old depot museum

When we travel we look for local museums to visit. Every area has a history & a story to tell. This museum tells of the history of the railroad in the area, the Ottawa floods, the local industry, & shops. There is a model railroad, soda fountain, & a special photographic exhibit. It contained photos of W.H. “Dad” Martin. He used the technique of photomontage. Cutting and pasting together pieces from different photographs, he composed an out-of-scale scene in which tiny people were juxtaposed with immense images of produce or game. Pre Photoshop.

We were looking for something fun to do with our 7 & 3yo kids on a cold Kansas Saturday. For a small admission fee ($3 for adults, $1 for 7yo, free for preschooler) we spent over an hour and had the place totally to ourselves. The front desk attendant was friendly, helpful & kind to our children. She offered scavenger hunts--one for 1st graders and another for preschoolers--including pencils AND clipboards, which makes writing so much easier for small hands. Every room was a new surprise. Full of detail, beautifully organized, well-researched details made each room easy for my kids to explore and learn at the same time. There was a huge room dedicated just to model trains. My boys enjoyed pushing buttons on and off which controlled certain parts of the model--a carousel turning, a fire burning, a Ferris wheel moving. My 7yo spent tons of time in the old school room--pretending to teach our family. We also liked the soda fountain room, creating pretend desserts. The best surprise was a rope hanging from the ceiling outside the schoolroom, which was attached to a school bell on the roof of the depot. My kids loved ringing that bell.I wasn't expecting much, but this place totally exceeded my expectations.

Very Informative place., awesome lil' outta the way piece of history of Kansas. Loving it, was very impressed in the whole detail of the place

This is a must see for Ottawa visitors. The guide is informative. The price reasonable. Great for kids and train aficionados.