Admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861 just three months before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Kansas, which turns 150 this year, has long played a pivotal role in the American experience.
Located in the geographic center of the contiguous U.S., the former territory's "Bleeding Kansas" war between its free-state, anti-slavery Red Legs and Jayhawkers against pro-slavery forces was a tragic prelude to the Civil War. Today, the Sunflower State, the nation's breadbasket and leading global aircraft producer, claims its rightful place of prominence in the nation's heartland.
From the hypnotic eight-foot-tall prairie grass around Manhattan, "The Little Apple," to the authentic Old West trappings of former gunslinger Dodge City, this translates into a range of original, often moving experiences. Following are eight memorable ways for groups to sample the homegrown, characteristically Kansan bounty.
1. Kansas State Capitol Building, Topeka
Center stage for the 2011 Kansas sesquicentennial celebration, Topeka was named one of the "Top Ten Cities for the Next Decade" in 2010 by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Symbolizing Topeka's pride is the magnificent Capitol Building, centerpiece of a 20-acre site in downtown. Completed in 1903, this domed French Renaissance-style monument stands 304 feet tall—16 feet higher than the U.S. Capitol—and is crowned by a 22-foot bronze Kansa Indian warrior statue. Clad in Kansas limestone and with elaborate marble interiors, the Capitol's stained-glass panels, statues of famous Kansans like Eisenhower and Earhart and richly symbolic murals all contribute to a spellbinding visual experience. Tours of the dome are closed until June 2012, when ongoing renovations are slated for completion, but the Capitol is otherwise open for groups and events.
"One of the state's top travel destinations, the Capitol is truly the people's house," says Andrea Burton, Capitol Tour Center coordinator. "We welcome some 50,000 guests a year, including international travelers, conventioneers and school children."
2. Boot Hill Museum & Front Street, Dodge City
Founded in 1872, Dodge City became the world's preeminent shipping point for buffalo hides and Texas Longhorns driven along the Western Cattle and other famed trails. Death was a way of life in this "wildest, wickedest and woolliest" of frontier cowtowns—and when the bodies dropped, boots still on, they were buried at Boot Hill Cemetery, the site today of the group-friendly Boot Hill Museum. Adopting the local CVB's tagline, groups should get the heck into Dodge City to convene at or tour this authentic homage to the gunslingers and pioneers of the day, which includes a collection of some 20,000 original artifacts and the replica saloons, storefronts and other structures along Front Street.
"We have a great facility for meetings, family reunions or tours, with the entire museum or Front Street boardwalk available to groups," says Lara Brehm, executive director. "Our on-site catering staff makes everything from scratch and even shares recipes with our guests, and just watch out for the gunfights—you never know who might show up on the streets of Old Dodge City!"
3. Oz Museum, Wamego
Nestled in the grasslands kingdom of the state's Flint Hills region, vibrant Manhattan is energized by Kansas State University and popular annual events including Symphony in the Flint Hills and the Country Stampede Music Festival. Manhattan-based groups can access a quintessential experience in nearby Wamego: the OZ Museum. Home to a preeminent rotating collection of more than 2,000 pieces of Wizard of Oz memorabilia, this colorful institution's Yellow Brick Road wends past life-size displays including Dorothy and the Wicked Witch; every year, surviving Munchkin actors visit the museum and play cameos in a live Oz production at the museum's partner, the historic Columbian Theatre.
"Tours for business groups are an excellent way to take a break and get lost in Oz for a spell," says Mercedes Michalowski, museum director. "We also host small meetings in our state-of-the-art movie theater and can arrange combination tours with the meetings-capable Columbian Theatre."
Cozy Wamego has made a mini-industry out of the Oz legend, too, including the Oz Winery, Oztoberfest and Toto's Tacoz.
4. Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina
Originally Rolling Hills Ranch, a world-class Belgian horse breeding operation, this 145-acre zoo and museum complex represents the bold vision of Salina businessman and animal lover Charlie Walker. Already providing free tours of the ranch to children in the early '80s, Walker added a lion, two llamas and a pair of black bears; inspired by a dramatic increase in visitation, he transformed the facility into a sanctuary for over 100 exotic and endangered species. In 2000, Walker began construction of an accompanying museum to house a world-class collection of full-mount taxidermy, with a portion of the 64,000-square-foot building including the Conference Center at Rolling Hills. Featuring animatronic human robot guides, the museum's naturalistic display of over 200 species from around the planet is a unique tribute to the majesty of the animal kingdom.
