Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 55
incentives to bring visitors in. "Our hotels
are working hand-in-hand with our attrac-
tions, retail stores and restaurants to bun-
dle the best of our city and offer these
packages through a coordinated market-
ing effort on their websites and through
Visit Topeka's site," Simmons says.
A must-see attraction in Topeka is the
Brown V. Board National Historic Site and
Museum, which preserves the history of
the landmark 1954 Supreme Court deci-
sion. The museum is located in the
Monroe Elementary School.
At the Kansas Museum of History, vis-
itors can see a 1950s diner and a loco-
motive made for the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad. The Charles Curtis
House Museum is the former home of the
only Native American to serve as vice
president of the United States. Another
place to explore the area's past is Old
Prairie Town at Ward Meade Historic Site,
a 5.5-acre pioneer village that's situated
on the old Oregon Trail.
For outdoor recreation, visitors might
enjoy a picnic in Gage Park or a date with
the animals at the Topeka Zoo. Other
notable attractions include the Kansas
State Capitol; First Presbyterian Church,
with its Tiffany-designed windows; the
Great Overland Station, which showcas-
es the city's railroad heritage; the
Combat Air Museum; and the Topeka
Civic Theatre.
For meeting groups in Topeka, conven-
tion services include hotel bids, site
inspections, customized tours, transporta-
tion coordination, registration assistance
and press releases. The visitors' bureau
also offers assistance for planning
reunions, tradeshows and other group
events.
For more information call (800) 235-
1030.
Kansas Museum of History,
Photo Credit: Topeka CVB
