Discover Leavenworth: Museums and Carousel History

Leavenworth brings together a wide range of visitor interests: carousel building and local history, African American history, military collections, and outdoor activities. If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in Leavenworth, these themes can help shape the character of your trip. Each museum has its own focus: some tell their stories through exhibits and collections, while others connect history with a specific place. Along the river and on a paved trail, the focus is instead on parkland and movement.

Museums with Distinctive Focuses

At the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum & Gift Shop, you can explore both the history of carousel building and different types of carousels. The museum displays a carousel originally made in Leavenworth in 1913 by the C.W. Parker Carousel Amusement Company. It has been newly restored and is fully operational. The collection also includes the oldest primitive carousel in the United States and a Paul Parker aluminum carousel from the 1950s. Comparing the 1913 carousel with the later aluminum carousel reveals different exhibits and periods within the collection. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.; check current opening hours before your visit.

The Carroll Mansion Museum combines architectural history with a photographic collection. The Victorian house dates from the 1880s and features elaborate handcrafted woodwork, stained-glass windows, and elegant antiques from the Victorian era through the early 20th century. It is also a research center for the early history of Kansas, including a collection of 30,000 glass plate negatives by pioneer photographers. The design of a historic house and photographic records of early Kansas history thus stand side by side as distinct aspects of the museum.

The Richard Allen Cultural Center and Museum is dedicated to researching, collecting, preserving, and sharing African American history. Across the street is the historic Bethel A.M.E. Church, which was part of the Underground Railroad. The locations of the museum and church place the study of history in a specific local context.

The Frontier Army Museum focuses on the material culture of the United States Army. The museum draws on its collections to inform the public about the history of the Frontier Army, the Combined Arms Center, and Fort Leavenworth. The First City Museum has a different focus: its collections include memorabilia and artifacts from Leavenworth’s early pioneer days and its railroad and manufacturing industries. They also include items related to the prison system and two prison models. Together, these collections cover several aspects of the city’s history, from pioneer days and industry to depictions of the prison system.

To discover local stories at several landmarks, you can take the self-guided Mural and Statue Safari. The route leads to selected landmarks in Leavenworth; each stop at a mural or statue tells a story about the city. Unlike the individual museum collections, the route brings together stories associated with the murals and statues along the way.

Riverfront, Trail, and Market

Leavenworth Landing is a quarter-mile-long linear park along the Missouri River in downtown Leavenworth. The Three-Mile Creek Walking Trail has a different stated length: this paved trail is half a mile long and intended for walking and cycling. This makes the trail twice as long as Leavenworth Landing. The comparison puts the two routes in context based on their stated lengths.

The Leavenworth Farmers Market offers another aspect of the area. Its selection includes fresh vegetables, fruit, and flowers, as well as baked goods, jams and jellies, honey, handmade soap, and meat. If you’re planning a visit, check the current market dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Basehor.

Go to the main travel overview: Leavenworth County.