Salina KOA Holiday Attractions

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Excursion Train

There are many steam trains that run across the Untied States for the enjoyment of tourists and history buffs. This train consists of a vintage diesel-electric locomotive, a century-old wooden sided passenger/diner, open air observation cars and a caboose. The excursion train travels through the Smoky Hill River Valley, between historic Abilene and Enterprise, a ten mile round trip.
The Train travels at a leisurely 10-15 miles an hour, so there is plenty of time for passengers to take pictures, and visit with the other passengers or train crew. Special charter trains available. Dinner trains in the spring and fall.

Location: 200 SE 5th, south of the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, Abilene, KS 67410

Phone (785) 263-1077
Toll Free : (888)426-6687 ; Email [email protected]

785-263-1077

Museum of Independent Telephony

The Museum of Independent Telephony, located at The Heritage Center, was established in 1973 to honor the men and women whose early efforts developed the independent telephone industry. 412 S Campbell, Abilene, KS 67410, (785) 263-2681

 Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:30-4:00
Saturday- 10am-5pm
Sunday- 1pm-5pm

Admission:
Ages :
2-5 yrs- $2.00 plus free ride on Carousel
16-61 yrs - $6.00
62+ yrs -$5.00

Adult Carousel Ride $2.00 each
Call for Group Rates of 8 or more

785-263-2681

Brookville Hotel

The Brookville Hotel is owned and run by fourth generation and is still serving their famous Brookville family style fried chicken. 

Hours:
Monday and Tuesday -- CLOSED
Wednesday- Friday - 5pm-7:30pm
Saturday-- 11:30am-7:30pm
Sunday-- 11:30am-6:30pm

785-263-2244

Website

Seeley Mansion

Enjoy a tour of  the Mansion, Gardens, and Museum, The Seeley Mansion is one of the finest historic homes in Kansas.
A New York architect designed the new home in Georgian style for the Dr. and Mrs. A.B. Seeley in 1904. It was built in 1905 at a cost of $55,000. The mansion contains the original furniture and Edison light fixtures. In this Kansas attraction, you will tour 25 rooms, including eleven bedrooms, ballroom, bowling alley, and kitchen areas. Special items of interest are the beautiful dining room, music room with gold French furniture and Steinway grand piano, library, and the Tiffany-designed fireplace in the grand hall.

The Patent Medicine Museum has many artifacts of the A.B. Seeley Medical Company. Founded in 1890, more than 100 products were sold over a 14-state area. See the elegance of the early 20th century architecture and furnishings when you visit this historic mid-western home.

Hours: 
Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm
Sunday- 1pm-4pm
Extended Hours in the Summer
Adults - $10.00
Ages 6-16 - $5.00

785-263-1084

C.W. Parker Carousel

The Parker Carousel located at the Heritage Center was made in Abilene in 1901 and has 24 hand-carved horses, 4 chariots and is operated with electricity on special occasions. It is powered by its original steam engine. www.heritagecenterdk.com Open Memorial Day - Labor Day: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 4125 Campbell, Abilene, KS 67410 (785) 263-2681

785-263-2681

Russell Stover Candies Factory Outlet

Monday - Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday: noon - 5:00 p.m. Located right off of I-70 at exit 270 on the west side of Abilene, KS,1993 Caramel Boulevard, Abilene, KS 67410 (785) 263-0463

785-263-0463

Rock City in Minneapolis, KS

Rock City is a five acre park which contains about 200 huge Dakota sandstone concretions. The spheres are up to 27 feet in diameter and you are encouraged to climb on them and do pretty much whatever you want. Rock City claims that there is no place else in the world with so many concretions.

Rock City is 31/2 miles south of Minneapolis off Highway 106. There is a small gift shop where Rock City, Inc., the local non-profit corporation that operates the park, collects a $3 fee. There is a bucket to leave money when the gift shop is closed.

