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Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Historic Site
Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Historical Site
124 NW Fillmore St
Visitors, please park in the lot off NW Clay St
Topeka, KS 66606
Contact: Mark Arganbright, mark.arganbright.@snco.us
785-251-6989
Park Hours: 8 a.m.-dusk
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
NOTE: Starting Nov. 8, Old Prairie Town stores will only be open for Holiday Hours – Friday: Noon-4 pm, Saturday: Noon-4 pm, Sunday: Noon-4 pm.
Overview
Step back in time to the 1800s with a visit to Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Historic Site. The 1800s village features a replica of the 1854 Log Cabin in which pioneer and wheelwright Anthony Ward raised his family while constructing the Ward-Meade mansion which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. No visit to Old Prairie Town is complete without a pleasant stroll through the 2.5-acre Ward-Meade Botanical Garden!
Tours:
Guided tours of Old Prairie Town's buildings are available at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon and 2 p.m. Sat. $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children age 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. For a narrated virtual tour, download the Otocast app to your mobile device and search for Old Prairie Town.
Weddings:
Have your wedding in a historic location! For information on our wedding packages, see our weddings brochure.
Town Square
1891 Victor Schoolhouse with outhouse; 1880 Everest Church; Mulvane General Store Visitors Center and Gift Shop; Potwin Drug Store, including Durst Physician’s Office and Fyler Dentist Office; Lingo Livery Stable with Landau Carriage and Baughman Ice Cream Wagon; Lingo Tack Shop; Pauline Depot and Caboose, Turn-of-the-Century Barber Shop.
Mulvane General Store
An old-fashioned mercantile that serves as our museum gift shop and visitors center. Kansas items, toys from yesteryear, souvenirs and unique gifts are available. Open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sun., noon-4 p.m.
Potwin Drug Store
Sit at the marble counter and order a soda fountain treat, and shop for vintage-era candy! Open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sun., noon-4 p.m.
Ward-Meade Botanical Garden
The 2.5-acre Ward-Meade Botanical Garden sits adjacent to the historic Ward-Meade mansion. Its meandering paths lead through several distinct garden areas including national display gardens for hostas and daylilies and a national conifer reference garden. Features include the Asian Garden at Anna's Place, an herb garden, monarch butterfly way station, water features, arbors, gazebo, bridges, paved accessible trails, 10,000 annuals and thousands of tulips during Tulip Time in April.
Schoolhouse Session
Are you looking for a unique experience for your class or youth group? Then come and spend an hour in our authentic one-room schoolhouse learning about our Kansas country school legacy, ciphering on slates, participating in a spelling bee and playing old-time games.