By Trish Svoboda/Images courtesy of the Kansas Museum of History
After years of planning and renovation, the Kansas Museum of History is preparing to reopen its doors on November 22 with a completely redesigned gallery and new interactive exhibits.
Museum Director Sarah Bell, PhD, said during the renovation, artifacts were safely stored while staff removed walls and carpeting, stripping the 20,000-square-foot space down to a “big black box” before rebuilding the space in collaboration with Dimensional Innovations.
Bell explained that the updated gallery is thematic rather than chronological. Visitors start with “What is Kansas?” and “Why Kansas?” and then explore four main themes: Bleeding Kansas, which deals with territorial conflict and the Civil War; Making Kansas, about life rooted in the land, including farming, ranching, and natural forces; Connecting Kansas, showcasing transportation and the train exhibit; and Changing Kansas, which displays social reform movements and the role of newspapers.
Visitors entering the gallery are greeted by a “beautiful and dynamic” bison display, anchoring the story of what is Kansas, and featuring Kansas grasses, flowers, and critters hidden in the grasses that will be particularly fun for kids to find. Bell said one of the exciting new features is a central ramp giving visitors access to view the second floor of the 1860’s log cabin. Along the ramp, visitors encounter new exhibits, including a boxcar staged as early 1900s Mexican-American workers’ living quarters, complete with oral histories, and a dugout exhibit, telling the story of Nicodemus settlers in the 1870s and their resourceful homes on the treeless prairie. Another feature Bell was excited to mention is a mural featuring the 1960s and 1970s in Kansas created by artist Stan Hurd, who originally painted a mural in the gallery in the 1980s when the museum first opened.
The museum has over 122,000 artifacts, and each is carefully chosen to help tell Kansas history and create emotional connections for visitors. Key examples include William Allen White’s printing press, highlighting the importance of newspapers, and a 1950s grain truck, representing harvest traditions that resonate with local and personal experiences. “We decided that having this truck would be an emotional connection for a lot of people because they would say that’s the story of Kansas to me,” said Bell. “With every single artifact that we are putting in, we consider the story. We think about that emotional connection.” Only a small portion of the collection can be displayed at once, but the new thematic gallery design allows artifacts to rotate regularly, giving visitors new experiences each time they visit.
Bell said coming up they have several activities and exhibits planned to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial, with the first coinciding with Kansas Day on January 29, 2026. In addition to its usual events, the museum will also continue in person after hours programming, which had been switched to online during COVID. These programs will feature speakers sharing stories about artifacts and collections, including National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, whose photos and donated cameras are in the gallery. This will give visitors a deeper look at Kansas history and the stories behind the collections.
Bell said the museum is thankful for everyone’s patience and enthusiasm, and is excited for visitors to experience the new museum. “I want everyone who comes in here to really walk away and think, wow, this is my story. This feels like Kansas, the Kansas that I know and love.”
The grand reopening will feature live music, special guests, food trucks, and photo opportunities, as well as VIP speakers, including Bell, Lieutenant Governor David Toland, Patrick Zollner, KSHS Executive Director, and Tribal representatives. Admission to the museum is free on Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23.
For more information about the reopening, visit kansashistory.gov/museum.
