Lewis & Clark Trail – Kansas 3 – Freedom's Frontier NHA

LEWIS & CLARK TRAIL
KANSAS AUTO TOUR 3

Swipe right to learn more at each stop.

A whole lot of history is wrapped up and ready to be discovered in the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. Here, in western Missouri and eastern Kansas, the idea of freedom gained a new meaning and purpose.

You can see the impact here where early-day settlers dreamed of a new life in a new land. After the Lewis and Clark Expedition era, people settling in the northern states and in the southern states each wanted to adopt their own brand of expansion for this western frontier. This conflict led to the Civil War. Much of the turmoil began on the Missouri/Kansas border…now designated as the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.

Visitor centers, museums, attractions and historic sites can help visitors better understand the historic events leading to these unique chapters in America’s diverse history. The visitor centers and museums can also recommend great places to see and enjoy around the area including the Flint Hills and Tuttle Creek Lake. The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, the Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock and Grand Falls in Missouri are also nearby.

This program is sponsored and funded in part by the National Park Service Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation; Illinois: the Greater Metropolis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Friends of Fort Massac, the City of Vandalia, and Illinois Ohio River Scenic Byway; Missouri: Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, Washington Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Boonville; Kansas: the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Salina Chamber of Commerce, the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce, the Leavenworth Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Overland Park and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

© 2012–2018 The Middle Missouri River Lewis and Clark Network

This tour guides users to 16 locations across eastern Kansas.

Scroll down to begin the tour.

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Stop 1
Kansas City, KS

Lewis & Clark Park at Kaw Point, an inspiring historic site at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, is where Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery camped and recovered after their exhausting journey against the rising currents and a strong headwind on June 26, 1804.

Today, the park offers walking and biking trails, an education pavilion, open-air encampment theater and outstanding views of downtown Kansas City. Murals and signage recognize the area’s history and Native American tribes.

Kansas City, KS is home to Schlitterbahn Waterpark Kansas City, Kansas Speedway, Sporting KC and an array of exciting attractions, unique-themed restaurants and shopping experiences. The Village West area boasts 400 acres of shopping. Find big bargains at Legends Outlets Kansas City, Cabela’s and Nebraska Furniture Mart. History comes alive at the Quindaro Overlook, Old Quindaro Museum, John Brown Statue and the Underground Railroad Museum. All are a part of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area in eastern Kansas.

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Stop 2
Leavenworth, KS

The city’s major attraction, historic Fort Leavenworth, is the oldest (1827) continually operating U.S. Army post west of the Mississippi.

The Frontier Army Museum at Fort Leavenworth features a Lewis & Clark exhibit and houses one of the best collections of 18th century military weapons and equipment. The inspiring Buffalo Soldier Monument memorializes the African American officers and troops who helped bring peace to the frontier. The Fort’s cemetery is one of the first 14 national cemeteries established by President Abraham Lincoln. An audio driving tour leads visitors to 10 different historic sites in the area. The Leavenworth Landing Park Walking Trail includes sculpture displays and wayside tour exhibits along the waterfront.

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Stop 3
Topeka, KS

Visitors won’t want to miss Kansas historic State Capitol and at the Kansas History Museum they can see a Cheyenne Tipi, a Wichita Grass Lodge, an 1880 Steam Locomotive, and exhibits and displays that bring Kansas’ extraordinary frontier heritage to life.

Topeka also features Old Prairie Town, the Great Overland Stage Museum and the Combat Air Museum. The historic Ritchie House, the Topeka Zoological Park and the Ted Ensley gardens are popular destinations.

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Stop 4
Lawrence, KS

Home of the University of Kansas and the Haskell Indian Nations University. The mounted remains of the cavalry horse Comanche, who was the lone survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is on display at the University of Kansas’ Natural History Museum.

Attractions include the exhibits and documents at the Dole Institute of Politics, the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, the University of Kansas’ Natural History Museum, the Lawrence Art Center, and the Lied Performing Arts Center as well as the Watkins Community Museum of History.

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Stop 5
Shawnee, KS

Shawnee Town helps visitors re-live life on the farm in the old days while the Wonderscope Children’s Museum opens young minds to the future.

