Attractions

The Albany townsite was laid out in 1859, and although the town never incorporated, it was a thriving trade center between Seneca and Hiawatha. It was also known as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and it was here that John Brown spent his last night in Kansas. Today the museum complex comprises 15 buildings including the two-story Old Albany Schoolhouse (NRHP), which houses a collection of artifacts. Hours the museum will be open during the BKRT will be announced soon. Starting from Main St. in Sabetha, go 2 1/4 miles north on 6th (becomes X4).

The depot museum is housed in one of only two surviving depots that served the Kansas City, Wyandotte and Northwestern Railroad from 1887 to 1919. Moved about a block to this location, the depot includes railroad memorabilia, but its primary exhibits relate to the Bancroft community. Typically open Memorial Day-September, Sunday 2-4 p.m. Other times may be available during the BKRT event and will be posted on this page as soon as they are determined.

When you drive over the bridge crossing the Black Vermillion River, note the concrete guardrails with historic street lights at either end.

This 400-acre lake is three miles from town and is a perfect place for taking a break to fish, have a picnic, go boating, take a walk or run. The lake offers multiple ramps, picnic tables, has plenty of camping pads and many sites with electricity. Parking, camping and boating permits are required and can be purchased City Hall anytime or at the lake from the Lake Manager. From 2nd Street and K-9 go 2 miles south on G Road/Highway 187 and 1 mile west on 72nd Road. Photo courtesy City of Centralia.

Learn about the history of Centralia, that had its beginnings in 1859 with a group of settlers from Maine and Illinois who formed a colony here. This early town was built on a hill about one mile north of the present town. Centralia is home to John Riggins, who played for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. The museum is located in City Hall. Open Thursday-Friday 8am-5pm, Saturday 8am-1pm.

A colorful sign celebrating Centralia "Spirit... Pride... Heart" stands at 4th and Main beside the remaining cell of a long-gone jail. If you're waiting for someone, a bench conveniently sits nearby.

This red-brick corner building, now the First Heritage Bank, features the same double-arch entrance design as found on the bank in Goff and on the post office in Solder (Jackson County).

Across from the Goff Bank (5200 Stahl) is a 1930 green-and-white drinking fountain covered with a little green-and-white kiosk. The sweetness of how the community preserved this drinking fountain is a perfect example of "explorer-" things to find in rural Kansas.

The Goff Bank, along K-9, has the same double-arch entrance design as the bank in Corning and the post office in Soldier (Jackson County).

North of the church find the 1936 rock and stone grotto inspired by the Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, France.

Visit the second largest hand-dug well in the state in Sabetha's city park. Dug in 1895, the well is 34 feet wide and 65 feet deep. It's a visible reminder of the town's original water system. The well is covered , so contact the Nemaha County Historical Society if you'd like to see it. 785.336.6366.

Let the kids run off some steam at this hidden gem of a park. You'll find tennis courts, basketball courts and a large playground that was installed in 2015.

The oriel window against the blond brick is striking as is the scroll work beneath it. Look closely in the entablature above the window to see the word "bank" and "1886." On the wall you'll also see an "Always on the Job" robbery alarm complete with bulldog design.

See the 1922 Stutz fire engine, restored to pristine condition. Other early-1900s fire department artifacts are also displayed. Days and times open will be announced.

Around 1885 an opera house was built on this site. In 1927 the red-brick building, remodeled in Art Deco style, became a movie house, first named the Royal Theater and today the Seneca Twin. See "read more" to find out what's playing and showtimes.

In the city park find the gray granite 1910 fountain that stands as a testament to an early Seneca mayor who persuaded Hermon Lee Ensign, founder of the National Humane Alliance, to donate one of his fountains to the town. Between 1906 and 1911 Ensign donated 125 fountains nationwide to provide drinking water for horses and other animals. One of the few remaining in the country, the Seneca fountain originally stood at 3rd and Main.

John Riggins Avenue is named for the Centralia native who earned fame as football running back at the University of Kansas and later with the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. In 1983, Riggins was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XVII. His boyhood home is at 512 John Riggins.

Lake Nemaha was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which finished the job with artistic guardrails stretching across the spillway. More than 200 posts of quarried stone were placed seven feet apart along the west side. A continuous stone wall with stone posts every 17 feels gave the east side a slightly different look. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From U.S. 36, go 5 miles south on K-63.

