Springtime in Topeka? Yes please! From beautiful blooms and dinosaur-themed fun to miniature-train rides and a unique taste of the tropics in the Midwest, Kansas’ capital city boasts a variety of family friendly fun this spring that you’ll want to experience for yourself.
Each year, sites around Topeka participate in Jerold Binkley Tulip Time, an annual tradition that has been around for nearly three decades, beginning in the home gardens of Topekans Jerold and Joan Binkley. Today, Tulip Time features tens of thousands of multi-colored, flowering bulbs spread across three featured gardens — Ted Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee, the Ward-Meade Botanical Garden at Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Historic Site, and the Doran Rock Garden and surrounding areas at Gage Park. In addition to self-guided tours through the gardens, two special events — Tulips at Twilight and the day-long Tulip Time Festival — add to the season’s festivities. Topeka’s 2022 Tulip Time will run April 8-24, with the Tulip Time Festival taking place April 23.
If prehistoric creatures are more your family’s jam, don’t miss Topeka Dino Days, a four-month-long citywide celebration featuring a number of dinosaur-themed exhibits, activities and events. In addition to special menu items and activities being offered at businesses around the city, Topeka Dino Days features four core exhibits: “SUE: The T. rex Experience” at Great Overland Station, “Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, the free-to-view “Topeka Dino Days Base Camp” at the downtown Topeka Visitor’s Center, and “Dinosaurs Alive! Created by Dino Don Inc.” at the Topeka Zoo. All core exhibits will be open together through May 1, with the zoo exhibit set to last through the end of June.
Looking for a little sports action? Topeka has that, too! The capital city welcomed its new arena football team, the Topeka Tropics, to the field this spring and is already experiencing an eventful inaugural season. Enjoy home games in April and May at Topeka’s Stormont Vail Events Center. While there, don’t forget to snag your Topeka Tropics swag! If you’re looking for even more to do in Topeka this spring, explore the outdoors at Lake Shawnee, enjoy a hike on a local trail, take a trip on the Gage Park mini-train, tour the beautifully restored Kansas State Capitol, or visit one of the area’s many museums. With the Kansas History Museum, Combat Air Museum, Evel Knievel Museum, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site and more right in Topeka’s backyard, Kansas’ capital city is your family’s playground. The only thing missing is you!