Geary County Historical Society and Museums

08/28/2026

We have a fun new project coming up this fall that has us digging in the archives. Any guesses what might be coming next?

Bonus fact: Did you know that it has cost GCHS more than $10,000 over the years to purchase archive safe boxes and document sleeves to keep our county's history safe for future generations?

C.L. Hoover Opera House

08/27/2026

Our annual Hot Dogs and Hot Rods Vintage Car Show and Ice Cream Social are officially a month away!

Join us from 10am-2pm on September 26th for a day of vintage cars, hot food, fresh pies, and live music! The museum will be open and the new exhibit is ready to explore!

Have a vintage car? Want to enter it in the car show? Pre-register here: https://forms.gle/KD8w2rtBCo31B5qv7

08/26/2026

Only four days left to visit Declaration 1776, the traveling exhibition brought to us by Humanities Kansas and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Visit the museum today through Saturday to take a look at how the Declaration shaped democracy around the globe.

08/25/2026

As we all get back in the swing of the school year, take a look at our virtual exhibit "Writing in the Margins" and explore some of the notes and doodles Junction City students of the past wrote in their school books!

Writing in the Margins Marginalia in Geary County School Books Enter the Exhibit

08/20/2026

We had so much fun at our first History from Scratch baking workshop! Participants (& staff!) learned to make a pie using historic methods like homemade butter and freshly milled wheat berries. While we had a few "time travel" luxuries, this workshop offered a window into the life of a pioneer and what it took to make a delicious treat. Thanks to our participants for joining us, and make sure to follow along if you are interested in attending one of our future workshops!

08/18/2026

You all guessed our mystery Geary County resident too easily!
Dorothy Bramlage is well known, not only in Junction City, but in Manhattan as well for the philanthropic work she did with her husband Fred. This includes purchasing the building the GCHS museum now resides in and donating it to the Historical Society in the 1980s. The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library is named after her and their name is also on the K-State Basketball Coliseum.
Thanks for all your guesses and stay tuned for our next round of "Do you know this Geary County resident?"!

08/18/2026

The elevator at the GCHS museum is currently out of service (as of Tuesday, August 18th) as mechanical issues are evaluated. While the museum will remain open Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4pm, all visitors are advised that access to various floors will be limited. For questions please call the museum at 785-238-1666.

08/14/2026

Homeschool families joined us this morning to see the traveling Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy exhibit & try their very own quill & ink signatures! The exhibit will be at the museum through August, so make sure to check it out during our hours Tuesday-Saturday from 1:00pm-4:00pm.

08/12/2026

Do you like to bake?
Do you like baking for a good cause?

Help out the Historical Society by baking a pie to be sold at Hot Dogs and Hot Rods Vintage Car Show on September 26th!

All fruit pies are welcome (no cold pies please!). Interested in baking a pie or two? Contact Heather at [email protected]

08/11/2026

You have a few more weeks to come see it at the Geary County Museum! Come & celebrate America250 with us!

Exciting news! "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy" is on display through August 30 in the following locations:

Burlington Branch - Coffey County Library
Gardner Historical Museum
Geary County Historical Society and Museums, Junction City
Coronado Quivira/Rice County Historical Society, Lyons

When the Declaration of Independence was issued, the idea that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary. With this seminal document, the Founding Fathers unleashed an open-ended driving force that would shape modern history. Around the world, other countries have declared independence taking the US Declaration of 1776 as a model. This exhibition uses primary sources to illustrate how Americans and people across the world have been inspired by the Declaration in their pursuit of equality and self-determination. In addition to the national exhibition, visitors will also have an opportunity to see a special exhibit panel on “Kansas” in 1776.

Declaration at 250 is sponsored in part by the State of Kansas through the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

Learn more and plan your visit: https://tinyurl.com/HKDeclaration250