Vacation Rental in Manhattan

Manhattan, Kansas, lies in the Flint Hills landscape. When looking for a vacation rental, it’s worth making sure not to confuse the city with the New York City borough and checking the specific address against your planned destinations. Available local information describes museums, parks, and trails, but does not guarantee a particular selection or set of amenities for accommodations.

Discover the Flint Hills

The Flint Hills Discovery Center explores the approximately 10,000-square-mile tallgrass prairie of the geological Flint Hills that surround Manhattan. Each exhibit area features an interactive element. The center’s rooftop offers panoramic views of Manhattan. This makes it a good starting point if you’d like to better understand the surrounding landscape before or after an outing. The size of the Flint Hills describes the region, not an area that can be explored on foot directly at the museum.

Museums and local history

Tours at the Riley County Historical Museum are available by appointment. If you’d like a tour, don’t assume you can arrange one spontaneously. The self-guided African American Manhattan History Trail Driving Tour offers another way to explore local history. Visitors can set their own pace on this driving tour; check the route and individual stops in advance.

The Midwest Dream Car Collection showcases vehicles from different eras, from a 1907 Ford Model-R to a 2019 Tesla Model X. The collection also holds events throughout the year; the specific program varies. The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is located on the Kansas State University campus and is one of the city’s important art institutions. Check current exhibitions and hours separately for both venues.

Parks and outdoor activities

Manhattan has 30 city parks with amenities available year-round. These include three water parks. “Year-round” refers to the park system as a whole and doesn’t mean that the water parks are open in every season. The city has miles of hiking and biking trails and has received a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. Choose a specific route to suit your starting point and the weather.

The AZA-accredited Sunset Zoo is home to more than 200 animals. Its habitats include “Expedition Asia,” with a Malayan tiger, a sloth bear, and an Amur leopard. Of course, sightings of individual animals can’t be guaranteed during a visit. If you plan to combine museums, the zoo, and trails, pay particular attention to location when searching for accommodations, and check current visitor information.

When planning, coordinate cultural events with your time on the trails; a well-located place to stay may matter more than a general claim about price.