Planes, Trains & Life on the Prairie
By Visit Topeka
08/11/2008
Explore Topeka, the capital city of Kansas, featuring 20 first-class attractions, 14 art galleries, five performing arts facilities, spectacular annual events, delectable dining and unique shopping. With so much to see and do, Topeka is the ideal destination for overnight visits, mystery tours, and daytrips. Take a look at Visit Topeka Inc.’s pre-planned three day itinerary, or request a customized itinerary at www.visitTopeka.travel or (800) 235-1030.
Contact Information:
t: view phone 785-234-1030
e: view email tamra@visitTopeka.travel
w: view URL http://visittopeka.travel
i: view contact details
- Combat Air Museum
- Great Overland Station
- Old Prairie Town at Ward Meade Park
- Kansas Museum of History
- Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee
Tour Dates:
Number of Days: 3
Day 1 — Topeka, Kansas
Begin your day at Combat Air Museum, home of 32 aircraft from WWI to the present day, an extensive display of artifacts and dioramas, and a growing gallery of military aviation art. Admission is $5.
Take a short drive to Lake Shawnee and stroll through Ensley Gardens. Topeka’s newest garden features nine acres of blooms from mid-April through late October. Enjoy the peacefulness of the lake, flowers, and water gardens. Admission is free. Journey to Old Prairie Town at Ward Meade Park for lunch and a tour. Highlights of this turn-of-the-century village include a Victorian mansion, a working soda fountain, and two and a half acres of botanical gardens. After the $4 guided tour, shop for unique souvenirs at the Mulvane General Store. A $10 basket lunch offers a hot chicken pocket sandwich, fruit, coleslaw or potato salad, pickle, giant molasses cookie, drink, and Brown Bread ice cream.
Return to the days of your youth by spending an afternoon at Gage Park. The mini train features a narrated mile-long scenic route through the heart of the park. Train rides are $1. Gage Park’s grand old carousel, which was built in 1908, features the sounds of the Wurlitzer band organ. Carousel rides are 75 cents. The train and carousel operate seasonally, April 5-Labor Day, weather permitting. Gage Park is also home of the Topeka Zoo, featuring 400 animals from around the world, and Reinisch Rose Garden. Reinisch Rose Garden features 6,500 roses and annual flowers. Peak blooming times are late May to early June, and early September through October. Admission is free.
Check in at the hotel and prepare for a night on the town. Enjoy a show at Topeka Civic Theatre, a Murder Mystery dinner at Old Prairie Town, a flashlight tour of the zoo, or have dinner and bring the entertainment to you.
Day 2 — Topeka, Kansas
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, followed by a tour of the Kansas Museum of History.
This museum features a full-sized Cheyenne tipi, a covered wagon and many artifacts from the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails.
Don’t miss the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe steam engine. Admission is $4 for a guided tour or $3 for a self guided tour. All aboard and full speed ahead to Great Overland Station. A catered lunch will be served by the infamous Harvey girls. Tour this former Union Pacific Station, recently restored to its 1920s glamour. The lunch and tour is $18. Spend an afternoon touring local “haunt” spots. The Topeka Ghost Tour offers a variety of spirited themes. Dinner and non-dinner tours are available year round. Non-dinner tours are $10 per person.
Day 3 — Topeka, Kansas
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and then spend an afternoon shopping at some of Topeka’s 14 unique antique shops. Drive to Henry’s Grill at Topeka Harley Davidson and enjoy some down-home barbecue. After lunch, stroll through Yesterday’s Motorcycle Museum and see 30 rare Harley-Davidsons, pictures, tools, and collectibles displaying the history of Harley-Davidson and the Topeka store.
