Skip to the content

Kansas State University


Significant Others of Kansas State University Veterinary Students

 

 

Getting Away From Manhattan

Cities Close To Manhattan | Airport Options | Day/Weekend Trips | Things To See In Neighboring Towns

 

DAY/WEEKEND TRIPS

  • Dallas, TX - 8 hours
  • Denver, CO - 8 hours
  • Kansas City, MO - 2 hours
  • Lincoln, NE - 3 hours
  • Oklahoma City, OK - 5 hours
  • Omaha, NE - 3 hours
  • St.Louis, MO - 6 hours
  • Topeka, KS - 1 hour
  • Wichita, KS - 2.5 hours

CITIES CLOSE TO MANHATTAN

Note: Interstate 70 east of Topeka is a toll road; the toll portion ends before you reach the Kansas City city limits. The amount of money owed will be determined by your destination

AIRPORT OPTIONS

Manhattan Regional Airport
Kansas City International Airport - 2 hours East
Wichita Mid-Continent Airport - 2.5 hours South

  • Ground Transportation between KCI and Manhattan:
    • KCI Roadrunner Express - 785-238-6161
    • Greyhound - 800-231-2222
    • Aarow Bus Line - 800-243-7476
    • Kincaid Coacj Lines - 913-441-6200
    • Salina Charter Coach - 800-536-4410
  • Rental Agencies at KCI Airport:
    • AVIS - 800-331-1212
    • Enterprise Leasing - 800-325-8007
    • Budget Rent-A-Car - 800-527-0700
    • Hertz Rent-A-Car - 800-654-3131
    • Payless Rent-A-Car - 800-258-1288
  • Rental Agencies at Manhattan Regional Airport:
    • AVIS Rent-A-Car - 539-0900
    • Hertz Rent-A-Car - 539-0261
    • National Car Rental - 539-8814
  • Fly from Manhattan Regional Airport:

THINGS TO SEE IN NEIGHBORING TOWNS

  • ABILENE (45 miles west of Manhattan) abilenecityhall.com

    • Eisenhower Center

      785-263-6700; 2 mi. s. of jct I-70 and SR 15 at S.E.Fourth St., Abilene
      Open daily 9-4:45; Admission $5; $4.50 (age 61 +); Under 7 Free

      The Eisenhower Center features five buildings and 22 acres of landscaped grounds. The visitors center has a 23 minute orientation film and a gift shop. Eisenhower's boyhood home is located in it's original location, and is open for tours. This home is also a good example of a late 19th century Kansas home. The house is kept as it was when the library acquired it in 1946. The Eisenhower Museum was built next to the Eisenhower Home and contains items relating to President Dwight David Eisenhower's entire life and experiences. The Eisenhower Library houses the papers, books and historical materials accumulated by Eisenhower during his presidency. The final building of the Center is the Place of Meditation containing the final resting place of Dwight D. and Mamie Doud Eisenhower and their son Doud Dwight Eisenhower.

    • God's Garden

      785-479-5901; 1774 Camp Road, Abilene; Open summers 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m.

      In 1991 a retired farmer took an acre of land and created a beautiful garden filled with roses, clematis, inpatients, geraniums, daisies, marigolds, salvia and countless other annual and perennial plants. He calls it ... God's Garden.

  • CAWKER CITY (120 miles west of Manhattan)

    • Cawker City is on US 24. Cawker City Community Club, 785-781-4713. World's largest ball of twine!

  • LINDSBORG (80 miles southwest of Manhattan) lindsborg.org
    • Coronado Heights

      3 miles NW of Lindsborg

      Coronado Heights rises 300 feet above the surrounding plains. The eroded face of Coronado Heights reveals 230 million years of ecological prehistory that shaped the topography of the region. At its base are red and gray shales that mark the sedimented floor of an ancient salt water sea which covered the region . At its crest are the Dakota Sandstones-a mix of marine, fresh water, and sub-tropical terrestrial fossil strata.

