Welcome to Kansas

Kansas gets teased for being flat and full of Wizard of Oz jokes, but the real state is far more surprising. Out west, 85-million-year-old chalk towers called Monument Rocks rise straight out of the plains — they were once the floor of an ancient ocean, and they are free to explore. Near Hutchinson you can ride an elevator 650 feet underground into a working salt mine, the same cool, dry vault where Hollywood safely stores the original reels of classic films. In the Flint Hills, the last great stretch of tallgrass prairie still ripples in the wind with bison grazing across it. And yes, you can lean into the fun and visit the Oz Museum and a Kansas farmhouse straight out of the movie. Below you will find every Kansas map, trip, guide, and hidden gem we have.

• Nickname: The Sunflower State
• State flower: Wild sunflower
• State bird: Western meadowlark
• State tree: Cottonwood
• State animal: American bison
• State reptile: Ornate box turtle