Discover Kingman County

Kingman County combines vast prairie with rivers, lakes, historic buildings and a diverse range of events. Most of the county consists of prairie. In the north, the South Fork of the Ninnescah River runs through the area, while the Chikaskia River crosses the southern part. When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, it is therefore worth considering first whether you want to focus your trip more on water and nature, culture or events.

Prairie, Rivers and Lakes

Several landscape features give Kingman County a distinct geographic character. The Byron Walker game preserve is located in the center of the county. Cheney Lake touches the northeastern corner, and Kingman State Lake is located near Calista in the center. At Kingman State Fishing Lake, you can fish for largemouth bass, sunfish, redear sunfish, pike and channel catfish. The Cheney Wildlife Area watershed includes parts of Kingman County as well as Reno, Stafford, Pratt and Sedgwick counties.

These differences can help you plan your trip without having to limit your days to a single theme. Those who enjoy fishing can make Kingman State Fishing Lake a focal point. Those who want to experience the landscape from different perspectives will find different geographic points of reference in the two rivers, Cheney Lake and Kingman State Lake. The best way to search for suitable accommodation is based on your desired daily activities, rather than solely on the county’s name.

Historic Sites and Cityscape

Kingman offers a distinctive cultural contrast to the open landscape. The easily walkable Main Street has six buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and one more on the State Register. In the city center, you can also discover seven murals. The theater there is 100 years old and was designed by the Boller Brothers.

Notable buildings include the Kingman County Historical Museum, housed in a building dating from 1888. The building served as a fire station, jail and city hall. The Kingman Carnegie Library is located in a three-story 1914 building in the neoclassical style. The Kingman County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while the First National Bank Building is listed on the State Register. Furry Homestead was built from local red sandstone. Clyde Cessna Field in Kingman is referred to as the birthplace of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.

The historic register listings, architecture, murals and theater each add their own distinctive elements, without requiring visitors to follow a single unified tour or a particular order of visits.

Events, Sports and Local Traditions

The Kingman Expo Center hosts horse shows, horse sales and rodeos. The Indoor Arena has seating for 1,000 people. Eagles Pub & Golf Course is also part of the county’s recreational offerings and has a 9-hole, par-36 course.

The 2026 Kingman County Fair program included numerous different formats. Among other things, it included a Cattleman’s Community Picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Indoor Arena, with admission free with a Fair Button, as well as a public Barnyard Olympics event on Wednesday, July 22, at 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, July 23, a rodeo was scheduled for 8 p.m. in the outdoor arena of the Kingman Expo Center. The Kingman County Carnival was scheduled during the fair from Thursday, July 23, through Saturday, July 25, from 7 to 11 p.m. each day; 2026 was its 20th anniversary year.

The 2026 program also included the Kingman County Vintage Farm Machinery and Rural Heritage Show on Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Riverside Park, the Paul Conrardy Festival of Breads with a Bread Sculpting Contest at 2 p.m., and an Open Class Flower Show at 6 p.m. at the KEC. For the 2026 Heartland Medallion Hunt, the plan was to place the medallion on public property within the city limits of Kingman from July 22 through 26 or until it was found.

Another local destination is the Kingman Farmers Market @ The Binyard in downtown Kingman, at the corner of East Sherman Street and North Main Street. The market season runs from the first Saturday in June through the last Saturday in October. Seasonal offerings like these can play just as much of a role in planning a trip as the landscape and historic sites.

The Right Base for Your Trip

If your main interests are fishing and experiencing the lake landscape, this focus should guide your search for a vacation rental or holiday home. For travelers interested in culture, Kingman’s Main Street, historic buildings, murals and theater take center stage. Those who prefer events can use the dates of the respective fair edition and local markets as a starting point.

As another local page for orientation, see Cunningham. More destinations to choose from: Wyandotte County, Sedgwick, Kearny County, Lane County, Finney, Lyon, Chase County.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kansas.