It started as a free water stop during a long road trip. Here's the beef. A brain, a heart, a home, and courage meet here.
Welcome to Liberal, Kansas, where despite the political premonitions of many travelers out there, this destination has no relation whatsoever. Liberal is tucked in the southwestern part of the Sunflower State at the junction of US routes 54, 83, and 270, just on the border with Oklahoma. A small city of approximately 20,000, Liberal has historically been, and still is today, an oasis among the vast surrounding prairies. First founded by a generous settler who "liberally" offered water at no cost to travelers, the city became a center for farmers and ranchers. Although many ghosted towns surround the area, meat packing remains one of the top industries in Liberal, as evidenced by the large National Beef Packing plant on the way out of town.
One of the top attraction points to draw people to Liberal, Kansas, is the replica of Dorothy's House, as made famous by the L. Frank Baum book series, and later feature film, "The Wizard of Oz". Visitors are able to tour inside Dorothy's house to catch a glimpse of life in Kansas around the turn of the 20th century. A young lady, costumed to represent Dorothy Gale from the feature film, explains the house and all the general tasks of "her family" to the visitors before taking them through a short skit portraying the famous story and showing a collection of book and film-related memorabilia. The museum at Dorothy's House also houses the free Coronado museum, which takes visitors through the history of the Liberal area around the time of both its discovery and founding, including Native settlements, city planning, and the surrounding ghost towns.
Dorothy's House isn't the only thing to experience while in Liberal. The local Chamber of Commerce takes great pride in helping people experience the entirety of the town, going so far as to create a scavanger hunt by strategically placing "Dorothy" statues all about the city. One of these locations is the Mid-America Air Museum, a collection of various military aircraft throughout history. Other points highlighted include Light Park, which includes a small water amusement center, the Pancake House after which one of the major route's street names is given, and the old Train Station. Although passengers are no longer served in Liberal, the railroad remains in integral part of the city, especially freight servicing the area.
Next time your Internal Compass takes you toward Western Kansas, make a stop in Liberal, and you may just realize: "There's no place like home."
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