Rock City, Inc.
1051 Ivy Road
Minneapolis, Kansas 67467
(785) 392-3068
open dawn to dusk

785-392-3068

Greyhound Hall of Fame

The Greyhound Hall of Fame is located in Abilene, Kansas, the Greyhound Capital of the United States. The greyhound museum is devoted to greyhound breeding, racing, and the history of the sport.
The Greyhound Hall of Fame includes a theater, meeting rooms, museum and the Greyhound Hall of Fame display where the dogs and industry pioneers are immortalized. There are also retired greyhounds present to greet visitors. A large portion of the building is devoted to the  "hall of fame" displays of inductees - displays that probably only interest people that are devoted to greyhound racing.

Touring the Greyhound Hall of Fame and museum may take most visitors only 15-30 minutes, but it is interesting, just across the street from the Eisenhower complex and free - so why not stop in?

785-263-3000

Website

Mushroom Rock State Park

Located on the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway northwest of Marquette about 5 miles north of Kanopolis Reservoir and State Park,
3 miles west of K-141 on Avenue K, a county road or south of K-140 from Caneiro on 25th Road.

One of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography, Mushroom Rock is the smallest, but one of the most unique, state parks in Kansas. The park is only 5 acres but boasts some of the most unusual rock formations
anywhere. The rocks served as meeting places and landmarks for Native Americans and early pioneers such as John C. Fremont and Kit Carson.

Resembling giant mushrooms rising above the horizon, the Dakota formations of Mushroom Rock State Park are the remains of beach sands and sediments of the  Cretaceous Period, the interval of geologic
time from about 144 to 66 million years ago. Sandstone and sedimentary rock are held together by natural cement. The concretions that make up Mushroom Rocks are cemented calcium carbonate. The 
largest rock measures 27 feet in diameter.

About six miles to the west, in the city of Kanopolis,  are four remaining buildings of Fort Harker, an active U.S. Army outpost from November 1866 to October 1872.

This area is managed by nearby Kanopolis State Park

785-546-2565

GARDEN OF EDEN

The Garden of Eden is a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas because it is a world-renowned grassroots art site with one of the most fascinating(and bizarre) sculpture gardens in the world!

In 1907, at the age of 62, Civil War veteran Samuel Perry Dinsmoor began construction of this unusual site by building a structure of limestone logs, (some up to 21 feet long) for the family home. Then, using 113 tons of cement, Dinsmoor built 40-foot tall trees to hold his larger than life figures for his sculpture garden. He stopped working on the sculpture in 1929 because he went blind!

Dinsmoor also built a mausoleum to house his mummified remains! Always a jokester, he claimed he would wink at anyone who paid to tour the garden. His vision was accurate and today the Garden of Eden supports itself through admissions. While Dinsmoor was building and creating locals tried to run him out of town. Decades later, The Garden of Eden became the town's main attraction and today Lucas is known as the Grassroots Art Capital Rock Garden and Mri Pillar's 3D art of recycled products

Summer Hours:
Guided tours of the Garden of Eden are offered daily, March through October
Hours of operation are 1p.m. to 4p.m., March - April
Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5p.m., May- October

Winter Hours:
Guided tours are offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November through February

Hours of operation are 1p.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.

Admission:
Adults: $7
Seniors: $6
Children under 12: $2
Children under 5: Free

785-525-6392

SMOKY HILL WINERY

Smoky Hill Vineyards & Winery originated in 1991 when the founders, Steve Jennings and Kay Bloom, hand-planted the first plants on one acre in Salina, KS. By 2009, the family-owned business had become the largest grape-producing farm winery in the state of Kansas.

The new Smoky Hill Vineyards & Winery came about when the second generation, Norm and Jen Jennings, contacted fellow wine-enthusiast and vineyard owner, George Plant, to see if he would be interested in taking over the beloved business so they could pursue their passion in ministries. Having fallen in love with wine since first tasting River Valley Red, George knew this was an opportunity he could not pass up - to further embark on his passion for wine-making. George has owned and operated his own vineyard, White Cross Vineyard, in Lindsborg, Kansas, since 2004.

Ironically, Brock Ebert, George's son-in-law, has always had an interest in wine-making and worked at Fields Winery in Paxico, Kansas as a teenager. The Jennings passed on the well-established craft to the new family artisans in November of 2012. The new Smoky Hill Vineyards & Winery currently farms eight acres at the privately owned Smoky Hill Vineyard and three acres at the White Cross Vineyard.

