Kansas has created a road trip for travelers who prefer giant objects and unusual museums over traditional tourist stops. The journey connects eight of the state’s quirkiest roadside attractions.
The itinerary is called the Quirky Kansas Constellation. It is one of several themed trips assembled by Kansas Tourism to help visitors explore different parts of the state.
Stops include a giant Van Gogh painting, the World’s Largest Ball of Twine and an enormous piece of retired mining equipment. Travelers can also descend into a hand-dug well or visit an art installation made from old vehicles.
The attractions are scattered across Kansas rather than along a single highway. An online map shows their locations, allowing visitors to plan a longer road trip or select a few stops near their existing route.
The Trip Includes Several Record-Setting Attractions
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The trip begins its list with the Big Easel in Goodland. A 24-by-32-foot reproduction of one of Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower paintings sits atop an easel standing nearly 80 feet tall. Next up, Cawker City is home to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. The attraction has continued growing since 1957 as residents and visitors add more sisal twine.
In Lucas, the Garden of Eden surrounds Civil War veteran S.P. Dinsmoor’s cabin with approximately 150 concrete sculptures. The nearby town of Wilson is home to the World’s Largest Czech Egg, which celebrates the community’s Czech heritage.
Visitors can also enter the Big Well Museum in Greensburg. A spiral staircase takes guests into the 109-foot hand-dug well while exhibits explain its construction.
Giant Machinery and Upright Trucks Complete the Journey
Next is Abilene’s World’s Largest Belt Buckle, which features stairs that let visitors climb onto the oversized structure. The buckle was unveiled in 2022 and stands in Eisenhower Park. Then you can stop by Big Brutus in West Mineral. The retired electric coal-mining shovel stands 16 stories tall and weighs approximately 11 million pounds.
The final featured stop is Truckhenge near Topeka. Artist and farmer Ron Lessman created it after being ordered to remove old trucks and buses from his property.
Lessman responded by placing the vehicles upright in concrete and covering them with paintings and messages. The resulting roadside attraction resembles a mechanical version of Stonehenge and now forms part of a larger art park.
Would you ever do this road trip?