Seward County: Oz Experiences, Museums and Nature

In Seward County, fairy-tale worlds, aviation and local history sit alongside nature experiences. The range extends from a walk-through recreation of The Wizard of Oz to museums, fishing ponds and nature trails. In Liberal, public parks, playgrounds and sports facilities add to the range of outings. For your trip planning, it is worth deciding first what you want to focus on: exhibitions, walks or an event day. This way, you can choose a vacation rental based on the experiences you actually plan to enjoy.

Oz Experiences and Aviation

The Land of Oz is a walk-through recreation of the story of The Wizard of Oz. Witches, Munchkins, flying monkeys and a powerful wizard are part of the world depicted. The guided tour of Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Allow for this timeframe as a separate activity and check the current tour information before your visit.

The Mid-America Air Museum displays more than 100 aircraft across more than 80,000 square feet of indoor exhibition space. In contrast to the storybook world of Oz, aviation takes center stage here: two distinctly different themes for a museum visit.

History from Different Perspectives

The Baker Arts Center opened in 1988. Its field trips include a full-day program featuring arts and crafts, learning techniques, art lessons and games. Bookings must be made one week in advance; allow for this lead time when planning.

The Seward County Coronado Museum is housed in a home built in 1918 for the Lee Larrabee family. Its topics range from the 1540 Coronado expedition and the tribes of the Great Plains to ghost towns, county seat wars, and early artifacts, memorabilia and photographs from Seward County. A small railroad museum is located in the east building of the historic Rock Island Depot. The International Pancake Day Hall of Fame preserves Pancake Day memorabilia from 1950 to the present. This brings broad themes in regional history together with a railroad museum and the story of a specific event.

Nature and Recreation

Arkalon Park is an oasis in the Great Plains, with fishing ponds, a peaceful campground, nature trails, impressive views and abundant wildlife. Fishing is permitted there daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; you will need a Kansas state fishing license. Check the current fishing hours before your visit.

Light Park in Liberal has an easy, 0.6-mile walking trail with 1,500 steps and about 0 feet of elevation gain. Since route details can change, check the information before setting out. Liberal's public parks and sports facilities include walking trails, playgrounds, sports fields and a nature recreation area. You can choose among walking, play, sports and nature recreation as different ways to spend your time.

Events and Getting Around

The International Pancake Day in Liberal is an all-day event. The program includes a pancake breakfast, pancake-eating and pancake-tossing contests, youth races, a men's race, the international race, a prayer service, an international video conference and a closing parade. Since event details may change, check the dates and program when planning. The public can attend Bee Jays games for free; if you plan to go to a game, check the current schedule.

Liberal's City Bus has three routes. Check the current schedule before using it. Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport is a full-service general aviation airport serving a five-state region: southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico. Since airport services may change, check the current information if you are making specific plans.

When choosing a vacation rental, you can use your outing plans as a guide: if you want to focus on parks, playgrounds, sports facilities or the City Bus in Liberal, search in Liberal. For a nature-focused stay, let your planned daily activities determine the location.

Discover more destinations: Anderson, Sumner County, Stevens County, Sherman County, Finney, Stanton County, Reno County.

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