Kansas Museum of History

10/21/2026

Stories from the gallery: Ellen "Nell" Quinlan Donnelly Reed was a fashion designer and businesswoman. Born in Parsons, Labette County, in 1889, she began selling her creations to a local department store on consignment. That same year, she started Donnelly Garment Company in Kansas City, Missouri. By the 1920s, the Nelly Don brand had taken off and the company became one of the largest manufacturers of women’s clothing in the United States, Canada and Europe. See a dress designed by Donnelly in the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays).

10/12/2026

Stories from the new gallery: William Eugene “Gene” Lowery hailed from Reece, Greenwood County. As a young man, Lowery pursued a career as a cowboy and worked on ranches in Greenwood and Butler counties. At 18, he became a foreman and brand-reader for the Stanhope-Gregg cattle syndicate. He was known as one of "Greenwood County's best cowboys of all time" because he’d handled more cattle during his lifetime than "any other man in the state of Kansas." Find out more about this respected cowboy in the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays). View this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/533534

10/09/2026

Join us tonight for Museum After Hours! In November 1996, President Bill Clinton signed legislation authorizing the creation of a national preserve on the grasslands of Chase County, Kansas. As the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve approaches its 30th anniversary, we look back at the decades-long process through which it was established. Filmmaker Dave Kendall and Rex Buchanan, director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, discuss the conflicts and compromises that led to the creation of the preserve and reflect upon the role it plays today. Their observations will be interspersed with clips from Kendall’s documentary about the preserve, which premiered on its 20th anniversary in 2016. The museum will be open during this time from 5 to 8 p.m. and admission will be free. The program starts at 6:30. Light refreshments will be served. This presentation can be livestreamed on the KSHS YouTube channel, or you can attend in-person at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka.

10/01/2026

Here's what's coming up this month. Learn more at www.kansashistory.gov/events

09/23/2026

Stories from the gallery: Theodore C. Henry came to Kansas in 1867 settling in Abilene. He briefly became involved in the cattle trade but later opposed it. He then turned his attention to farming. Henry successfully invested in land and farming operations and encouraged the adoption of winter wheat. Some remember him as the “Wheat King.” Learn more about this entrepreneur at the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays). This photo was taken from www.kansasmemory.gov/item/218

09/22/2026

09/17/2026

Fall into the autumn season with the newest issue of Zephyr! Browse through the pages to find these articles: “Reflecting On Our 150-Year History: 1976-1999,” “Lasting Impression in History,” “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape,” and more! Also in this issue is our regular section “On This Day in Kansas History.” We hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Zephyr, and we look forward to bringing you more captivating articles, information, and updates from the Kansas Historical Society in future editions. To access this issue or register to receive future issues, visit bit.ly/kshszephyr

09/17/2026

Join us for Museum After Hours in October! In November 1996, President Bill Clinton signed legislation authorizing the creation of a national preserve on the grasslands of Chase County, Kansas. As the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve approaches its 30th anniversary, we look back at the decades-long process through which it was established. Filmmaker Dave Kendall and Rex Buchanan, director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, discuss the conflicts and compromises that led to the creation of the preserve and reflect upon the role it plays today. Their observations will be interspersed with clips from Kendall’s documentary about the preserve, which premiered on its 20th anniversary in 2016.

09/11/2026

Join us tonight for Museum After Hours as George Frazier, author of "The Last Wild Places of Kansas," shares stories from his new book, "Riverine Dreams: Away to the Glorious and Forgotten Grassland Rivers of America." Prepare for tales of strange riverine forests left over from the Ice Age, leviathan fish migrations, modern grizzlies roaming the plains, endangered plants as rare as mastodon ivory, and an audacious plan to return 10,000 bison to a Great Plains biosphere reserve. The first non-academic book to explore the fascinating dual nature of prairies and rivers, Riverine Dreams is a personal journey along the rivers that are so vital to the health of the grasslands. The museum will be open during this time from 5-8 p.m. and admission will be free. The program starts at 6:30. This presentation will be offered in a hybrid format with options to livestream it on the KSHS YouTube channel or attend in-person at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka.

09/09/2026

Stories from the new gallery: Mathias and Eliza Splitlog were early pioneers who settled in Wyandotte County. Both were members of the Wyandot tribe who migrated to Kansas Territory along with their tribe in 1843. Mathias built and operated a gristmill and sawmill and established a ferry and general store. Eliza took care of their farm and family. The couple eventually moved to the Seneca Nation Reservation in present day Oklahoma. See this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/533410 Learn more about the Splitlogs in the Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays).