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Hays, Hays, KS
SightseeingLocal GemHistory Buff

Hays

2700 Vine St · Hays, KS

Why you should go…

The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism department for the City of Hays, Kansas, operating the Hays Welcome Center on Vine Street. It markets the city's attractions, including the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and Historic Fort Hays, and supports local events and hospitality businesses in Ellis County.

  • #museum
  • #history
  • #family
  • #free

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 Hays, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • 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.

    Right next doorMore 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.

    1.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Nicodemus National Historic Site

    Free

    Walk the streets of the oldest remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi, founded by formerly enslaved settlers in 1877.

    38 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Fort Larned National Historic Site

    Free

    Walk among 1860s sandstone army buildings around a parade ground where troops once guarded the Santa Fe Trail.

    49 mi awayMore like this