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Stop 6
Overland Park, KS

Spark your child’s imagination at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, where they can be hands-on with the best outdoor experiences!

Take a stroll through the beautiful Museum at Prairiefire, the only location outside of New York to host American Museum of Natural History exhibitions. Get an adrenaline rush at iFly! Their 120 MPH wind tunnel allows to you experience free-fall conditions as you skydive indoors. Explore Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens or the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art for a more cultural experience. Overland Park’s charming downtown is home to eclectic shops and local restaurants… all just 20 minutes from Kansas City, Missouri.

Topeka also features Old Prairie Town, the Great Overland Stage Museum and the Combat Air Museum. Popular Topeka destinations also include the historic Ritchie House, the Topeka Zoological Park, the priceless Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows at First Presbyterian Church and the Ted Ensley gardens.

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Stop 7
Olathe, KS

The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site has been welcoming Santa Fe Trail travelers since 1858. Visitors can take stagecoach rides, visit a working 19th century farm and discover what life was like on the Kansas frontier.

Historic downtown Manhattan features the Flint Hills Discovery Center with fascinating interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. The Riley County Historical Museum showcases the area’s pioneer heritage. The Konza Prairie Biological Station features buffalo in their native prairieland. Walk on “the wild side” at the Sunset Zoo. The Wildwood Outdoor Adventure Park offers 7 thrilling zip-lines. Tuttle Creek Lake provides great outdoor adventures and is located 5 miles north of Manhattan on US Highway 24.

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Stop 8
Gardner, KS

Gardner is located at the junction of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails.

Gardner’s Historical Museum features displays and exhibits that remember those pioneer days.

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Stop 9
Osawatomie, KS

John Brown’s log cabin home and the Osawatomie Battlefield are important historic destinations in the Freedom’s Frontier National Heri-tage Area which includes historic sites, battlefields, and museums along Kansas’ eastern border from Fort Leavenworth above Kansas City to Fort Scott Historic Site in Southeastern Kansas.

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Stop 10
Humboldt, KS

The 12-site Civil War Tour includes 12 scenes etched in black granite and placed where each incident occurred, remembering the burning of Humboldt.

The historical museum complex showcases the ongoing history of the community.

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Stop 11
Chanute, KS

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum features the first film and photographs of Africa, the South Seas, and Borneo that the husband and wife explored and filmed.

The Chanute Historical Museum includes more close-to-home displays.

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Stop 12
Independence, KS

Visitors can step into the Ingalls cabin, better known as the Little House on the Prairie and experience what life was like on the Kansas Frontier in the 1870s.

The Elk City Lake is just northwest of the community.

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Stop 13
Coffeeville, KS

The Dalton Defenders Museum showcases the memorabilia of the Dalton Gang who robbed two banks in Coffeyville in 1892.

The Aviation Heritage Museum includes exhibits that showcase the early days of barnstorming and the development of aviation as a major business in the community and the state.

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Stop 14
Baxter Springs, KS

Visit the Heritage Center and Museum to learn about the 1863 attack by Quantrill and explore the site of the attack at Fort Blair.

Baxter Springs is also on the Historic Route 66 Byway.

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Stop 15
St. Paul, KS

Northwest of Baxter Springs on US 69 and KS 47 is the Osage Mission Museum that displays photos, artifacts and exhibits on the 1847 Osage Indian Mission.

The Frontier Military Historic Byway on US 69 includes the Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site, the Linn County Historical Museum, the Trading Post Museum, the Marias de Cygnes Massacre Site and the Miami County Historical Museum on all provide important insight on the Civil War and the confrontation between the states.

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Stop 16
Fort Scott, KS

On the Frontier Military Historic Byway on US 69.

The fort has been restored and brings to life its role during the westward expansion and the Civil War years.

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For more information, go to:
VisitKansasCityKS.com
VisitLeavenworthKS.com
FreedomsFrontier.org
TravelKS.com

For other Lewis and Clark Trail adventures in the area, go to: www.LCGreatRivers.org

FREEDOM'S FRONTIER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

P.O. BOX 526

LAWRENCE, KS 66044

785.856.5300

[email protected]

GALLERY HOURS: BY APPT. TUES - FRI, 9AM - 4PM

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