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. Don't miss seeing the 130 year-old sawmill in operation. 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. The museum will be open during daylight hours. Please walk across the road to the David Auto Clinic for access to the museum.

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. Cookies and beverages will be provided to visitors by the Centralia Aces 4-H Club on Saturday, 9am-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.

You don't have to travel far in Sabetha to find this charming covered bridge located in the southwest part of the community. The wooden bridge covers a paved bridge that goes over the Delaware River. It's a popular destination for Senior Class photos and selfies. Take one of yourself next to the bridge and remember to use the hashtag #bkrt20!

The AER Disc Golf Course, located in Skoch Park, is a 9 Hole Course open to the public and free to play! During the BKRT discs are available to rent for $10 at the Seneca library (606 Main St.). If you bring the disc back you get your $10 back!

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 "explorery" things to find in rural Kansas.

Sabetha is home to the First Sergeant Major of the United States Marine Corp, Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick (November 27, 2911-July 10, 1972). His personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal with the Combat "V", Navy Unit Commendation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Korean Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, United States Service Medal, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation Medal. You'll find an impressive memorial at Somerset Park where the baseball field is named in honor of this local hero.

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).

In 1914 a meeting in Frankfort, Kansas established the Great White Way, a 1,161 mile route from Chicago to Colorado Springs. Originally poles were painted white to help guide tourists. As you drive Highway 9 note the white and black bands painted on the telephone poles. Highway 9, stretching from the east to the west borders of Nemaha County through the communities of Centralia, Corning, Goff and Wetmore.

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

For bulk foods, health foods, snack foods, or kitchenware, Hearthside is a shopper heaven. Thursday-Friday 9am-5:30pm; Saturday 9am-2pm. From Main St., go 1 3/4 miles north on 6th (becomes X4), then 1/2 mile east on 200 Rd.

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.

Formerly in the city park you'll now find the gray granite 1910 fountain at its new home at 6th and Main. It 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. It is one of the few few remaining in the United States.

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.

The Koch's invite you to stop by and see their historic service station filled with service station and automobile memorabilia. They also own the RV Park so if you need a place with hook-ups give them a call or see the lodging page for more information.

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 by 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." Thursday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm; Saturday 10am-4pm. Enjoy the adjoining park complete with s a gazebo, picnic tables, benches and restrooms.

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!)

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. Tours of the Military Museum, featuring artifacts from the Civil War through present military services, will be given Saturday 10am - 4pm. Tours will be available on Thursday and Friday from 10am - 4pm as well but these days we ask you to check in at the Historic Jail and Sheriff's Residence (113 N 6th Street). On Saturday begin directly at the Temple of Honor.

Local artists have painted murals on the back of several buildings on Main Street. Take a selfie in front of each one and use hashtag #bkrt20. 1) The Creative Farmhouse, 918 Main. Find the black/white mural on the back of the building. Artists: Kirsten Wenger, Reggie Garrett and Jeanelle Wenger. The owners of the Creative Farmhouse said " they wanted to provide an artistic feature to an unattractive space." 2) Printing Impressions, 1026 Main. Find the sun mural on the back of the building. Artists: Reggie Garrett, Kirsten Wenger Jeanelle Wenger, Mariah Russell. 3) Scoby building, 905 Main St. Artists: Tom Gudenkauf, Tyler Gudenkauf, Kirsten Wenger, Jeanelle Wenger, Rachel Kramer, Reggie Garrett. Scoby hopes when people see the American Flag that they will feel a sense of pride and patriotism in Main Street, the community, state and country.

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. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic Jail and Sheriff's Residence tours Thursday-Saturday 10am-4p.m.On Thursday and Friday tours of the Military Museum and the Hand-dug well will begin at the Historical Jail and Sheriff's Residence. Donation.

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. Join Ray on Friday or Saturday at 10am to learn how this Veteran’s Wall came to be and hear stories of some of the Veteran's honored. Tour will last 30-40 minutes.

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.

Visit all the painted ladies in Seneca! 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 map will be available at the Seneca info station at the Seneca Free Library (606 Main).

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.

