Crawford: Mining History, Culture and Nature

In Crawford, you can focus on different themes: the history of coal mining, museums and historic buildings, tours with clearly defined stops, or nature and recreation by the water. The Miners Hall Museum preserves and shares the history of coal mining as well as the diverse immigrant culture of southeastern Kansas. The following stops show how differently culture and landscape can be incorporated into your travel plans.

Mining History and Historic Buildings

The Miners Hall Museum research center contains information about the history of local mining communities, as well as strikes and labor reforms. The Miners Memorial is another reminder of the region’s mining history: the large monument commemorates the region’s coal miners and preserves the history of mining. Among the preserved objects at the Crawford County Historical Museum is a Marion Model #37 Steam Shovel.

Architecture and local history are also at the heart of the Girard History Museum. It is located in the former St. John's Episcopal Church, built in 1888. The building has an impressive oak ceiling and stained-glass windows from the late 19th century; the exhibits cover Girard’s socialist history. When visiting the museum, you can consider both the building’s history and the topics covered in its exhibits.

Historic Routes and Tours

The Franklin/Arma Sidewalk connects Franklin and Arma over a distance of 1.7 miles. Built in 1936, it runs along the Frontier Military Scenic Byway and is listed on both the state and national registers of historic places. The sidewalk is considered the longest to connect two communities. Its character is shaped not only by its historic significance but also by its connection between Franklin and Arma.

Other tours focus on different things. The Art Work of Crawford County Driving Tour includes 39 stops. The Pittsburg State University campus walking tour begins and ends at Russ Hall and includes 28 points of interest. In standard mode, the full loop is 2.6 miles long; at a leisurely walking pace, it can take up to two hours. These offer different formats: a historic connection between two places, a driving tour with art stops, and a campus walking tour with a stated distance and estimated duration.

Art and Festivals in Pittsburg

Pittsburg’s annual 4th of July Festival features arts and crafts, live music and activities for children; the program also includes fireworks at Lincoln Park. The Pittsburg ArtWalk presents visual art by local artists twice a year, including two- and three-dimensional and performance art. The two events have different focuses: one centers on a festival program and music, while the other showcases the diversity of visual art.

Little Balkans Days celebrates the community’s European ethnic heritage in Pittsburg. Together with the art events and festival, it shows that cultural offerings are not limited to museums and historic buildings.

Crawford State Park: Water and Nature

Crawford State Park is home to a 150-acre lake built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The park has a swimming beach, and boating is a popular recreational activity there. Redbud trees and colorful wildflowers also grow here, and the park is home to birds and butterflies. In addition to water activities, the park offers opportunities to observe plants and wildlife.

Those interested in cycling will find a challenging mountain bike trail in the park. It is 7 miles long and runs around the entire lake. The options have clearly different focuses: the lake and swimming beach shape the water activities, while the mountain bike trail offers a longer route specifically described as challenging.

At University Lake

Gorilla Village is a 2.25-acre recreation destination on the shore of University Lake, east of Carnie Smith Stadium. GorillaFest at Gorilla Village is a pregame celebration with live music, food and games for children. This combination of lakeside setting and event adds another perspective on recreational offerings to the museums, historic tours and nature themes.

Discover more destinations: Pittsburg, Cherokee County, Atchison, Scott County, Decatur County, Cloud County, Harvey County, Leavenworth County.

For the main travel overview: Kansas.