Flint Hills Discovery Center

"The Flint Hills is a place of subtle beauty, but it continues to face many challenges. Our goal is to inspire people to celebrate, explore and care for the Flint Hills now and for future generations – because we are the custodians of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in the world."

-From the Flint Hills Discovery Center website

It's true.  We are the keepers of this majestic Bluestem land, and knowledge is imperative if we want these glorious hills to live on.

We Manhattanites have been giddy with excitement watching this grand Discovery Center pop up stone by stone for the last two years.  Even once the building was finished, it still took us a few months to get there, but it was worth the wait.  This building is a real gem for Manhattan, and the exhibits do just what they set out to do:  teach.

Dale and Rose are not quite old enough to read all about the grand history of Kansas and the plains, but they did enjoy touching things and looking at the pretty pictures.

On the upper level of the building, there is a children's play area, where kids can touch and feel and explore.  We spent most of our time there, of course.

Claudia McGehee is my current favorite artist.  She has written a few children's books with fun whimsical works of art, and her art adorns the building.  It adds this colorful burst of energy to the place, giving it a sense of fun and wonder it would otherwise be missing.

Aside from the artwork, my favorite part of the new Flint Hills Discovery Center is the architecture.  This magnificent structure was designed by Verner Johnson and Associates, a Boston based firm that specializes exclusively in museums, and they did a spectacular job nestling this diamond into the not so shiny downtown Manhattan.

On the (sort of) rooftop sitting area,  you can catch a closer glimpse of the famous KS that looms over Manhattan.

Just outside of the museum is a fountain that attracts many little ones on hot summer days.  Dale practically dove right into the water, while Rose assessed the situation carefully before getting in.  But eventually everyone was in, soaked and happy.

The kids were so drenched that we had a very naked ride home.