< PreviousWichita’s Orpheum Theatre was built in 1922 for $750,000. The theater was one of the first atmospheric theaters in the country and is now the oldest one standing. Atmospheric theaters are remarkable for their painted themes. The Orpheum’s Spanish garden theme carried throughout the architectural design, paint and even its usher’s uniforms, which were modeled after a matador. Nearly a decade after closing in 1976, the theater was gifted to a local nonprofit organization; The Orpheum Performing Arts Center, Ltd., and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Following extensive renovations, the building was reopened as an event venue in 2000. The McPherson Opera House is another stately theater of old. Built in 1888, it was one of the largest venues of its time. The opera house was a popular spot for touring artists making their way from Kansas City to Denver, Colorado. The theater served as a movie theater from 1929 to 1965 before it fell into disrepair. In 1986 the McPherson Opera House Preservation Company was founded to save the historic beauty from demolition. After sitting vacant for years, the theater underwent an $805-million renovation and was reopened on Jan. 28, 2010, exactly 121 years after its original grand opening. Today the intimate 500-seat opera house is a popular venue space and performance art center. The stately CL Hoover Opera House in Junction City, Kansas, was built in 1880 but in 1898 it burned in a fire. The community rallied together and rebuilt the grand opera house out of brick just 9 months later. Over the years, the building served as a theater, the town courthouse, fire department, jail and eventually a movie theater. By the early 1980s the opera house was abandoned, and it sat vacant for more than 25 years. In 2007, the community again rallied behind the local landmark and gave it a much-needed renovation. Other theaters that have had new life breathed into their old bones include: the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia; The Booth Theatre in Independence; The Blair Theatre in Belleville; the Jayhawk Theater in Topeka, The Augusta Theatre in Augusta; The Fox Theatre in Hutchinson; and the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. “Preserving the past is certainly important today,” says Joe Markley, co-president of the Kansas Historic Theater Association. “It gives us a sense of the past and grounds us to where we come from. “Preserving the past is certainly important today. It gives us a sense of the past and grounds us to where we come from.”— Joe Markley, co-president of the Kansas Historic Theater AssociationK A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 59Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E : T A L L G R A S S P R A I R I Eby R O N S TA R N E Renture into the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Central Kansas, and you will immediately know that you are in a place like none other.“This is a very expansive ecosystem in Kansas. It covers one-fifth of the state and goes from Nebraska to Oklahoma,” says Ron Kaufman, director of information services for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. “This is the last vestige of tallgrass prairie ecosystem. It is one of the world’s most vulnerable habitats, and it is mostly a rural area.”Host to 30,000 visitors a year, the Tallgrass Prairie goes through Manhattan, Council Grove, Emporia, Cottonwood Falls, El Dorado, Strong City, Junction City and other burgs as it takes travelers to a time and place almost forgotten in American history. “It is one of our key natural assets,” says Kaufman. “It falls within the Flint Hills between Topeka and Junction City and goes north all the way to Nebraska. Its scenic beauty attracts a lot of travelers who want to get off the main highways. It attracts bikers and cyclists.”The best routes to view it run east to west on I-70; along Kansas Highway 177 north to south; Kansas Highway 99; VTallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a one-of-a-kind American treasure.Above: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Clemments, Chase CountyPhoto by Harland J. Schuster courtesy of Kansas Tourism OfficeA UniqueEcosystemBeckons VisitorsKansas 4 east to west; U.S. Highway 77 north to south; U.S. 56 east to west; and U.S. 50 east to west, according to Kaufman.“The Kansas Turnpike also goes through the Flint Hills and the Tallgrass Prairie between Topeka and Wichita,” he notes. “Scenic byways are a good choice too: Native Stone Scenic Byway from Dover to Alma on Kansas 4; and Flint Hills National Scenic Byway along Kansas 177 between Council Grove and Cassoday.”Visitors will also notice a fair amount of bison on the preserve. Private bison herds roam on farms inside the preserve just outside of Manhattan and the Konza Research Center.Originally covering 400,000 square miles, the Tallgrass Prairie today encompasses just 4 percent of that. The official preserve of 10,894 acres was purchased by the National Park Trust in 1994. The land is now governed by the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy.Tallgrass Prairie is the nation’s second youngest national preserve and includes 40 miles of maintained hiking trails. Ten years ago, the preserve was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. Originally covering 400,000 squaremiles, the Tallgrass Prairie today encompasses just 4 percent of that — 10,894 acres.K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 61A test of endurance highlights the state’s love of cycling.Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E : B I K I N Gon’t let anyone tell you that Kansas is fl at.So say cyclists who compete in the Dirty Kanza 200, a grueling, 200-mile bicycle race held annually on the fi re roads surrounding Emporia, Kansas. “Finishing DK,” reports Sports Illustrated, “has become a badge of honor in the endurance racing world.”Held in early June, the Dirty Kanza draws swarms of cyclists to a sunup start from picturesque downtown Emporia. Even the best of the bunch won’t return to civilization for eleven hours or so, as they negotiate the rigorous hills of eastern Kansas for the better part of the day. 2017 champion Mat Stephens completed the race in 10 hours, 49 minutes and 11 seconds, but many contestants don’t fi nish until the sun sets again.For those of lesser endurance and bravery, the Dirty Kanza offers competitions of 100, 50 and 25 miles, the latter of which requires ninety minutes or so. And to those for whom 200 miles isn’t long enough, a 350-mile challenge is on the drawing boards.by GA RY DAU G H T E R SDPhoto by Dave Leiker62 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AOther scenic cycling routes in Kansas:Exploring the Flint HillsCycling, of course, isn’t exclusively about competition, and riders who are in it for health, enjoyment and exploration have abundant options in Kansas, beginning with the state’s longest bike route, the 117-mile Flint Hills Nature Trail. Inaugurated only recently, the trail in east-central Kansas is the seventh-longest in the United States. It stretches from Osawatomie in the east to Herington in the west and passes through Miami, Franklin, Osage, Lyon and Morris counties. Built along the path of an abandoned rail line, the trail crosses the scenic Flint Hills, one of the world’s last remaining tallgrass prairie ecosystems and home to abundant wildlife, spectacular views and national historic sites. The eastern portions of the trail trace the route of the Marais Des Cygnes River through rolling farmland and forest. K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 63Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa): Shawnee Mission Park has been a destination for local mountain bikers for over 20 years. The rooted, rutted trail through tall grass and forest makes for an adventurous 10-mile ride.Badger Creek North Trail (Fall River): 70 miles east of Wichita at Fall River Lake, this rocky trail includes challenging stream crossings along its modest four-mile journey. The trail through rugged forestland offers stretches of exertion interspersed with sections that are purely joy riding.Perry Lake Bike Trail (Ozawkie): Located in Perry State Park, the 21-mile-long trail was designed and built specifically for mountain bike enthusiasts and hosts several competitive events each year. Depending on lake level, the trail has access to the shore, where cyclists can “free ride” for miles, utilizing natural bedrock exposed by the lake’s receding waters. Dornwood Park Trail (Topeka): Remnants of abandoned, stone dairy buildings greet riders at the trailhead of this seven-mile network along Topeka’s Deer Creek. With few hills to negotiate, this is a trail that’s built for speed.Camp Horizon (Arkansas City): The 9-mile course loop includes beginner and moderate sections, but with over 1,000 feet of climbing offers a strenuous test to even the most serious riders. Camp Horizon hosts an annual race called the Tour de Lizard.Clinton State Park (Lawrence): 25 miles of trails circle parts of Clinton Lake. The 8.4-mile Blue trail is closer to the shoreline, while the 12.8-mile White trail wanders up ravines away from the lake. Free State Brewing in nearby Lawrence makes for a perfect wind-down afterwards.Switchgrass Epic Mountain Bike Trail (Wilson): On the shores of Lake Wilson at Wilson State Park in central Kansas, the Switchgrass Trail winds for 24 miles through the pristine Smoky Hills grasslands. The park and surrounding landscape features rugged prairie and sandstone outcroppings, making for physical challenge and surreal beauty.64 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AP H O T O G A LLE R YThe Big Well in Greensburg was an engineering marvel when it was constructed in the 1880s. The 32-feet-wide and 109-feet-deep well is the largest hand-dug well in the world.K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 65The Kansas Wetlands Complex of Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge are a critical migratory stop for North American shorebirds. 66 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AThe Cosmosphere in Hutchinson holds one of the world’s most signifi cant collections of US and Russian space artifacts. K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 67The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum honors the Abilene native and the only Five-Star General to become President of the United States. Next >