What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Kansas Museum of History

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Topeka, KS
Kansas Museum of History

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We're the state history museum for Kansas. Reopens November 22, 2025. Explore the history of Kansas through exciting exhibits.
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From the earliest people to the recent past, the Kansas Museum of History impresses visitors with amazing artifacts and interactive displays. You'll thrill to stories from the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, learn the tragic history of Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War, stroll through a full-sized train, sit in a 1950s diner, and much more.

10/27/2026

Celebrate Halloween at the Kansas Museum of History with family-friendly activities including a scavenger hunt in the gallery, hands-on crafts, and free admission for costumed kids aged 6 to 17!

Families can make a day of exploring Kansas history while enjoying seasonal activities at the museum. Young visitors are encouraged to investigate the museum gallery for a chance to win candy in a scavenger hunt, and from noon to 3 p.m. children can also visit the museum’s small classroom to create their own Halloween artwork by decorating printed monster heads, jack-o’-lanterns, scarecrows, and other festive favorites.

No weapons, real or fake, are permitted into the museum, so plan accordingly!

10/21/2026

Stories from the gallery: Ellen "Nell" Quinlan Donnelly Reed was a fashion designer and businesswoman. Born in Parsons, Labette County, in 1889, she began selling her creations to a local department store on consignment. That same year, she started Donnelly Garment Company in Kansas City, Missouri. By the 1920s, the Nelly Don brand had taken off and the company became one of the largest manufacturers of women’s clothing in the United States, Canada and Europe. See a dress designed by Donnelly in the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays).

10/12/2026

Stories from the new gallery: William Eugene “Gene” Lowery hailed from Reece, Greenwood County. As a young man, Lowery pursued a career as a cowboy and worked on ranches in Greenwood and Butler counties. At 18, he became a foreman and brand-reader for the Stanhope-Gregg cattle syndicate. He was known as one of "Greenwood County's best cowboys of all time" because he’d handled more cattle during his lifetime than "any other man in the state of Kansas." Find out more about this respected cowboy in the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays). View this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/533534

10/09/2026

Join us tonight for Museum After Hours! In November 1996, President Bill Clinton signed legislation authorizing the creation of a national preserve on the grasslands of Chase County, Kansas. As the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve approaches its 30th anniversary, we look back at the decades-long process through which it was established. Filmmaker Dave Kendall and Rex Buchanan, director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, discuss the conflicts and compromises that led to the creation of the preserve and reflect upon the role it plays today. Their observations will be interspersed with clips from Kendall’s documentary about the preserve, which premiered on its 20th anniversary in 2016. The museum will be open during this time from 5 to 8 p.m. and admission will be free. The program starts at 6:30. Light refreshments will be served. This presentation can be livestreamed on the KSHS YouTube channel, or you can attend in-person at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka.

10/01/2026

Here's what's coming up this month. Learn more at www.kansashistory.gov/events

09/23/2026

Stories from the gallery: Theodore C. Henry came to Kansas in 1867 settling in Abilene. He briefly became involved in the cattle trade but later opposed it. He then turned his attention to farming. Henry successfully invested in land and farming operations and encouraged the adoption of winter wheat. Some remember him as the “Wheat King.” Learn more about this entrepreneur at the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays). This photo was taken from www.kansasmemory.gov/item/218

09/22/2026

09/17/2026

Fall into the autumn season with the newest issue of Zephyr! Browse through the pages to find these articles: “Reflecting On Our 150-Year History: 1976-1999,” “Lasting Impression in History,” “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape,” and more! Also in this issue is our regular section “On This Day in Kansas History.” We hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Zephyr, and we look forward to bringing you more captivating articles, information, and updates from the Kansas Historical Society in future editions. To access this issue or register to receive future issues, visit bit.ly/kshszephyr

09/17/2026

Join us for Museum After Hours in October! In November 1996, President Bill Clinton signed legislation authorizing the creation of a national preserve on the grasslands of Chase County, Kansas. As the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve approaches its 30th anniversary, we look back at the decades-long process through which it was established. Filmmaker Dave Kendall and Rex Buchanan, director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, discuss the conflicts and compromises that led to the creation of the preserve and reflect upon the role it plays today. Their observations will be interspersed with clips from Kendall’s documentary about the preserve, which premiered on its 20th anniversary in 2016.

Address

6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS
66615

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+17852728681

Website

https://www.kansashistory.gov/, https://linktr.ee/kansasmuseumofhistory

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