About Topeka KS
Topeka is the capital city of the state of Kansas, and also serves as the county seat for the Shawnee County. Topeka is situated in the northeastern area of Kansas along the Kansas River and in the central region of Shawnee County. The city of Topeka is as well the principal city in the Topeka Metropolitan region that has a population of more than 230,000. The name ‘Topeka’ is derived from the Kansa – Osage language and literally means ‘the place where we dug potatoes.’ This name was picked by the founders of the city since it was novelty, of Amerindian origin and of an euphonious sound. Joseph James, a Kansa native Amerindian is credited with suggesting the name Topeka to the founders of the city. The city of Topeka was one of the Free State towns that were established by eastern anti-slavery men after the passage of the Kansas – Nebraska Bill. Topeka was chartered as a city in the year 1857. The city of Topeka is highly renowned for the landmark United States Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka that declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.
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Top attractions
The city of Topeka boasts of a number of popular points of interest. To begin with, there is the Kansas State Capitol, which features murals by John Curry. This includes the portrait of John Brown that is topped with the sculpture of an Amerindian known as Ad Astra. There is also the Topeka Zoo that is well noted for being the birthplace of the very first golden eagle chick to be hatched in captivity. The Topeka Zoo as well has the distinction of been the very first zoo in the country to have an indoor rainforest. The city of Topeka is also home to the Washburn University, which has the distinction of being the last chartered university in America.
There is as well the Kansas Governor’s Mansion that is situated on a hilltop, which overlooks the MacLennan Park. Topeka also boasts of the Great Overland Station where the Kansas Hall of Fame is housed. Other points of interest in the city of Topeka include the Children’s Discovery Center, the Upstage Gallery, the Westboro neighborhood, the Reinisch Rose Garden, the Doran Rock Garden, the Kansas Museum of History, the Heartland Park Topeka, the Combat Air Museum, the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site, the Kansas Expocenter, Landon Arena to name just but a few.
Kansas State Capitol
The Kansas State Capitol is a historic building that serves as the seat of government for the state of Kansas. It is also known as the Kansas State House, and is home to the executive and legislative branches of the state of Kansas government. The dome of the Kansas State Capitol is 304 feet tall and the Kansas State Capitol is one of the few of its kind to still provide dome tours to the general public. There are as well historic tours that cover all 5 floors, and permit visitors to observe the exquisite murals within the building.
Lake Shawnee
Lake Shawnee is a man-made lake, which was created between 1935 to 1939 as a Work Progress Administration project. Some of the water based recreational activities visitors to Lake Shawnee can carry out include boating, fishing, and swimming. This city of Topeka attraction also offers non water recreational activities including camping, golfing and tennis. The lake as well boasts of numerous amenities and facilities. This includes gardens, big open areas, the Garden House, the Reynolds Lodge and even shelter houses for picnicking.
Kansas Museum of History
The Kansas Museum of History is situated on SW 6th Avenue. The Kansas Historical Society was established in the late 19th century, and its original home was the Kansas State Capitol. Today, the Kansas Museum of History is located in a 1980s building that was first opened to the public in 1984. This city of Topeka museum is sprawled on a 80 acres site, which is in close proximity to the Potawatomi Mission, and houses galleries featuring exhibits, classrooms and outreach programs. The Kansas Museum of History showcases ongoing exhibits, special temporary exhibits and even online exhibits. Some of its most notable outreach programs for kids include the Kansas Day, After Hours, the History and Environmental Fair, the Sundown Film Festival and the West Fest.
Mulvane Art Museum
The Mulvane Art Museum is a works of art museum that is also a department of the Washburn University. It was first opened in 1924 thanks to the generosity of Joab Mulvane who was a wealthy Topeka businessman. The Mulvane Art Museum has the distinction of been one of the oldest museums for the arts in the Western direction of the Mississippi River. This city of Topeka museum primarily focusses on showcasing artworks by local Kansas and Mountain Plains region of the country. The remarkable collection of the Mulvane Art Museum features 4,000 art pieces including drawings, paintings, decorative arts, prints and sculptures. Its educational outreach programs comprise of art classes, public lectures, family events to mention just but a few.
Combat Air Museum
The Combat Air Museum is an aircraft and aviation history museum, which is located at the Topeka Regional Airport otherwise known as the Forbes Field. The Combat Air Museum concentrates on the collection, preservation and showcasing of aircrafts and artifacts associated with the history of the country’s aviation industry. It was established in 1976, and is housed in 2 hangers of the airport. The collection of the Combat Air Museum includes a grand total of 36 airplanes, a big majority of which are military and American. The exhibits at on show here are aircraft that date back to the 1st Great War, the 2nd Great War, jet aircraft from the 1950s to 1980s, helicopters and even military vehicles.
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center is a kid’s museum that was first opened in 2011, and is housed in a 15,708 square feet building, which sits on a 4.5 acre parcel of land in Gage Park. The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center features diverse hands-on exhibits, which allow children to learn and discover via play. Some of the topics that are covered in this city of Topeka museum include art, science and plenty more other fascinating subjects. Outside of the facility are to be found hiking trails, obstacle courses and biking trails. Besides its exhibits, the Kansas Children Discovery Center also provides daily programs, camps, field trips and special events. It is also used to host birthday parties and provides diverse party packages.
Gage Park
Gage Park is a 160 acres Topeka park that is situated in the SW Gage Boulevard. It was established in the year 1899, and has the distinction of being one of the biggest parks in the city. Gage Park comes complete with the Reinisch Rose Garden, which is 70 years old. It is also a scenic place that is a trendy site for hosting weddings and special events such as birthdays parties and family reunions. Other prominent features of this city of Topeka park include an outdoor theatre and a number of children attractions like the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. Yet another popular attraction of Gage Park is the Topeka Zoo, which features a wide variety of exhibits including an indoor tropical rainforest and a miniature train.
Topeka Performing Arts Center
The Topeka Performing Arts Center hosts live dance, musical and theatrical performances in the city. It is housed in a historic art deco municipal auditorium, which was been renovated in the 1980s and the early 1990s. These renovations converted it into state of art center, but didn’t sacrifice its art deco architecture. Besides the main auditorium, there is a smaller theatre known as the Hussey Playhouse that can accommodate 120 persons. The Topeka Performing Arts Center also comes complete with a banquet facility, which is known as the Hill’s Festival Hall.