Reno County: Space, Salt Mine, and Culture

Reno County offers a range of different ways to explore: the history of space exploration, a historic salt mine, local culture, and outdoor experiences. When planning, it’s worth avoiding the assumption that everything fits into a single style of outing. Exhibitions, historic sites, wildlife encounters, and trails each appeal to different interests, so you can choose the focus of your stay to suit you.

One striking contrast is between looking out into the vastness of space and descending into a mine. Museums and live performances add to the mix, exploring history and culture from different perspectives.

Space and Salt Beneath the Ground

The Cosmosphere combines interactive exhibits on the history of space exploration with the space race between the United States and the USSR. CosmoKids is also part of the offering. One presentation shows which planets and stars can be seen over Kansas that evening and explains how to find them in the night sky. An immersive flight simulator adds another dimension to this focus. Historical developments, stargazing, and flight simulation thus offer different ways to explore the subject of space.

Strataca offers a very different experience: visitors descend 650 feet underground into a historic salt mine. A 15-minute train ride follows original rails and ties from the mining era. This ride is seasonal and available only on selected dates, so check the schedule when planning. The shift from space exploration to the mine takes you from observing the sky to a close-up look at the history of salt mining.

History and Culture in Hutchinson

The Reno County Museum preserves the county’s history, local culture, and traditions, and shares them through exhibits and programs. Admission is free. The Transportation Gallery features various transportation models, including a classic shaker wagon and a rare 1903 Ford Model A. If you’re especially interested in historic sites, consider taking the Reno County Historic tour of downtown Hutchinson offered by the museum. It shares stories about historic buildings and sites.

Today’s Kansas State Fair also has a historic connection to the county: it grew out of the first Reno County Fair, held from September 28 to 30, 1875. Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre is an Art Deco theater designed by the Boller Brothers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register, and offers a subscription series as well as a Fox film series. The Hutchinson Art Center complements these cultural offerings with art camps and workshops for aspiring artists of all ages.

Nature, Animals, and Outdoor Activities

At Dillon Nature Center, the one-acre pond is used for fishing and canoeing. At Hutchinson Zoo, naturalistic habitats and exhibits showcase wildlife environments. The Animals & Man Exhibit offers the chance to meet and pet domesticated animals from around the world. The personal animal encounters include an interaction with an animal and its keeper.

Carey Park features a public 18-hole golf course, a water park, fishing ponds, and the Sam Martinez Trail. Salt City Splash at Carey Park opened in summer 2000. If you’d rather explore trails, Sand Hills State Park has five equestrian-friendly trails ranging from 1.2 to 3.8 miles. Check trail conditions before setting out. The options range from activities at ponds and in the park to trails whose lengths provide a concrete guide for planning.

Discover more destinations: Hutchinson, South Hutchinson, Nickerson, Lane County, Gray County, Stevens County, Wichita County, Stanton County.

For the overall travel guide: Kansas.