Topeka, KS Weekend Trip #4

St. Louis Historic Sites History Meetup Weekend trip #4 of 2026 will be Oct 2-4. Destination: Topeka, KS. But, first: Abilene, KS: **Thursday** Every year, one of our 4 weekend trips has a Presidential connection - this year it is Topeka - but you have to travel about an hour west to see it. So, if interested, it will require an extra day. For anyone who can come in early (as in Thursday night), If you don't plan to go to Abilene on Thursday - you can skip down to Friday hotel info. **Thursday night:** I have booked a room at the Victorian Inn B&B. 820 NW 3rd Street, Abilene. They have 6 rooms - I have booked the Hazlett room. Different prices for the remaining 5 rooms ($90, $101, $145, $133-with 2 bedrooms; $160-with 3 bedrooms). Website: https://abilenesvictorianinn.com/reservations.html You do NOT pay when you make the reservation - the owner will call you in 24-48 hours to confirm. You can cancel up to Sept 28. **Friday** am: in **Abilene, KS** 9am: Eisenhower boyhood home and Presidential Library 200 SE 4th street - $20 Abilene Heritage Center 412 S Campbell Street $5 Tickets for October still not availalble. I will post when they are. **Topeka** HOTEL Info: I booked a block of rooms at the Comfort Suites Topeka. I chose Comfort Suites over Hyatt mainly for the free breakfasts. 6213 SW 10th Street, Topeka Comfort Suites: To reserve a room: https://www.choicehotels.com/group-admin/XH52S0?aId=boRrgIFDEfG4nQKxmwxWCw We are getting the member price. If needed (the above link doesn't work for you), you can call the hotel. Our group code is XH52S0 (that's a zero, not an oh). We have 10 rooms blocked for us - 5 Queens and 5 Kings. If you have any problems, call (785) 350-6914. Our block is under Saint Louis Historic Sites. Cost: I had a hard time understanding the man making the reservations, but best I can tell before tax: Queen $232.54 (total for both nights) King $228.01 (total for both nights). I think tax is a lot. If you want something a little cheaper, you can try Ramada by Wyndham downtown or Baymont by Wyndham. **Friday** pm: in Topeka, KS 124 NW Fillmore St: Prairie Town at Ward-Meade estate $5 tour includes tour of Ward-Meade Mansion and visit to Old Prairie Town. This is also a Botanical Garden. Last tour at **3:00pm.** But, if you can't get there before then, the Botanical gardens are open until dusk. Dinner **Saturday, October 3** Breakfast **9am**: 1515 SE Monroe Street - Brown v Board of Education museum / tour of Monroe School - Free (confirmed with Fatima). **10:15am**: 300 SW 10th Avenue - Dome tour of State Capitol - Free (confirmed) **11:00am** 300 SW 10th Avenue History tour of Kansas State Capitol - Free (confirmed) Lunch **1:30ish**: 2 choices - go back to Brown v Board of Education museum OR 710 N Kansas Ave - Great Overland Train Station museum - $6 **3:00ish**: (Museum closes at 5pm) 6425 SW 6th Avenue - Kansas Museum of History - $10 OR anything prior you want to revisit (Brown v BofEd, Train museum, PrairieTown) Dinner **Sunday, October 4:** Breakfast Not confirmed: Ritchie House 1116 SE Madison St $5 (both email and phone message placed) Oldest house in Topeka and stop on Underground Railroad