Top 50 Museums in Kansas - Complete List, Map & Guide

Written and Fact-checked by | Updated On: July 10, 2026

Kansas splits its museum identity almost evenly between the Cold War and the Old West: the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson holds one of the largest collections of U.S. and Soviet space artifacts anywhere, while Dodge City's Boot Hill Museum and Old Cowtown in Wichita lean into the frontier cattle-town history the state is best known for.

Kansas Museums Map

The Kansas Museums Map highlights the locations of museums across the state, including art museums, history museums, science centers, and cultural heritage institutions. Use this interactive map to explore popular museums in Topeka, Abilene, and other destinations throughout Kansas.

Below is an expanded list of Kansas's museums, split between Wichita, Topeka, and a string of frontier and aviation-focused institutions statewide.

List of Museums in Kansas

Museum Name City Category Admission Best For Official Website
CosmosphereHutchinsonSpacePaidU.S. & Soviet space artifactshttps://cosmo.org
Museum of World TreasuresWichitaHistoryPaidAncient civilizations & world historyhttps://worldtreasures.org
Old Cowtown MuseumWichitaLiving HistoryPaidOld West frontier townhttps://www.oldcowtown.org
Wichita Art MuseumWichitaArtFreeAmerican art collectionshttps://wichitaartmuseum.org
Exploration PlaceWichitaSciencePaidInteractive STEM exhibitshttps://exploration.org
Kansas Aviation MuseumWichitaAviationPaidKansas aviation heritagehttps://kansasaviationmuseum.org
The Kansas African American MuseumWichitaHistoryPaidAfrican American heritagehttps://tkaamuseum.org
Mid-America All-Indian MuseumWichitaNative AmericanPaidNative American culturehttps://allindianmuseum.org
Kansas Museum of HistoryTopekaHistoryPaidKansas history & culturehttps://www.kansashistory.gov/museum
Combat Air MuseumTopekaAviationPaidMilitary aircraft collectionhttps://combatairmuseum.org
Evel Knievel MuseumTopekaSpecialtyPaidMotorcycle stunt historyhttps://evelknievelmuseum.com
Kansas Children's Discovery CenterTopekaChildrenPaidHands-on family exhibitshttps://kansasdiscovery.org
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Visitor CenterTopekaHistoryFreeCivil Rights historyhttps://www.nps.gov/brvb
Boot Hill MuseumDodge CityHistoryPaidWild West heritagehttps://boothill.org
Sternberg Museum of Natural HistoryHaysNatural HistoryPaidDinosaurs & fossilshttps://sternberg.fhsu.edu
Fort Hays State Historic SiteHaysHistoryFreeFrontier military historyhttps://www.kshs.org
Prairie Museum of Art & HistoryColbyHistoryPaidHigh Plains heritagehttps://prairiemuseum.org
High Plains MuseumGoodlandHistoryFreeRegional historyhttps://highplainsmuseum.org
Flint Hills Discovery CenterManhattanNaturePaidTallgrass prairie exhibitshttps://www.flinthillsdiscovery.org
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of ArtManhattanArtFreeRegional & contemporary arthttps://beach.k-state.edu
Amelia Earhart Birthplace MuseumAtchisonHistoric HousePaidAmelia Earhart historyhttps://ameliaearhartmuseum.org
Amelia Earhart Hangar MuseumAtchisonAviationPaidAviation historyhttps://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org
C.W. Parker Carousel MuseumLeavenworthSpecialtyPaidHistoric carouselshttps://parkercarousel.org
Frontier Army MuseumFort LeavenworthMilitaryFreeU.S. Army frontier historyhttps://history.army.mil/museums
Museum at PrairiefireOverland ParkNatural HistoryPaidScience & traveling exhibitshttps://museumatprairiefire.org
Nerman Museum of Contemporary ArtOverland ParkContemporary ArtFreeModern art collectionshttps://nermanmuseum.org
Johnson County MuseumOverland ParkHistoryPaidLocal history & 1950s suburbhttps://jcprd.com/museum
Rolling Hills Zoo MuseumSalinaNatural HistoryPaidWildlife exhibitshttps://rollinghillszoo.org
Smoky Hill MuseumSalinaHistoryFreeCentral Kansas historyhttps://smokyhillmuseum.org
Mid-America Air MuseumLiberalAviationPaidHistoric aircrafthttps://midamericaairmuseum.org
Coronado MuseumLindsborgHistoryPaidCoronado expeditionhttps://lindsborgcity.org
Birger Sandzén Memorial GalleryLindsborgArtPaidSwedish-American arthttps://sandzen.org
Kansas Oil MuseumEl DoradoIndustryPaidOil industry historyhttps://kansasoilmuseum.org
El Quartelejo MuseumScott CityHistoryPaidWestern Kansas historyhttps://www.scottcity.org
Fort Larned National Historic Site Visitor CenterLarnedHistoryPaidSanta Fe Trail forthttps://www.nps.gov/fols
Sod House MuseumAetnaHistoryPaidPioneer sod househttps://www.kshs.org
Boyhood Home and Museum of Walter ChryslerEllisAutomobilePaidWalter Chrysler historyhttps://www.walterpchryslerboyhoodhome.com
Ellis Railroad MuseumEllisRailroadPaidRailroad historyhttps://ellisrailroadmuseum.com
Cedar Crest MuseumTopekaHistoric HouseFreeGovernor's residencehttps://www.kshs.org
Big Well MuseumGreensburgHistoryPaidWorld's largest hand-dug wellhttps://bigwell.org
Finney County Historical MuseumGarden CityHistoryFreeRegional heritagehttps://www.finneycounty.org
Lee Richardson Zoo MuseumGarden CityNatural HistoryFreeWildlife educationhttps://www.garden-city.org
Russell County Historical Society MuseumRussellHistoryFreeCounty historyhttps://www.russellcountymuseum.org
Wilson MuseumWilsonHistoryFreeCzech heritagehttps://wilsonks.org
Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield Visitor CenterPleasantonMilitary HistoryPaidCivil War battlefieldhttps://www.kshs.org
Santa Fe Trail Center MuseumLarnedHistoryPaidSanta Fe Trail historyhttps://santafetrailcenter.org
Hays Arts Center GalleryHaysArtFreeRegional art exhibitshttps://haysartscouncil.org
Wamego Historical MuseumWamegoHistoryPaidLocal heritagehttps://wamegomuseum.org
Oz MuseumWamegoSpecialtyPaidWizard of Oz memorabiliahttps://ozmuseum.com
Museum of Independent TelephonyAbileneTechnologyPaidTelephone historyhttps://www.telephonemuseum.org