Lane Trail, named for free-state leader James Lane, was established to bypass proslavery strongholds and provide a safe route for free-state settlers and slaves. A historical marker explains that the rock piles marking the way were known as "Lane's chimneys." From Main in Sabetha, go 1 3/4 mile north on U.S. 75 (Acorn Rd.) to a pull over on the west side of the road.

Monroe Bailey, father of our state's 16th governor, Willis J. Bailey, founded the town, and in 1895 Willis had this meeting hall built for community purposes. The building features a double-slope roof, and the interior walls incorporate distinctive lines, textures, and curved parapets on either side of the tower entrance. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built boy the WPA, the library has unique Art Deco features on its exterior, but don't stop there - go inside. You'll find a variety of silver light fixtures with intricate and decorative designs. It's a treat to see them! Don't forget to look for the painting by the "Birdman of Alcatraz." Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm; Saturday 10am-4pm.

In addition to the County Museum, the Nemaha County Historical Society operates this museum in the former Masonic hall. Here military displays cover 150 years of county veteran history by showcasing uniforms, photos, artifacts, and documents. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since 1961 clientele have been stocking up on fresh meats processed by owners Terry and Nancy Miller. Load your ice chest with quality, natural beef and pork cuts, which include the popular brats, dried beef sticks and jerky. Monday-Friday 8am-5pm; Saturday 8 am-12 pm. (Bern Meat Plant is considered an attraction because it is included as a place to visit in the Kansas Guidebook 2 for Explorers, pg. 164. Meat lockers are becoming increasingly rare, especially one open for almost 60 years!)

Built in 1879, this two-story brick structure was once the jail and residence of the county sheriff. Today 20 rooms are filled with county artifacts and memorabilia. Hours during the BKRT will be announced. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the most moving veterans memorials in the state, this 340-foot-long wall lists 2,000 names of area veterans of the Civil War to the present. A special section pays tribute to those killed in action (KIA). The 45 individual KIA plaques provide military details including how each person died,. For example, in the 1942 Bataan Death March, in 1944 on Normandy beach, lost at sea in a submarine. The wall was dedicated in 2009.

The museum building at 7th and Atlantic (City Park) was originally the shop facility for Corning Rural High School, constructed ion 1939 by the National Youth Administration. Behind the museum a memorial contains a picture of the old school. The limestone structure in the 6500 block of Main is a WPA project, built in 1938. Now the city hall, it originally was the school gymnasium.

A painted lady is a Victorian building painted with three or more colors to enhance the architectural detail. Beautiful "ladies" are the Emery Mansion at 7th and Walnut and several south of Main between 4th and 8th.

A surprising find tucked away inside the Sabetha Library is a painting of Queen Louise of Prussia by Robert Stroud, more infamously known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz." Ask the librarians how the painting came to be donated to the library.

On the north side of the Black Vermillion River Bridge (4th Street) find a wood-planked pedestrian bridge with steel guardrails from an earlier bridge. From 4th Street, turn west on Railroad Ave. for one block, then turn south at 5th St. onto a grass lot for about 200 feet to the bridge.

A red glacial stone holds a plaque that describes the Seneca connection to the Pony Express.

Seneca had the first Pony Express home station west of St. Joseph, Missouri. Although the station is long gone, artifacts and information about the famous mail service are preserved in this former general mercantile. Days and time open will be announced.

The Hare and the Tortoise is the title of this 1937 Section artwork by Albert T. Reid. This oil on canvas depicts a Pony Express rider galloping past an overland stagecoach. See it in the lobby of the Sabetha Post Office. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Click on "read more" to learn more about Post Office Section Art.

"Men and Wheat" is the title of this 1940 Section artwork, an oil on canvas by Joe Jones that portrays two farmers harvesting wheat. A sign outside the post office tells an interesting backstory--after the mural was installed the local International Harvest dealer complained that the green equipment was an advertisement for John Deere. So the artist repainted the combine International red, and on the green tractor he painted his own name as the logo. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art. Learn more about Section Art by click on the Read More link below.

