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The Smoky Hill Museum is Kansas's oldest, nationally accredited, hands-on history museum. Each time you visit, you find interactive fun around every corner. See what we do.

Free Admission

Museum Hours:

Tuesdays-Fridays: 11 am-5:00 PM
Saturdays: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM

Welcome to the Smoky Hill Museum

The Smoky Hill Museum explores history in unexpected ways, with interactive fun around every corner. It’s a big-city museum in a small package intentionally designed to make kids eager to stay longer, and adults want to come back for more.

Kimberly: Great little museum! Visited with my boys, 8 and 6 while camping at Kanopolis. We spent 3 hrs here and only 3 because they were closing! The tornado exhibit is really cool and was enjoyed by all 3 of us. My 8 yr old loved the log cabin. Definitely recommend stopping if you're in the area!

FEATURED STORIES

  • Fire – what is it good for? Well, evidently quite a bit. Join historian, author and teacher Julie Courtwright, as she discusses the role of fire – man-made and natural – in shaping the Great Plains and the lives of its residents. Using newspaper accounts, diary entries and pop culture artifacts, Courtwright explores how fire has benefitted and sometimes terrorized humans. She’ll give special attention to prairie fires in Central Kansas. Courtwright grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas. She’s an associate professor of history at Iowa State University. This presentation is offered by the Smoky Hill Museum, Thursday, April 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m. It will only be offered via Zoom. Request the Zoom link here.

  • Fire Exhibit

    Fire – entrancing, dangerous, mysterious fire. Its positive impact on our lives is felt daily. But its destructive powers make it a force to be reckoned with. Unchecked, fire leaves a path of destruction and a trail of evidence in its embers. Investigators study fires like a crime scene to discover the origin, cause and spread. What they learn often leads to improved fire safety policies and procedures.

    In this exhibit, we look at some historic fires, both national and local. We will be the investigator more …

  • Online Resources

    Check out the following:

    • Check out past exhibits in the special Online Exhibits section.

    • Access Exhibit handouts featuring such topics as the Indian Burial Pit and the Battle of Indian Rock.

    • Like crosswords or word searches? Check out the Fun & Games page.

    • Educators can enhance their lessons with free video presentations. Check out the topics available in the Educational Lending Library.

  • Special thanks go to our exhibit and case sponsors. The Museum is able to continue its strong exhibits and educational programming through their generosity. Interested in sponsoring an exhibit? Contact Susan Hawksworth at susan.hawksworth@salina.org.

  • Meet the amazing people who work hard to make our vision a reality.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

  • Iron Insurance Partners

    For the Fire: Embers of Discovery exhibit

  • The Bennington State Bank

    For the Fire: Embers of Discovery exhibit

  • For the From Sod to Stone area

  • Jeff Denton

    For the Dugout

  • For the Industry On the Move case.

  • Morrie and Sydney Soderberg

    For the Mercantile

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • Roy & Donice Applequist

    For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

OUR SPONSORS