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Museums |
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Amelia Earhart
Birthplace Museum
223 N. Terrace St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-4217
www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org
On July 24, 1897, aviatrix Amelia Earhart was born in this home, built by her grandfather in the early 1860s. It is owned and operated as a museum by The Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organization of women pilots. Earhart helped found the group in 1929 and served as its first president. Recent renovations have returned the birthplace to its condition at the turn of the century when Earhart lived here with her grandparents. Donations appreciated. Open daily, generally 10am-4pm. |
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Atchison County
Historical Society Museum
200 S. 10th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-6238
www.atchisonhistory.org
This museum in the restored Santa Fe Depot traces the history of the region. Exhibits highlight Atchison’s transition from a bend in the Missouri River to a busy commercial center for steamboats, westward-bound wagon trains and the railroads. Highlights include a display of Amelia Earhart’s personal effects, a large collection of rare guns dating back to the Revolutionary War and displays on the Lewis & Clark expedition. Open daily. Donations appreciated. |
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Atchison Rail Museum
200 S. 10th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-2427
Adjacent to the Santa Fe Depot, the Atchison Rail Museum is owned and operated by the North East Kansas Railroaders, Inc., a voluntary group of railroad enthusiasts. It features an outdoor collection of rail cars and is available for exterior viewing throughout the year. NEKR members operate the Atchison & Western Miniature Railroad, a 12” gauge railroad, weekends during the summer. Museum cars open summer weekends. |
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Evah C. Cray
Historical Home Museum
805 N. 5th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-3046
Recently renovated and updated, this 25-room mansion is a glorious example of the opulence of the Victorian era. Built in 1882, it is distinguished by a three-story castle-like tower. Ornate fireplaces, carved woodwork and original chandeliers mix with Victorian furnishings. The carriage house features a gift store and a small theatre in which a film on the architecture of Atchison can be viewed. Open daily, May - August; Friday - Monday in March - April and Sept. - Oct.; closed Nov. - Feb. Minimal fee charged and discount for seniors. |
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Muchnic Art Gallery
704 N. 4th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-4278
www.atchison-art.org
email: atchart@ponyexpress.net
Parquet floors, stained-glass windows, hand-tooled leather and finely-carved woodwork make an impressive backdrop for displays of art by regional and national artists. A lumber merchant built this spectacular Queen Anne-style mansion in 1887 – 1888. The Muchnic family bequeathed the home to the community to be used for art purposes. The first floor is furnished as it was when the Muchnics lived here in the early 1900s. Art exhibits are displayed on the second floor from March through December. Open afternoons on Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday; closed January - March. Minimal fee.
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Other Attractions |
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Atchison Trolley
Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. 10th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-2427
1-800 234-1854
www.atchisonkansas.net
The best way to see Atchison and learn about its rich history is aboard the Atchison Trolley, which provides narrated tours during summer months. You’ll discover Victorian mansions, historic sites and impressive views of the Missouri River. $5 adults, $2 children ages 4-12. Call for hours. |
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Amelia Earhart Earthwork
178620 274th Rd., Warnock Lake
Atchison KS 66002
This one-acre portrait was created by famed Kansas artist Stan Herd in 1997. It lies on a hillside overlooking Warnock Lake and is composed of permanent plantings, stone and other natural materials. A viewing deck on a nearby hilltop provides the best ground views of the earthwork. |
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International
Forest of Friendship
178620 274th Rd. at Warnock Lake
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-1419 / 1-800-234-1854
A life-size bronze statue of Amelia Earhart gazes over the International Forest of Friendship, which is a living, growing memorial to those who have been involved in aviation and space exploration. The forest was established as a bicentennial project by the City of Atchison and The Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organization of women pilots. Each June, new honorees are inducted into the forest with plaques embedded in the walkway that winds through trees representing all 50 states and over 35 countries in which forest honorees reside. Several special trees include the “Moon Tree,” which was grown from a seed taken to the moon aboard Apollo 14. It is encircled by the Astronaut’s Memorial, which honors ten astronauts who lost their lives in space exploration. |
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St. Benedict’s Abbey
1020 N. 2nd St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-7853
www.kansasmonks.org
Benedictine monks established St. Benedict’s Abbey in the late 1850s. About 40 monks reside at the abbey, which was completed in 1929. The church was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and was completed in 1957. It features a 44-foot-high nave ceiling, facing choir stalls where monks gather three times a day for common prayer and unique frescoes. Self-guided tours.
