5 of the Best Things to Do in Topeka the Next Time You Visit

Kansas state capital Topeka is not only a “good place to dig up potatoes,” as its name suggests, but it is also a great place to find both leisure and adventure when you want to relax and get away from all the stress. So, the next time you visit, check out these fun and educational things to do in Topeka.

1. Visit Topeka’s Top Museums

They say that the best way to truly know a place is to know how it came to be. 

So, take a trip down memory lane and get right to where Topeka’s history is displayed for all to see. And fortunately, Topeka has no shortage of museums and historical monuments.

You could visit the:

• Evel Knievel Museum

Entrance fee: $16 for adults, $5 for kids 8 to 16 years old, free for kids 7 years old and below

Opening hours: 10 am to 6 pm (Tuesday-Friday), 9 am to 5 pm (Saturday), 12nn to 5 pm (Sunday)

• Kansas Museum of History

Entrance fee: $10 for adults, $5 for kids 2 to 17 years old

Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Tuesday-Saturday), 1 to 5 PM (Sunday), no holidays 

• Combat Air Museum

Entrance fee: $7 for adults, $5 for kids 5 to 17 years old, free for 4 years old and below

Opening hours: 12nn to 4 pm (Monday-Sunday)

• Mulvane Art Museum

Entrance fee: $6 for adults, free for kids 12 years old and under

Opening hours: 10 am to 5 pm (Wednesday to Friday), 10 am to 7 pm (Tuesday), 1 pm to 4 pm (Saturday), closed on Monday and Sunday

2. Stroll around Topeka’s Parks

To be one with nature is one of the best things to do in Topeka, Kansas. Wherever you may go within the city, the voices and breeze of nature do call out and let you feel it. 

If you plan on spending the day doing recreational ventures, walking through multicolored flower farms or just sit and frolic in the green grass, head on to one of these few Topeka parks and gardens:

• Heartland Motorsports Park

Best known for sports racing events, music festivals

Entrance fee: depending on the current event held

• Ward-Meade Park Botanical Gardens

Best known for colorful flower gardens, iconic Southern-style mansion, the Old Prairie Town

Entrance fee: $20 per person

• Ted Ensley Gardens

Best known for diverse botanical species, beautiful lake, widespread picnic areas

Entrance fee: none

• Gage Park

Best known for Reinisch Rose Garden, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, Topeka Zoo

Entrance fee: none

3. Spend a Sunny Day at Lake Shawnee

Topeka wasn’t named The Golden City for no reason! Blessed with the “golden hour” glow in the constant sunshine, Topeka is an obvious choice of venue when it comes to spending a day in the heat and sun.

Lake Shawnee is one of Topeka’s hottest tourist spots, attracting over a million visitors each year. Mainly, the manmade area is for different types of recreation.

It’s the perfect place for a family outing, a reunion, or a team-building event, or any other activity that you can do to pass the time! You’ll be surprised to know that it offers a recreational activity for each and every one of its visitors.

A few of these activities include:

• Swimming
• Golfing
• Yachting/Boating
• Sports tournaments
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Camping

Tips for going to Lake Shawnee:

• There are over a hundred campgrounds at Lake Shawnee, each with complete resources like electricity. A day’s camping will cost $17 per person (or $20 during camping season).
• Remember to bring your sunscreen because you will be spending a whole lot-—or most of your time under the sizzling heat.

4. Taste Topeka’s coffee

One of the few most common things to do while hanging out in the city is to let time pass you by as you sit and relax in a cafe, surrounded by people, with the nostalgic scent of roasted coffee beans in the mist.

And what’s a little fun without your daily cup of energy in a few sips of coffee? You’re in luck because Topeka has a few of the best-brewed coffees around.

Get a whiff of Topeka’s best-brewed coffee in these establishments:

• PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.

Coffee price range: $2.00 to $5.00

Known for: the different brewed coffees made of beans from around the world (Brazil, Ethiopia, etc.)

Must-have menu items:

• Classic Bean Espresso Coffee House & Deli

Coffee price range: $1.50 to $5.00

Known for: European-style coffee, all-day breakfast menu

Must-have menu items: the alcohol-infused espresso drinks

5. Take in the Topeka nightlife

A city wouldn’t be a state capital without its fair share of nightlife centers. Topeka boasts several bars, clubs, and corners that you and your fellows can unwind, chill, and relax in after a long day.

Aside from the cool, energetic atmosphere in these venues, the nightlife is upped by the amazing drinks and people that you can find.

Want a relaxing sip or a fun time on the dance floor? Get yourself in your party clothes and into these clubs:

• The Boobie Trap Bar

Admission fee: $5 per person, $7 for persons under 21 years old 

• Uncle Bo’s Blues Bar

Admission fee: $10 per person 

• The Celtic Fox

Admission fee: none

Truly, these activities don’t scratch the surface of the all-too-many ways to enjoy your time in Topeka. But at least, with these in mind, you’ll know how to wear and how to get started. Still, whatever you’ll probably choose to do when in Topeka, you’ll surely have a sunny time!