

On the 9th we traveled to the Ag Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs to learn about the history of farming, farm equipment and to explore turn of the last century farm life.
A tour at Ag Hall of Fame has so many great activities – a walk through the farmhouse and a talk about daily life on the farm; time for the kids to try their hand at farm chores like grinding corn and feeding the ground corn to the chickens, gathering eggs, washing clothes on a washboard and hanging them to dry on a clothesline, and beating rugs; a talk about bees plus an indoor exhibit about bees (including dressing up in a beekeeper’s suit!); a tour of the vegetable garden and the flower garden; a tour through the tractor and farm equipment museum, plus learning about dairy equipment. There is even a miniature train ride around the grounds and pond, plus a hayride too!
We booked a morning, took picnic lunches, and enjoyed our hayride after lunch, but we could have easily made a full day at the Ag Hall of Fame. The kids had such a fun time trying out chores, plus they enjoyed the indoor play area in the museum itself. While you are at the museum, take a step out front to view the National Farmers Memorial.
The Ag Hall of Fame is a hidden gem in Bonner Springs, and we encourage families, other homeschool groups or school groups to take advantage of this venue. The staff were knowledgeable about and excited about farming, and they did a nice job of interacting with the kids. If you are looking to explore the Ag Hall of Fame on your own, or to visit their upcoming events, check out the following links:
Balloon Fest at Ag Hall of Fame
Some pictures of our day at Ag Hall of Fame:
A barn made out of recycled materials
Examples of various water pumps, plus the opposite side of the recycled materials barn
And even more tools! Farming by hand involved all different kinds of tools and implements
Notice the “dog bone” pattern on the tractor tire
A variety of separators used to separate the milk from the cream for small dairy operations
Washing clothes on a washboard
Some of the larger farm equipment
Some of the flower garden that attracts the bees
A caterpillar enjoying the milkweed in the front flower garden
A view from our train ride around the pond
The miniature train goes over a small bridge
Thanks so much to the staff and volunteers who made our visit so enjoyable, and were so willing to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with our group!

