Top Things to do in Kansas
Top Hotels in Kansas
- 1. Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview Wichita
- 2. Drury Inn & Suites Kansas City Overland Park
- 3. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Wichita Northeast
- 4. Hotel at Old Town
- 5. Hampton Inn Lawrence
- 6. Best Western Plus Wichita West Airport Inn
- 7. Homewood Suites by Hilton Salina Downtown
- 8. Best Western Plus Butterfield Inn
- 9. Hampton Inn Colby
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Olathe
10 Zoos & Aquariums in Kansas That You Shouldn't Miss
See a buffalo up close, live like a cowboy for a day on a working cattle ranch or visit a stagecoach stop on the Sante Fe Trail are just a few of the many vacation experiences possible in this state in America’s heartland. You’ll love the wide-open spaces and the opportunities to engage in a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences in this marvelous state, which has the largest segment of true tallgrass prairie remaining in the U.S. Regardless of where you visit: a major metropolitan area like Kansas City, a college town like Manhattan or Lawrence or engaging places like Wichita, Dodge City and Salina, there are a wide array of attractions and sights nearby. If you want to familiarize yourself with cowboy culture, visit the Boot Hills Museum in Dodge City, dine on all-you-can-eat barbeque and hear songs of the American Cowboy at Diamond W Chuckwagon Supper in Wichita or explore the Dickinson County Heritage Center in Abilene, which has dance halls, gaming rooms and 32 saloons.
For outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching and other activities, three of the state’s most popular parks are: Cheney State Park near Wichita; Scott State Park near Scott City and Tuttle Creek State Park near Manhattan.
Restaurants in Kansas
1. Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 851 reviews
Reviewed By homesbyteresa - Overland Park, United States
This is such a family fun place to spend the day. There are sp many things to do and animals to see. My grandkids love feeding and petting the goats, hayride, driving pedal tractors, milking the cows, fishing, exploring and playing at the awesome playgrounds. There are too many fun things to do to mention them all. You will want to spend time checking it out. Bring your lunch and have a picnic.
2. Safari Zoological Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 786 reviews
Reviewed By 864cheyennep
This place is awesome the staff gave us such an amazing experience we will definitely be back if you are in the area definitely check it out it’s a very cool place ????
3. Sedgwick County Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,326 reviews
To inspire discovery, appreciation, and respect for animals and nature.
Reviewed By travelhigher24 - Wichita, United States
This place is very organized and can easily spend about 3-4 hours there. I went with my family, had a small boat ride, loved spending time with the elephants and that's my fav! The restaurant located there had both healthy and regular options so enjoyed our lunch there.
4. Brit Spaugh Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By 398lancew - Joplin, United States
Not to many large towns have a zoo, let alone a small town. The Brit Spaugh Zoo in Great Bend is truly impressive. Not only do they have a LOT of fantastic animals to look at, but the staff will take the time to talk to you about them and answer any questions you may have. They love their animals and it shows.
5. Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 100 reviews
Reviewed By greeleyguy55 - Neodesha, United States
This is how City Parks used to be. Large, SAFE, Friendly and FREE Admission with lots to do and see. The Park has a Large Playground, Swimming Pool, Miniature Train, Merry Go Round and Miniature Golf. The highlight is the Free Zoo with a large assortment of Animals. Walk Paths and short Trail walks. Picnic Tables and Group Picnic sites. The Local Veterans Memorial is on site as well. Easy to find off Highway 75.
6. Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 310 reviews
Reviewed By KansasRhonda - Wellington, United States
9/14/2020: Myself, my husband and eight of our family/friends got to enjoy our African Sundowner Experience last night. We purchased our experience at the live auction at this year’s Twilight Tour. We all met at the park and received Feed Encounter bracelets which allowed us to feed several animals and enjoy the park for three hours. Our African Sundowner evening, hosted by Lynnlee, started out with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the giraffe deck after the park had closed to the public. We all had so much fun taking turns feeding lettuce to Kensi and Isis, eating snacks and partaking of adult beverages, sodas and waters. We used this time to quiz LynnLee about the giraffes and the park. After about 40 minutes, we were lead through the park for the next stop of our evening, the super special white tiger experience. We got to meet Gilbert, have our photos taken with him and watch Bradley do target training with him. Gilbert did fantastic and was very tolerant having to stand up and pose ten times. It was also great learning all about him from Bradley and LynnLee. After our white tiger experience, we were lead back through the park to one of the event rooms for our next stop, an amazing catered meal from AVI Seabar & Chophouse. We were now in the capable hands of Ami, our park concierge, for the remainder of the evening. Before we were served dinner, we got to meet some of the park’s animal ambassadors, starting with Chewy the Toe-Toed Sloth. Chewy has been a favorite of ours since he came to live at the park. We all got to pet his back and take pictures with him while Ian told us all about sloths and answered our questions. Chewy is the sweetest animal ever, we loved meeting him. After Ian took Chewy out, we were excited to meet two kangaroo joeys. One of the joeys was very small and swaddled inside his very comfy pouch (a cloth bag with a blanket inside) while the other joey hopped around the room. Lynnlee told us all about the joeys and answered our questions. We each got the opportunity to bottle feed both of them and take lots of pictures. When they were ready to leave, we watched them jump into their pouches and get carried away by LynnLee. Next stage, dinner. Dinner was served to us by a great staff. It started with a salad and roll, which was followed by a ramekin chicken pot pie, sautéed green beans, sliced/roasted potatoes and a whited sauced beef rouladen. The food was beyond delicious. After we finished eating, we took our drinks back outside and watched the giraffe herd run and play. Ami took several group photos for us with the giraffes behind us. It was then time to leave and go home so we could start swapping cell phone pictures throughout our group. This was the most amazing, well-planned and executed evening we’ve ever experienced. The thought that such unique and wonderful opportunities are made available to us at Tanganyika definitely sets it apart from any other place we’ve visited. We cannot thank the owner, staff, trainers and volunteers enough for making all of this happen. On a scale of 1-10, we give our African Sundowner Experience a 1000. Thanks again LynnLee, Ami, Bradley, Ian.
