VACATION AND TRAVEL
This next place is a hidden gem for that military minded person in your group, which is the Museum of the Kansas National Guard. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Kansas National Guard and honoring the memories of the soldiers and airmen who for over 160 years, have served Kansas and the United States whenever the call was made.
Within the Museum walls, the weapons, uniforms, and other artifacts carried or worn by Kansas Guardsmen from the Civil War to the War on Terrorism are proudly displayed. These artifacts paint a picture of the Kansas citizen-soldier from the early and bloody days of the birth of Kansas, to today’s Guard missions around the world. Surrounding the Museum building, visitors can see static displays of military equipment including an M60 tank (previously-used by the Kansas Army National Guard), an 8-inch self-propelled howitzer (capable of firing nuclear rounds), a variety of helicopters, including an OH-58 Bell Kiowa, an OH-6 Loach from the Silver Eagles (the U.S. Army’s answer to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds), an AH-1 Cobra, the powerful CH-54 Skycrane, and various other pieces of equipment. There is also a display of items and props used in the TV show M*A*S*H. This is a Free attraction! Museum has high ratings. This next place sounds like a fun stop and
the Discovery Center has become a special place where children can explore, create, discover, and learn through play. The museum has hosted visitors from all 50 states and 23 countries. The Discovery Center features 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibits exploring science, careers, art, building and more, special space for babies and toddlers, and a 4.5-acre certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom. Daily programs, field trips, birthday parties and other special events provide additional opportunities for serious fun.
Anyway, when you day is winding down this next attraction is something I have done on many trips and that is a dinner theater. Over at the Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy is a great venue you may want to visit. This place has the oldest continuously operating community dinner theatre in the nation. Next year, they celebrate 75 years of bringing live theatre to Northeast Kansas. They offer two performance spaces with a 282-seat dinner theatre, and a 150-seat studio theatre offering a large variety of shows 50 out of 52 weeks of the year. See website for all the current productions, and see the menu of the great food they serve at these dinner theaters.