Retired farmer and welder Paul Fritz has positioned his handmade metal "critters" among strategically placed rocks, flowers, trees, and shrubs. Drive by and see if you can spot the ladybug, spiders, dinosaur, giraffe and grasshopper.

How did the only city in the world named Sabetha come to have that name? A plaque on the north side of a building share the theory that a Greek scholar-turned-goldseeker was in this area when one of his two one died on the Sabbath. Unable to go farther, he pitched a tent, performed last rites for his faithful ox, and named the site Sabetha in honor of the day his ox died.

You'll be drawn to the unusual red-brick arched memorial that is the gravestone for Aaron and Olive Shaul. Little is known about it except that the Shauls' son George was an architect who built Carnegie libraries, Masonic halls, and courthouses, and possibly this memorial for his parents. Drive carefully through the cemetery as gravestones closely border the driveway. From U.S. 36, go 1/2 mile north on 11th (becomes J Road).

This 1867 Old Stone Universalist Church was the first of its denomination in the state. In 1928, with the congregation gone, it became the home for the library. An addition built in 1997 now houses the library, and the church is used as a meeting space. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Saturday 10am-2pm. Listed on the National Register for Historic Places.

Forty-two buildings and the brick streets on Main between 3rd and 6th (laid in 1919) are part of the historic district. Interpretive signage on Main provides the buildings' histories as does a brochure for self-guided walking tours. Brochures are available at the 4th and Main kiosk mailbox. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you have ballplayers in your family, you'll want to stop at the new Somerset Park at N. 6th and 192, one of the best ballparks in the state. Photo courtesy Mid-Plains League Facebook page.

Bob Carson's 30 or so restored cars and trucks are a visual treat as are the vintage gas pump and mechanic equipment inside this restored 1925 Texaco station. The station is home to the 1957 Ford Skyliner and the 1946 Chevy pickup that Bob used when dating his wife, June. Most of the cars are in the old Chrysler/Plymouth dealership next door. Time open to be announced.

Sp[ring into action at this first-class, par 71, 18-hole public course. In the northeast section of the course you'll see an oversized golf ball and tee made from a tree stump! Greens fee. Check website for more information.

A single spire acts as a magnet drawing you to St. Bede's Church in Kelly. It stands on the highest point in the area and is surrounded by cropland and a small cluster of buildings. It's worth going out of your way to see the interior of this 1915 Gothic church, built of brick with limestone trim. The stainless windows from Munich, German, are fine examples of 19th-century art, and the painted ceiling is breathtaking. Notice the sounding board (looks like an umbrella) above the ambo (a raised stand formerly used for reading the Gospel). Open daily.

Built of native limestone in 1894, St. Mary's has become famous for having one of the most beautiful interiors of any church in the state. A principal feature in the award-winning interior is the symbolic art painted in 1901 by G.F. Satory, which includes beautifully colored patterns, bands, and friezes on the walls, ceiling, and columns. Adding to the church's lavish adornment are six large oil murals, exquisite statuary, and leaded-glass windows. Open daily dawn to dusk. St. Mary's was voted by the public as one of the top 8 Wonders of Kansas Art. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bring an old shoe, boot, slipper or even a roller skate if you have one to add to the Shoe Tree near Wetmore. Look for the hammer and nails in the mail box where you can also leave your signature and where you're from. Then leave your shoe attached to the giant cottonwood along with hundreds of others. It'll be a fun thing to do and record! Plus the country scenery in this next of the woods is very pretty! From Kansas, 1 mile west on K-9, then 5 1/4 miles north on W Rd., then 1 mile west on 80 Rd.

Look closely! The tiles on the United Bank and Trust exterior are each only about an inch square and are assembled into six murals depicting area history. They include a farmer and horse plowing a cornfield, a farm tractor, dairy cows, a factory, and a steer. The artist is unknown, but the project occurred in 1965 when the bank was forced to remodel due to water leakage.

Standing on the sidewalk just west of City Hall are a series of large handsome plaques listing Sabetha area veterans from each war.

This 1883 jail has stood empty since its last occupant left in 1942.

An etching of a galloping horse and rider adorns the granite gravestone of Pony Express rider Don Clarence Rising (1844-1909), aka Johnny Granada. His grave is at the south end of the cemetery about eight stones north on the first row of the east side.