    • McPherson County Old Mill Museum

      785-227-3595; 120 Mill Street, Lindsborg; Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5; Adults $2, Kids (6-12) $1

      The Smokey Valley Roller Mill was built in 1898 and is one of the earliest water-powered flower mills in the state. There are several historic buildings on display including the Swedish Pavilion from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The museum features pioneer exhibits and Swedish costumes.

    • Swedish Shop

      The town features shops containing lots of traditional handcrafted gifts.

  • TOPEKA (60 miles east of Manhattan) topekacvb.org
    • Kansas State Capitol

      785-296-3966; 10th and Jackson, Topeka; Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm; FREE

      Built in the French Renaissance style with a dome a few feet higher then the nations capitol in Washington D.C. The Kansas State Capitol took 37 years to build and was completed in 1903. It contains murals from John Steuart Curry, David H. Overmyer and Lumen Martin Winter. It also includes the "Pioneer Mother" and a bronze of Abraham Lincoln by Gerrill Gage. Atop the dome is a 22-foot-high statue of Ad Astra, a Kansa Indian Warrior, after whose tribe the state was named. Call for tour times or reservations.

    • Kansas Museum of History

      • Exit 456 off 1-70 west of Topeka, 6425 SW 6th Avenue; 785-272-6861; www.kshs.org

    • Shopping and Restaurants

      For those moving from a big city it is easy to miss your favorite restaurants and stores. Topeka is a great place to go to get your Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Indian Food, Best Buy, Pet Co, Kohls, Lowes, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sam's Club, Westridge Mall and much more. On your trip you may want to go to a grocery store and get a phone book for future trips.

  • WAMEGO (15 miles east of Manhattan) wamegochamber.com
    • City Park and Dutch Windmill

      Located one block east of the business district, picturesque Wamego City Park contains the state's only working stone windmill. The mill, built in 1879, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Schonhoff Mill was built by a Dutch immigrant in 1879. The Schonhoff family found milling to be unprofitable in this area and abandoned the enterprise within fifteen years. The mill was constructed from all local materials -limestone and wood -except for the main shaft which was hauled in by wagon from Leavenworth. The structure is 40 feet high with a base diameter of 25 feet. In 1924, members of the city park board conceived of moving the mill to the city park mound in Wamego. A volunteer group of businessmen and farmers was organized to move the mill to the park from its original site twelve miles to the north. The layers of stone were numbered, as were the stones in each layer. All parts were moved to Wamego by horse drawn wagons and the mill was reconstructed.

    • The Columbian Theatre, Museum & Art Center

      521 Lincoln Ave. Wamego; 800-899-1893; www.columbiantheatre.com

      Located in nearby Wamego, The Columbian is a beautifully renovated 19th century opera house offering gallery exhibitions, a performing arts series, and a unique gift shop. The Columbian features restored murals from the 1893 Columbian Exposition and Worlds Fair.

    • The Oregon Trail

      The historic trail, which was instrumental in the movement west, passed just a few miles north of Wamego. Actual ruts of the thousands of wagons traveling through the area can still be seen. Other remnants of the trail include the Louis Vieux Cemetery, near the banks of the Vermilion River east of Louisville. Further east, along Oregon Trail Road, sits the Oregon Trail Nature Park. This spot offers hiking and picnic areas, as well as a panoramic view of the Kansas River valley and the Jeffrey Energy Center lake, which provides a year-round home for water fowl. Check out the unique mural depicting the history of the area on the silo at the entrance of the park.

    • OZ Museum

      866-458-8686; 511 Lincoln Ave., Wamego; Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm; Sun Noon-5 pm
      Admission $7 (age 13+), $4 (age 4 to 12) AAA discounts available; ozmuseum.com

      Features one of the largest privately owned collections of Oz memorabilia in the world. From the earliest books of Oz creator, L. Frank Baum to today's collectibles that can be purchased in Auntie Em's Gift Shop.