Hotel Location

Over 20,000 acres and offering as much diversity as Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira NWR is about forty minutes south of Great Bend. It is comprised of prairie grasses, salt marches, sand dunes, canals, dikes, and timber. A system of 21 miles of canals and 25 miles of dikes provides nearly 6,000 acres of managed wetlands and marshes. During spring migration Quivira NWR becomes a staging area for 500,000 birds.

Often called Great Bend's "little jewel", Brit Spaugh Zoo is dedicated to the conservation, preservation and rescue of animals and the education and entertainment of both children and adults. The Zoo is home to over 100 mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. The Zoo and park are free to everyone, are stroller and wheelchair accessible, and offer both driving and walking paths to view the wildlife throughout the park. The Park encompasses 46 acres and includes recreation opportunities for everyone. Scattered through the park you'll find picnic areas with grills, horseshoe pits, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pool, softball diamonds and a variety of playground equipment.

Great Bend is truly a Christmas Vision! Visitors have been coming to Great Bend in November and December for more than twenty years for a single reason - Christmas Lights. Great Bend's lights are unique in the nation because city employees design and build every single display with old-fashioned creativity and ingenuity. And it's always fun to find out what new displays they have planned to charm and amaze us with. Nationally recognized, Great Bend's lights wind through town on busy streets and quiet cul-de-sacs and spill over into city parks, businesses, and residences. Recently, Great Bend has also created a new "iceless" skating rink next to the courthouse, allowing ice-skating enthusiasts and beginners to show off their skills.

If you didn't already know, S.R.C.A. Dragstip was the home of the first NHRA Nationals in 1955. Located 2 1/2 miles west of Great Bend, Ks on the old Air Force base, the facility offers the finest racing in the area. Come out and have fun with the entire family!

Great Bend is home to an expanding collection of outdoor murals created by local artists and groups. The murals are hand-painted on the outside walls of existing businesses. Several of the brightly colored murals are located in the Main Street business area.

You have reached the core of Walt Whitman's "Prairies and Plains," the defining American landscape. Don't let the word "plain" fool you, though. There is much to do here along the "great bend" of the Arkansas River!

Big-city amenities - Midwestern prices! Explore eclectic art, hands-on exhibits, Old West and Indian artifacts - even a T. rex skeleton. Dine at more than 1,000 restaurants. Discover distinctive shops, antique stores and national retailers.

Topeka is the city capital of Kansas