"From the organization of the Underground Railroad in Topeka in 1857 until slavery was abolished, Albany served as a station on the Railroad line. Fugitive slaves were secreted by day and taken by “conductors” at night to the next station. It is said that slaves were hidden in the hay of the livery stables near the sawmill, in the woodshed behind the Albany store, or in a cave above the Pony Creek ford." The limestone bank, called White Banks, where the cave is located is on the east side of the Pony Creek Lake. White Banks can be seen from the 208th Road and Highway 75 intersection. Bring your binoculars to view the cave from the road and to also view several eagle nests in this area. Photos courtesy Jim Scoby.

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. The oldest wooden jail in the U.S. is also showcased. Thu-Sat 9am-3pm; Sun 10am-2pm. Tours last 30 minutes. Donation.

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 clicking on the Read More link below. Thursday-Saturday 8:30am-4:30pm; If post office is closed a sign on the sidewalk will give you more of the story.

The original Owl Sign went up on July 13, 1960 and was taken down in the late 1980's and stored at the Albany Museum. The Sabetha Chamber has raised the funds to refurbish the Owl Sign and put it back on its original perch located at Main and Old Hwy 75. Sabetha has adopted a new logo and advertising campaign, "Be Wise Shop Sabetha....The City With Heart!", to encourage people to shop local and keep our wonderful community vibrant. Be a part of the "city with heart" and take a selfie at the sign to post on your social media page with the hashtag #bkrt20.

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.

Sabetha Lake is 5 miles west of Sabetha on 192nd Rd. Sabetha Lake provides a place to camp, boat, water ski, and fish. It also has RV water & electricity hook ups, shelter houses, restrooms, playground equipment and a sand beach area. https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Fishing-Locations-Public-Waters/Northeast-Region/Sabetha-City-Lake (copy and paste url); Pony Creek Lake is 2 miles north of Sabetha on Highway 75. Pony Creek Lake is a no-wake lake and offers primitive camping, shelter houses and restrooms. Both lakes have been given an excellent rating with the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks for fishing. The Sabetha Lake has a great saugeye population and the Pony Creek Lake has walleye. https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Fishing-Locations-Public-Waters/Northeast-Region/Sabetha-Pony-Creek (copy and paste url). Photo courtesy Rosella Royer.

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. See Events page for guided Walking Tour details.

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 Theatre. Check out their Facebook to see what movies will be playing the weekend of the Big Kansas Road Trip! Thursday 7pm; Friday-Saturday 7pm and 9pm; Sunday 2pm and 7pm.

Sixth Street Park is located two blocks north of Main Street on 6th Street. The Skateboard Park and Jr. Legion Baseball Field #4 are also located in this park. It includes batting cages, two shelters with picnic tables and a variety of playground equipment, climbing rock and restrooms.

For the young and young at heart! This museum has thousands of interesting collectible toys! Need another time? Call to set up an appointment! 785-939-2587

Stan Keim, a Sabetha native, designed and built this baseball field in 2006. Since then field turf, a picnic area and playground has been added. The field averages over 70 games per year, being used by the high school, local, and Mid Plains Collegiate teams. In 2017, the field was renamed the Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick Field in honor of Mr. Bestwick, a Sabetha native who was the first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. On Thursday, May 7, Sabetha High School will host Hiawatha to a double header. Games start at 4:30pm. Please come out to the ballpark located about ½ mile east of Highway 75 on 192nd street. Concessions will be available during the games. Photo courtesy Stan Keim.

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. Thursday-Friday 10am-Noon; 1pm - 3pm. Saturday 9am-Noon; 1-4pm. Other appointments can be made by calling 785-250-8484.

Spring into action at this first-class, par 71, 18-hole public course. Head into the club house and tell them you'd like to tour the course with a golf cart as part of the BKRT! Stop back by the clubhouse (aka the 19th hole) to enjoy the full bar and grill. Greens fees range from $25-$45 depending on day and number of holes. Cart included.

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). Take a 30 minute tour on Saturday at 10am. Sunday Mass, 8am.

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. There will be 30 minute guided tours every day of the BKRT at 1:30pm. Sunday Mass,10:15am.

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.