Hays: Natural History, Culture, and Trails Along Big Creek

Hays combines natural history, historic sites, and trails through diverse landscapes. Anyone planning a trip that blends culture and nature can choose from museum experiences, places of remembrance, and hikes. When looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Hays, the activities you want to enjoy each day can help guide your choice: Should the trip focus mainly on exhibitions and history, or are trails by the water, prairie, and wildlife the main attractions?

Natural History at the Sternberg Museum

The Sternberg Museum of Natural History currently houses approximately 3 million specimens. Its collections range from paleontology and paleobotany to geology, botany, entomology, ichthyology, and herpetology, as well as ornithology and mammalogy. This gives the museum a broad perspective on natural history. In the Discovery Room, visitors can explore nature interactively. This offers a distinct, engaging way to experience the museum, especially when members of a travel group have different interests.

For trip planning, a museum visit can be combined with other cultural highlights. The limestone church of the Ellis County Historical Society was built as a Presbyterian church in 1879. It houses the Sternberg Firearms exhibit, with objects from the 18th through the 20th century, including pieces from the 1940s. The Ellis County Historical Society Museum also presents various aspects of historic firefighting in cooperation with the Hays Fireman's Association.

Historic Traces in Hays

The Volga German Haus is a replica of a traditional limestone house belonging to the Volga Germans in Ellis County. Boot Hill offers another historical connection: In the fall of 1867, the site became the first burial ground of Hays City; it is estimated to have contained approximately 79 graves. The Homesteader statue at Boot Hill commemorates this first cemetery of Hays City. Anyone interested in architectural history, everyday life in the past, and the town's development will find several different ways to explore Hays.

Trails, Prairie, and Bison

The Big Creek Nature Trail in Frontier Park follows the banks of Big Creek for 1.7 miles and includes 14 points of interest. The Vineyard Park Nature Trail offers a 1.1-mile main trail through diverse landscapes ranging from wetlands to prairies. Along the route, visitors can see wildlife and native plants.

The bison herd in Frontier Park is also part of Hays's natural experience. It was established in 1953 and receives new calves every year.

Choose the Right Accommodation

A vacation rental in Hays suits a trip plan that alternates between cultural discoveries and experiences in nature. Culture enthusiasts can make the museum, the limestone church, and the historic sites the focus of their visit. Those who prefer spending time outdoors can base their choice more on the natural scenery along Big Creek, the landscapes in Vineyard Park, and the bison herd.

More destinations: Ellis.

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