7. Rolling Hills Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 251 reviews
If you are looking to satisfy your appetite for a wild adventure, Rolling Hills Zoo can provide two unique experiences you won’t soon forget. Settled among the Smoky Hills of central Kansas, this 65-acre zoological park, home to more than 110 species of animals, includes a world-class wildlife museum, all for one single admission price. At the zoo you can get face-to-face with a rare white camel, an Indian rhino or a curious orangutan. Maybe it is a towering giraffe you would like to encounter, a majestic lion, an ornery aardvark or any one of the many other species of wildlife at home at Rolling Hills Zoo. Throughout this beautifully landscaped park great care has been taken to provide the zoo’s animals with special and naturalistic environments. As visitors stroll through the zoo, they are invited to visit with the zookeepers. This dedicated crew is a huge reason why visiting Rolling Hills Zoo is such a unique experience. They are specially trained to enhance the quality of life for the animals, which in turn helps the animals thrive and be extra responsive to zoo visitors. The Rolling Hills Zoo zookeepers know the animals well and are happy to relate their own insights about their distinct personalities. During their visit, guests can enjoy a narrated tram ride through the zoo which stops at key locations in the park so guests can get off and explore on their own. Your journey through the 64,000 square foot museum takes you around the world while experiencing the delicate symmetry between humans, animals and nature in unique regions from the artic to the rainforest. With one of the world’s premier collections of full mount animals, this wildlife museum proudly displays over 200 animal species in naturalistic dioramas covering seven ecosystems. Live waterfalls, diorama sound effects and state-of-the art animatic human robots bring each diorama to life. The museum also features the Helen L. Graves Hideaway Hollow children’s education and exploration center and the 2,000 square foot Earl Bane Gallery, an exhibit gallery for exciting interactive traveling exhibits. Rolling Hills Zoo hosts a number of unique special events throughout the year including Zoorific EGGstravaganza, Party for the Planet, Wild About Moms, the Father’s Day Care Show, Wet’n Wild, the Back To School Blast, Zoo Brew, Art Gone Wild and Pumpkin PaZoola.
Reviewed By 691jeanetteh - Great Bend, United States
Great place to take the kids. We chose to walk the first part, fed the koi, visited the animals. We boarded the tram for the last part, learned interesting facts from the driver. We exited the tram at the museum. The museum’s A/C was nice relief on a hot day, and it has lots to see. The temporary dinosaur exhibit was a hit with the kids. Mask wearing and social distancing were encouraged, and almost everyone did. This made for a safe, fun experience during the pandemic.
8. Kansas State University Insect Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 69 reviews
We are currently open by appointment only. Please use this link to book an appointment- https:\\insect-zoo.appointlet.com.
Reviewed By 200kathij
This is a fun, learning fieldtrip with lots of interation with the kids!! Loved all the information about insects and bugs. Great place to inspire learning!
9. David Traylor Zoo of Emporia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 88 reviews
Reviewed By Vegetarian11traveler - Hutchinson, United States
I enjoyed my visit. Although I had low expectations, it was great to walk around and see the animals. I look forward to the expansion.
10. Lee Richardson Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 122 reviews
Reviewed By brucep460 - Albuquerque, United States
This is a great zoo and very big. I'm Bruce the zoo guy and I reviewed about a hundred zoos and aquariums. First off with this so you can either walk through it or do a drive-thru. The enclosures are big with plenty of room for all the animals to have some space. Enclosures for the most part they're done very well. They are adding a lot of new section too. Going to do a lot of walking cuz this is a pretty good-sized Zoo due to the size of the enclosures. Very well stated so you can come on a hot day and still enjoy it. There's not a lot of food or anything like that going on. The gift shop closes earlier than the zoo. Most of the major animals are represented here including elephants giraffes that big cats etcetera. I highly recommend this Zoo. Very well done very very well done. My favorite exhibit was the river otters.
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