George, his wife, Jeanna, along with his daughter, Nicki, and her husband, Brock, are dedicated to carrying on the Smoky Hill mission and philosophy: "To produce world-class wines indicative of our region of central Kansas "and " To honor God in all that we do. To provide products and services that exceed the expectations of all."

The new owners continue to serve their loyal followers, friends, and family, as well as instill their passion for the art of wine-making on to their children.

Wine Maker: Bart Hettenbach
Associates of Science in Enology from Highland Community College.

Bart has been the head winemaker at Smoky Hill Winery for 4 years. Over those 4 years, Bart has won a bronze medal on Noiret, silver medals on Blue Vidal and Heartland Red Velvet, and gold medals on Noiret, Heartland Red Velvet and Pink Catawba.

*Please call ahead to make sure they are open*

785-825-8466

SMOKY HILL MUSEUM

The Smoky Hill Museum inspires a broader understanding of the region's rich history by engaging residents and visitors of all ages through diverse learning experiences. The Museum reflects the struggles and vision of the people of the Smoky Hills region and Salina since the city's founding in 1858. The Museum's collections began in 1879 as part of the Saline County Historical Society, initiated by town founders William A. Phillips and Alexander M. Campbell. Just over a century later, the Museum opened to the public in its current location in 1986 at the historic post office at 8th Street and Iron Avenue downtown, receiving national accreditation in 1997. Today, it continues to operate as a division of Salina Arts & Humanities, with professionally trained staff who serve more than 35,000 visitors each year. The Smoky Hill Museum offers a wide variety of educational programs and a Kansas-focused Museum Store.

Hours:
12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Monday - Friday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday

785-309-5776

GREAT PLAINS THEATRE

The Great Plains Theatre was established in 1995 as a 501-C3 non-profit year-round Actors' Equity professional theatre. Through the years, GPT developed a flourishing education program for area youth and added a cinema, providing a needed service for the community of Abilene. KS. Abilene grows and evolves, and so too does Great Plains Theatre, by adding diverse opportunities for entertainment. From comedians and magicians to chart-topping musicians and Pulitzer-winning Broadway hits, Great Plains Theatre has something for everyone.

For Information email
[email protected]

785-263-4574

ROLLING HILLS ZOO WILDLIFE ADVENTURE

Here in our zoo, you can get face-to-face with a rare white camel, an Indian rhino, a curious orangutan, an ornery aardvark or many of the other 105 species of wildlife at home in our zoo. Great care has been taken to provide our animals with spacious and naturalistic environments throughout 65 acres of beautifully landscaped park.

As you stroll through the zoo, we hope you take the opportunity to visit worth one of our zookeepers. This dedicated crew is a huge reason why visiting Rolling Hills is such a unique experience. They are specially trained to enhance the quality of life for our animals, which in turn helps the animals thrive and be extra responsive to zoo visitors. Our zookeepers know the animals well and are happy to relate their own insights about the many animals' personalities here at Rolling Hills.

We are conveniently located on Interstate-70, just 6 miles west of Salina, Kansas. From I-70, turn south on Exit 244 (Hedville Road).

Open 7 days a week
Spring Hours:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Winter Hours:
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
November 5, 2019 - March 10, 2019

Closed only 4 days each year.
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day

Admission:
Adults - $13.95
Seniors (65) - $12.95
Children (3-12) - $7.00
Children (2 & Under) FREE
Admission Includes Museum & Zoo

785-827-9488

SALINA COMMUNITY THEATRE

This theatre is an amazing experience for anyone who has never been or for
those who have seen Broadway shows. The entire group will not let you down on talent and 
energy. 

Box Office - 785-827-3033
Box Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

785-827-3033

Salina Municipal Golf Course

The first 24-hole golf facility in the state of Kansas, "The Muni," features an 18-hole regulation golf course and a
new six-hole short course. There is a spacious driving range, putting green, and a state-of-the-art short game area which enhance the 
courses. Green fees consistently rank among the lowest in the state, and turf is manicured to country club quality. In addition to the
golf holes on our short course, we now have Foot Golf holes on the course as well. Bring a soccer ball or rent one from the pro shop
and experience a new way to play golf!

