News Release

Children's Farm and Animal Day, Saturday May 28

NPS photo

News Release Date: May 17, 2022 Strong City, KS - Come to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve on Memorial Day Saturday May 28th, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and enjoy kid’s activities geared toward learning and making memories. Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day. There is no entrance fee and all activities are free at the preserve.
Children will be able to experience life on a working ranch and learn about life as a child in the 1880s. Living history interpreters will assist children in doing authentic ranch chores such as gathering eggs, feeding the chickens, milking the goats, and currying the horse. After completing each chore, children will collect sticker tokens and earn a Spring Hill Ranch certificate for all their hard work. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. visitors can experience the prairie grasses and wide-open spaces with a horse-drawn wagon ride, while learning about modes of transportation in the 1880s. Wagon rides are given approximately every 20 minutes and cowboys will be available to answer questions, as they go about their daily tasks.
To complete the holiday weekend, hike one or more of the over 40 miles of trails. Trail maps are available at the historic barn and house. If hiking through the bison pasture, please heed all warning signs and keep at least a football field’s length between you and the animal. Bison are wild animals and will react aggressively if provoked. You may also hike around the bison pasture to reach your destination. Warning sign information is posted at each pasture gate. Please be safe during your visit to the preserve.
The preserve is undergoing construction on the visitor center and parking lots this summer. Please follow signage as you enter off K-177, Flint Hills National Scenic Byway. The historic mansion and barn are the visitor contact stations for the summer. After parking, make your way to the historic structures where you will be greeted by interpretive park rangers that will help guide your visit. Daily guided tour schedule will be posted at the ranch headquarters area.
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve invites you to discover the meaning of national parks, how your park inspires you – both in personal connections and memorable experiences. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located two miles north of Strong City on Kansas State Highway 177 (the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway) and is a unique public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. For additional information on Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, please visit www.nps.gov/tapr, email [e-mail], call the preserve at [phone], or visit the preserve’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/nps.tallgrassprairie. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy in Kansas, visit the Conservancy's website at www.nature.org/kansas or Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TNCKansas