Lawrence, KS
The Spencer Museum of Art explores the capacity of art to spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and create connections among people. The Museum, located on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, houses an internationally-known collection that is deep and diverse, currently numbering nearly 36,000 artworks and artifacts in all media. The collection spans the history of European and American art from ancient to contemporary, and includes broad and significant holdings of East Asian art. Areas of special strength include medieval art; European and American paintings, sculpture and prints; photography; Japanese Edo-period painting and prints; 20th-century Chinese painting; and KU’s ethnographic collection, which includes about 10,000 Native American, African, Latin American and Australian works.
Mission:
The Spencer Museum of Art sustains a diverse collection of art and works of cultural significance. It encourages interdisciplinary exploration at the intersection of art, ideas and experience. The Spencer strengthens, supports, and contributes to the academic research and teaching of the University of Kansas and is committed to serving communities of learners across Kansas and beyond.