Kansas Museums Facts

Fact Details
StateKansas
Approximate Number of MuseumsMore than 250 museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions
Largest Art MuseumWichita Art Museum, Wichita
Most Visited MuseumCosmosphere, Hutchinson
Largest Science MuseumExploration Place, Wichita
Most Popular Space MuseumCosmosphere, Hutchinson
Largest Natural History MuseumSternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays
Official State History MuseumKansas Museum of History, Topeka
Most Popular Art MuseumWichita Art Museum, Wichita
Popular Free MuseumsWichita Art Museum, Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Visitor Center, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Smoky Hill Museum
Largest Museum DistrictDowntown Wichita Museum District
Major Museum CitiesWichita, Topeka, Hutchinson, Hays, Dodge City
Popular Museum CategoriesHistory, Art, Science, Space, Aviation, Natural History, Military, Children's Museums
Historic Landmark MuseumBoot Hill Museum, Dodge City
Best Time to VisitSpring (April–June) and Fall (September–October) provide the most comfortable weather for museum visits.
Top Family MuseumsCosmosphere, Exploration Place, Kansas Children's Discovery Center, Museum of World Treasures
Presidential MuseumsKansas does not have a U.S. Presidential Library or Presidential Museum.
Specialty MuseumsCosmosphere, Evel Knievel Museum, Kansas Aviation Museum, Museum of World Treasures, Oz Museum
Annual Museum VisitorsKansas museums attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Top Museum RegionsSouth Central Kansas, Northeast Kansas, Flint Hills, Western Kansas, Smoky Hills
US Museums by State

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