Day Tours and
2 Day/1 Night Tours

Tour operators based in Kansas City, Springfield, Fayetteville, Tulsa, Wichita, and Topeka are only a few hours away from showing their guests a part of the Midwest they’ve never seen.

Originally a buffer between Missouri settlers to the east and Native Americans to the west, Southeast Kansas once looked like the rest of the state. It was sparsely populated with farmsteads on rolling hills of the prairie.

The need for coal changed everything.

See the machines that shaped this region, especially Big Brutus National Historic Site. This 16 story monument sits just outside of Crawford County, but is the MUST SEE attraction of Southeast Kansas.

Hear how the region’s culture changed as immigrants from across the world brought their traditions here, first to work in deadly deep shaft coal mines, and later to learn at the home of the nation’s only college with a gorilla mascot.

Taste our past. Inexpensive, delicious, fried chicken dinners that helped miners feel like they were at home, welcomed veterans returning from overseas, and have been featured in The New Yorker, on the Travel Channel, BBC Travel, and even inspired a fictional novel.

Of maybe you need something a little stronger – home brew or whiskey – a reminder of the days when families did what they had to do to survive.

And keep an eye on our event calendar, because you never know what performer or experience may pop up.

Gorilla Nation

Founded in 1903 and home of the Gorillas, the Pittsburg State campus features historic architecture, and several public art displays and memorials, including a retired Moving Wall.

Alumni and residents take great pride in being the only college or university with a gorilla as its mascot. This nickname was adopted in the 1920’s, when it was slang for “roughnecks”. Countless gorilla statues are spread across Southeast Kansas – dubbed “Gorilla Nation”. Two gorilla sculptures on campus are ideal for photos.

Beware of the photobomb expert, “Gus the Gorilla”.