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Nicodemus National Historic Site, Nicodemus, KS

Photo: Nationalparks, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffLocal GemFree

Nicodemus National Historic Site

304 Washington Ave · Nicodemus, KS

Why you should go…

Nicodemus was founded in 1877, and formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky at the end of Reconstruction to settle it and seek freedom on the Kansas plains. Start at the Township Hall visitor center for exhibits and the park's short films, then step inside the AME Church. The site holds five historic buildings, including the St. Francis Hotel, the First Baptist Church and the District No. 1 schoolhouse, and you can tour the town on foot, by car or by bicycle.

  • #national historic site
  • #black history
  • #historic town
  • #kansas history

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Nicodemus National Historic Site, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Hays

    Free

    A northwest Kansas city visitor bureau promoting local history, the Sternberg Museum, and Historic Fort Hays.

    38 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Free Entry

    Hays Welcome Center

    Free

    City-run welcome center on Vine Street in Hays, Kansas, with maps, brochures, free coffee, restrooms and a gift shop for I-70 travelers.

    38 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Sternberg Museum of Natural History

    Under $25

    See Kansas sea monsters, a fish-within-a-fish fossil and a walk-through Cretaceous diorama at this Hays museum.

    39 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums