Old Cowtown Museum

Visit the oldest open-air history museum in the U.S.

Old Cowtown Museum is located in Wichita, Kanas. This one-of-a-kind museum encompasses 23 acres and has 54 historic buildings, including business and residential buildings. Visitors are welcome to tour the original historic buildings. Some buildings are original from the site; other buildings have been moved to Cowtown. Visitors can see the blacksmith shop, printing press, grain elevator and scale house, general store, meat market, saloon, and more. Residential homes include the Murdock house, story-and-a-half, Presbyterian Church, Hodge house, farms, barns, and others.

All the buildings feature permanent collections and plenty of artifacts. These artifacts include old furnishings, tools, art, farm equipment, and more. All items date between 1865 and 1880. Touring Cowtown will give you a sense of the era and help you learn how the town evolved. Cowtown hosts daily, monthly, and annual activities. The daily activities include mock gunfights on Main Street, which occur at noon and 3 pm Tuesdays through Fridays, plus printing press and blacksmith demonstrations. Guided tours are available from 10 am to 5 pm. Visitors can expect to spend about two hours here. Sunscreen and good walking shoes are highly recommended. If you're looking for a family-friendly attraction in Kansas, stop by Old Cowtown.