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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!

Do you have a story to tell about your visit? Share here.

FEATURED STORIES

  • Between 1934 and 1943, over 1,600 pieces of public art were installed in post offices throughout the country. 29 in Kansas. These pieces have stood the test of time - eight decades of time. Join Kara Heitz as she delves into what these murals can tell us about Kansas during the Great Depression era and how they continue to speak to us today. She’ll explore these questions through the lens of New Deal art programs in Kansas. Heitz will give special attention to the murals created for the Salina Post Office, sharing the process and challenges, as well as where the pieces might be now. Heitz is a lecturer at the Kansas City Art Institute.

    Experience this presentation in person at the Museum, or watch from the comfort of your home using Zoom or the Smoky Hill Museum Facebook page. The presentation on the Smoky Hill Museum's Facebook page will remain up through Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at noon.

  • Whether it’s yesteryear or yesterday, we want your stories about the Smoky Hill River! The Smoky Hill Museum and the Friends of the River Foundation are gathering stories, memories and information to inform educational programming and the guided historical walks coming soon with the new trails. All stories are welcome, be they fond, funny, troubling, informational or odd. If you have old photos of the Smoky Hill River, we’d love them too! Click here and use the form to share your story.

  • Thank you Salina Central High School Alumni for adding us to your list of recommended local businesses.

  • The Smoky Hill Museum has an exciting announcement. The Friends of the Museum have a new partner, Ad Astra Books and Coffee House, located at 135 N Santa Fe. Thanks to this new partnership, Friends Members now receive 20% off food, beverages and books at Ad Astra (excludes gifts and consignment items.)

    To celebrate this new partnership, you are invited to a special Friends of the Smoky Hill Museum Night at Ad Astra on May 22 from 7-8 pm. This event will introduce you to what it means to be a Friend of the Museum . There will be sweets and drinks plus, a special prize basket.

    All Friends enjoy the following benefits:
    • 20% off each food, beverage and book order at Ad Astra Books & Coffee House by showing your membership card (excludes gifts and consignment items);

    • a one-time coupon for a 20% discount on any regularly priced item in the Museum Store;

    • 10% off regularly priced merchandise in the Museum Store each time you show your membership card;

    • special announcements and invitations to educational programs, activities and exhibit openings;

    • a free subscription to the Heritage Express newsletter.

  • 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

  • For the Industry On the Move case.

  • For the Growing a Community platform and Street Fair

  • Jeff Denton

    For the Dugout

  • For Street Fair

  • Roy & Donice Applequist

    For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For the Let's Play exhibit and 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

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • For Street Fair

  • Ragnarok LARP

    For Street Fair

OUR SPONSORS