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Mount St. Scholastica Convent
801 S. 8th St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-6110
The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica have been in Atchison since 1863. St. Scholastica Chapel is rich with beautiful marble, a large rose window and stained-glass windows honoring seven martyred women saints. A vaulted ceiling graces the interior of the choir chapel, which has facing choir stalls and stained-glass windows retelling the life of St. Benedict. Guided tours of the chapels and a religious history room by advanced appointment. |
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Benedictine College
1020 N. 2nd St.
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-5340
www.benedictine.edu
Benedictine is a four-year, Catholic, co-educational and residential liberal arts college on 100 acres overlooking the Missouri River. Freshman Hall, built in 1892 and the school’s first residential building, is a notable landmark.
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Lewis & Clark Pavilion
intersection of Commercial Street & River Road
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-5500
The Lewis & Clark Pavilion in Riverfront Park was constructed in preparation for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemoration on July 3-4, 2004. The pavilion, built by the Kansas Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission, contains an interactive touchscreen monitor and interpretive panels with information on the Lewis & Clark expedition, the Missouri River and the Kanza Nation. |
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Riverfront Park
Downtown along the Missouri River
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-5500
Riverfront Park was dedicated on Jun 19, 2004, after many years of planning. It features the Lewis & Clark Pavilion, Veterans' Memorial Plaza, a hiking/biking path along the river, enhanced boat access with a river overlook area, children's play area with a keelboat replica play structure, and new bathrooms.
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Independence Creek Hiking/Biking Trail
Begins in Riverfront Park
Atchison KS 66002
(913) 367-2427
Currently under development is a ten-mile hiking/biking trail connecting downtown Atchison with Independence Creek and the historic area where the Lewis and Clark expedition camped on July 4, 1804. The trail is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2005.
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Winery |
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RIverwood Winery
8 miles south and east of Atchison
22200 Hwy 45 N.
Rushville, MO 64484
(816) 579-9797
(816) 579-9588 (facsimile)
www.riverwoodwinery.com
Come enjoy a free tasting of Riverwood Winery’s full line of red, white and fruit wines ranging from sweet to dry. Riverwood produces wines from the owners’ Platte County vineyards, and from grapes and fruit purchased from other local growers. Riverwood Winery periodically hosts food classes and demonstrations, and the wine hall is available for private gatherings such as receptions or parties.
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Shopping |
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Atchison’s downtown offers a unique shopping experience with small-town charm. A charming, outdoor pedestrian plaza on Commercial Street between 4th and 7th streets is landscaped with brick walks, seasonal plantings and fountains. If you’re looking for gifts, collectibles or home furnishings, you’ll find it here. Two drug stores have old-fashioned lunch counters with soda fountains. There also are antique stores in the area. |
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Historic Sites |
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Lewis and Clark interpretive signs
The Kansas Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission erected a series of interpretive signs along the Lewis and Clark Trail between Kansas City and White Cloud, Kansas. Five of those signs are in the Atchison area. For more information click here.
Pony Express memorial
A granite marker at 3rd and Main streets commemorates the Pony Express which, in its last months of operation, originated from Atchison.
Mount Vernon Cemetery
Many prominent early-day Kansans are buried in this hilltop cemetery — three Kansas governors, Senator John J. Ingalls, two pony express riders, legendary train engineer Brit Craft and both sets of Amelia Earhart’s grandparents. 2 miles south of Atchison via Price Boulevard and Rawlins Road.
Mormon Grove
An historic marker commemorates the site where some 20,000 Mormons camped before moving on to their “promised land.” 3 miles west of Atchison on U.S. Highway 73.
St. Pat’s Church
The state’s oldest church in the Archdiocese of Kansas City still in continuous use. It was added to the National Register in 1998. 8 miles south on Kansas Highway 73 (west on 234th Road).
Victorian Architecture
Atchison boasts one of the most impressive collections of Victorian architecture in the Midwest. The greatest concentration of well-preserved homes is north of the downtown along 3rd, 4th and 5th streets. Dozens of other fine homes are interspersed throughout town. The city has over 20 properties on the National Register of Historic Places.
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