With a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math, this Topeka museum is packed with hands-on exhibits and activities to learn from. Kids can unleash their creativity in the art pavilion with window painting, experiment with color and light at the illumination station or design their own raceway. Outside, explore a towering treehouse with a climbing wall, soar through the air on a 34-foot zipline or check out the butterfly garden.

One of a few aviation museums located on an active airfield, Topeka’s Combat Air Museum boasts a collection of over 40 aircraft from World War II to the present day. Explore exhibits and displays that highlight the world of flight combat through USAF F-4 Pilot uniforms, USS naval ship models, survival equipment, and even a flight simulator. Check out Engine Row – a collection of plane and drone engines, or tour inside some of the aircraft on display, such as a Skyhawk US Navy attack plane.

Tucked away inside the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, this art gallery is a Topeka attraction that is nothing short of a hidden gem. The location offers a rotating series of exhibits featuring various artistic styles and themes, from “Light & Shadow” to “Do Pi Ka: A Land Acknowledgement” to “Unexpected Friends.” Whether you’re more of a contemporary art fan, a traditionalist, or someone who enjoys experimental works, this gallery is likely to have something up your alley.

Perhaps the most ambitious museum in Topeka on this list, the Mulvane Art Museum features a collection of over 4,500 works of art, including paintings, sculptures and photography prints. Items in these collections are sourced from around the globe, though the museum primarily focuses on those created by Kansas and Mountain/Plains-based artists from the 20th century. However, you’ll uncover a few unexpected gems—including a Rembrandt painting from 1630!

This museum is located inside a restored train station and features exhibits on railroad history and its impact on the development of the Great Plains. First opened in 1927, the museum is a great place to learn about the city’s industrial history, with attractions that cover railroads like the Union Pacific, Rock Island and Missouri Pacific. If you’re with the kids, check out the “Exploration Station,” where they can play with toy train cars or get hands-on with two train simulators.

Doubling as an art gallery and a home furnishings store, Warehouse 414 features a curated selection of paintings, sculptures, and other artwork from local and national artists. Discover a diverse range of art, from wacky to tacky and antiques. Marvel at oil paintings by artists from the 1800s, ponder postmodern abstract sculptures and view 20th-century Chinese furniture.

The Ward-Meade Park and Historic Site is an outdoor museum that features several historic buildings, including a Victorian mansion, an 1854 log cabin replica, and a one-room schoolhouse. Also known as “Old Prairie Town,” this location is a blast from the past with a historic town square, an old-fashion general store that stocks its shelves with 19th-century goods, and a gorgeous Ward-Meade Botanical Garden that stretches 2.5 acres.