The Muni is home to many group outings, leagues, tournaments and other special events. A multipurpose room is available for meetings 
and functions after play. Tee times are taken seven days a week on the 18-hole course. Playing time typically averages around four
hours and 10 minutes for 18-hole play during the season.

Daily Rates:

Weekday Green Fee Rates are
$21 for 18 Holes
$16 for 9 Holes

Weekend Green Fee Rates are:
$23 for 18 Holes
$18 for 9 Holes

Cart Fees are:
$15.50 Per Person for 18 Holes
$10.50 Per Person for 9 Holes

Business Hours:
Monday - Sunday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

785-826-7450

SALINA ART CENTER AND CINEMA

The Salina Art Center is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit contemporary art and education center with
the mission to create exchanges among art, artists, and audiences that reveal life.
The Art Center's programming is connected to a schedule of contemporary visual 
art  exhibitions of work by regional, national, and international artists in a wide variety of 
media.

Exhibitions serve as a catalyst for generating conversations around ideas and issues relevant to 
personal and community development. The Art Center carries out its mission through artist education, 
exhibition, film and video, and outreach programs designed to provide constituents with opportunities
for meaningful experiences through active encounters with viewing and making visual art.

785-452-9868

STIEFEL THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The mission of the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts is to provide quality experiences that enrich, educate and entertain.
151 S. Santa Fe, Suite 203
Salina, KS 67401
785-827-1998

785-827-1998

THE EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. In person or on the web, visitors
can explore the extraordinary life and legacy of the only 5- star General who became President of the United States. 
The Eisenhower Presidential Library is home to a world-class research facility that caters to scholars and history enthusiasts from around the world. Located in Eisenhower's hometown of Abilene, Kansas, the vast holdings of the Library consist of approximately:

                   26 million pages of historical records and papers
                   335,000 photographs
                   768,000 feet of original motion picture film
                   70,000 artifacts
In addition, the Eisenhower Museum and Boyhood Home allow visitors to explore Ike's boyhood years
growing up in America's heartland, his years as military leader, and his presidency. The Eisenhower Presidential Library is one of 13 Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. They preserve the documents and artifacts of our Presidents, providing insight into the times in which these Presidents lived and served the nation through archives, museums, and special programs.

Hours of Operation

Open Daily
9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. August - May
8:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. June - July
We are closed on Thanksgiving , Christmas Day, and New Year's Day

Admission Fee
Pricing effective October 1 through duration of the renovation.

Adult                                                                                      $10
Senior (62 & Over)                                                                  $7
Military (Retired / Disabled)                                                    $7
Student (K -12/ College with ID)                                             $5
Ages 5 & Under                                                                   FREE
Military ( Active With ID)                                                      FREE

It includes a Visitor Center, Dwight D. Eisenhower's boyhood home, the Place of Meditation, the 
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, in a park like setting.

785-263-6700

ELLINWOOD TUNNELS

Located beneath Ellinwood's Historic Wolf Hotel is an abandoned underground city that was once home
to thriving brothels, bars, gambling, barber shops, and even a harness store! These former businesses
(founded in the late 1800s) were connected by a series of well-built, underground tunnels that can still
be toured today.

620-564-2400

Website

NATIONAL ORPHAN TRAIN COMPLEX

From 1854 to 1929 an estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children
were placed throughout the United States and Canada during the Orphan Train
Movement.

When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children
were living on the streets of New Your City.

Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society in order to help these children.

The aid institutions developed a program that placed homeless children into homes through-out the country.
The children were transported to their new homes on trains which were eventually labeled " orphan trains."

This period of mass relocation of children in the United States is widely recognized as the beginning of 
documented foster care in America.

Email: [email protected]

HOURS:
10 am to Noon and 1pm to 4pm
Tuesday through Saturday

CLOSED: Sundays, New Years Day, Saturday before Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas

Open Mondays by appointment

ADMISSION:
Adults - $7
Military Discount - $6
Children (4-12) - $4
Children 3 and under FREE
GROUP RATE (over 10 people):
Adults - $6
Children - $3

785-243-4471