News Release

"Get On the Bus" and Travel Back in Time - National Park Announces Free Bus Tours of Topeka

Date: April 22, 2013

Contact: David Smith
Phone number: 785-354-4273

Topeka, KS - Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is pleased to announce the introduction of a free Civil War to Civil Rights bus tour of Topeka. From conflicts leading to the Civil War to the birth of the Civil Rights Movement, Topeka has played a central role. "From Brown to Brown: Topeka's Civil Rights Story" maps out locations in the city linked to local and national struggles for freedom and equality. The first bus tours will be on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Tour tickets are free and will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 9:00 am on April 27. Bus tours will last about 90 minutes and will be conducted on a 16-passenger bus on loan from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

To help share the unique history of Topeka and Kansas, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, with the help of other partners in the community, has created and is currently distributing a self-guided driving tour brochure that follows the route. The new "From Brown to Brown: Topeka's Civil Rights Story" brochure features a map directing drivers to 16 city sites such as the Statehouse, Constitution Hall, Great Overland Station, Topeka Cemetery, Kansas History Museum, and the U.S. Post Office (former federal building) on Kansas Avenue where Brown v. Board of Education was first argued in 1951. To supplement the experience, visitors can dial a number on their cell phones and listen to audio recordings describing each site. They can also connect to a mobile web address for additional images and stories.

This Saturday will mark the maiden trip of what the park hopes to offer as a regular amenity to serve the Topeka community. When Congress created the historic site in 1992, the enabling legislation directed the National Park Service to interpret the other civil rights sites in Topeka. The driving brochure and the bus tour mark the park's first attempt to tell the full story of Topeka's surprisingly rich history of conflict, innovation, and diversity. Future bus tour schedules and information about the driving brochure can be found on the website and Facebook page listed below.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of federal holidays. For more information call 785-354-4273 or visit www.nps.gov/brvb and www.facebook.com/brownvboardnps. Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information call [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/brvb and www.facebook.com/brownvboardnps. -NPS-