"Our close proximity to two interstates makes Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure the perfect location for small to midsize meetings," says Kathy Tolbert, facility director. "Our clients enjoy the feeling of getting away from it all, yet our venue offers state-of-the-art technology, excellent on-site catering and the option to stroll through the zoo or museum between meeting sessions," she says.
5. Grinter Place State Historic Site, Kansas City
One of 16 state historic sites operated by the Kansas Historical Society, Grinter Place, completed in 1857, is preserved today as the oldest residence in Wyandotte County. Overlooking the historic Delaware Crossing on the Kansas River just minutes from downtown Kansas City, this stately two-story brick farmhouse was the home of Annie, a Lenape Indian from Delaware relocated to the area by the Fort Leavenworth Indian Agency, and her husband Moses, who operated a ferry and a trading post. With event space for up to 100 guests available at the site's visitor center, Grinter Place easily evokes the days of frontier life along the Kansas and Missouri border.
"For visitors, the most appealing and significant aspect is that the house is largely unaltered since 1857," says Joe Brentano, site administrator. "Our guests see examples of craftsmanship from the 1850s using the natural resources of the period, including local walnut in the joists and bricks fired on the site."
Apples still grow in the orchard planted by the Grinters.
6. Kansas Aviation Museum, Wichita
Founded in 1870 as a cattle town, Wichita today is known as the "Air Capital of the World," manufacturing 47 percent of all general aviation aircraft.
Located on the site of Wichita's original municipal airport—once one of America's busiest airfields—the Kansas Aviation Museum tells the story of how Wichita became the world center for aviation manufacturing. The museum's tarmac is lined with aircraft built in Kansas, from Cessnas to B-52 Superfortress bombers. The museum building, a 1930s Art Deco gem where Fred Astaire once danced for passengers and Howard Hughes regularly lunched, is another draw.
"We are the gateway for visitors wanting to know about the aviation heritage of Wichita," says Lon Smith, executive director, who calls the city the "Silicon Valley of aviation" for the ongoing legacy of innovation here. "With our new flight simulator adventure and flexible meeting and event space, we are an excellent choice for groups."
7. The Eldridge, Lawrence
As a center of anti-slavery activity during the "Bleeding Kansas" era, Lawrence became a flashpoint for violence, most notoriously the 1863 massacre by William Quantrill's Raiders that burned Lawrence practically to the ground. Included in the conflagration was the Free State Hotel, first torched in 1856 and then rebuilt in 1857 by Col. Shalor Eldridge. The Civil War hero triumphantly resurrected the property in 1865 and gave it his name. The hotel's preeminence declined after 1925, but harkening to the city of Lawrence's "from ashes to immortality" motto—and with devoted community and investor support—The Eldridge, "occupying the most historic corner in Kansas," was lovingly restored and relaunched in 2005 as a 48-room, all-suite boutique hotel delivering a meetings experience par excellence.
"The Eldridge is truly the place where history and hospitality converge," says Nancy Longhurst, general manager of The Eldridge and its parent hospitality management company The Olivia Collection. "From a high-powered general session to a focused board meeting, The Eldridge has your corporate needs covered."
8. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park
Alluring for its architecture alone, this striking museum on the campus of Johnson County Community College—itself a major regional visual and performing arts draw, and with 400 works of art throughout campus—opened in October 2007 to international acclaim. At 41,000 square feet, the minimalist, Kansas limestone-clad Nerman is the largest contemporary art museum in the four-state region, with skylights, gallery clerestories, windows and glass lobby walls connecting visitors with "time and nature."
Presenting 16 exhibitions annually and showcasing the museum's Oppenheimer Collection, the two-level building features nine galleries, two stunning lobby areas and meeting and reception space including a 200-seat auditorium.
"Nationally recognized for cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions, the Nerman Museum also boasts an extraordinary collection of over 1,000 works by internationally, nationally and regionally known artists," says Bruce Hartman, executive director. "As one of America's largest and finest contemporary art museums, Nerman MOCA is a national destination." MFMA
As a warbird, animal, art, history and nature enthusiast, regular Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman is right at home in the Sunflower State.
