ward meade park

peaceful atmosphere with different colored flowers as far as the eyes can see. simply beautiful.one of the oldest parks here in Kansas. a must see on your visit.

There was not much to see. We visited on a Sunday. The sign stated there was a tour 12p and 2p. We arrived at noon only to be informed the tour would be only be at 2. Due to some cold weather, the gardens were not very pretty.

Absoluetely a good time for all ages. It's beautiful and larger grounds than I originally thought. I can't wait to renew my vows in the court yard of the mansion . So gorgeous and fun. Love the history and all the different things to see.

We found ourselves in Topeka with some time to fill and stumbled on this Old Prairie Town. What a wonderful surprise! The park consists of several historic structures, several of which had been meticulously deconstructed, pieces numbered, and reconstructed in this lovely setting. For $4 (ahem, senior rate) we got a tour that lasted almost 2 hours, with knowledgeable explanations of a prairie log cabin, the mansion the log cabin owner was later able to build, a historic small town train station, livery stable, prairie one-room schoolhouse, church, and pharmacy with dental office and doctor office. We love this kind of historical experience, but this was really special. It is a real snapshot of prairie life in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Plus the tour ends up in the drugstore where you get a complementary Green River soft drink which was apparently a popular (and delicious) soft drink from the period. The drugstore also serves a variety of classic soda fountain concoctions such as shakes and malts.

If you are passing through or staying in Topeka, KS (and have time) stop and visit the Ward Mead Historic Park. We got there too late for the tours, but enjoy walking the grounds and seeing the garden. Chester, a staff member, was gracious enough to take time to let us see inside the original family cabin and gave us some of the history. Wish we would have been there in time to tour the mansion. The garden was peaceful and we had it to ourselves.

Old Prairie Town is a jewel of a park. There are several buildings you can tour with a docent (Mabel was ours, and she had a wealth of information!). Everything is immaculate, and shows the great care the staff and volunteers have for this special place: the grounds, the buildings, and all the articles in the buildings. School age children will enjoy this park, and especially the schoolhouse, general store and the old time working soda fountain in the apothecary (you have to try the Green River soda!).There is a beautiful Botanical Reading Garden on the grounds, with plenty of seating for relaxing and reading. The grounds are open daily from 10 to dusk, but to get into the buildings you will need to take the guided tour (a reasonable $4) Mon-Fri 10, 12, 2 and Sat-Sun 12, 2.

The house tours are nice. The special dinners have been enjoyable with good food and great atmosphere. The village is the best part. School, church, train depot, drug store and school help kids and adults learn about "the old days". Watch for festivals by checking their website.

Weddings, family pictures, (just did have our family pics taken there), history, authentic old buildings. Atmosphere is fun and real.Also offers meeting space. Good parking. Family fun.

We took a group here for a picnic lunch. We then went to the Old Fashion Drug Store where the staff person, Deandra, did a great job taking care of our group. We all tried the "Green River" sodas, and ice cream sundae. I recommend the brown bread ice cream... yum! We had also pre-arranged for an old-fashioned school lesson in the one-room school house for a small fee. Our "teacher" for the afternoon was Mable, and she was extremely knowledgeable and taught our small group about all sorts of customs that seem foreign today. We also visited the Old Train Depot and the General Store. Great stop!

This is a beautiful little gem in Topeka. It is like stepping back in time. The grounds, garden and buildings are meticulously kept. It is great that they have outdoor things like the train caboose, wagon, etc. for kids to climb on and enjoy. The staff is very friendly and fun. The only fees to attend are for the tour, but we didn't go on it, as my two-year-old was with me. We will go back for it when he is older! Be sure and stop by the general store for old time goodies and the soda fountain for a chocolate soda or other ice cream treat!

Interesting tour of the home and out buildings. The gentleman conducting the tour was very informed and courteous. The out buildings are a must see, make a point to be there when they are open. All the staff were very friendly. Highly recommended.

The tulips & flowers were breathtaking. The buildings and grounds were very nice. We were disappointed that all the buildings were locked. We didn't learn until closing time that we could have done a tour and seen inside the buildings. We will return sometime for a tour.

What a wonderful peaceful place to visit. So many plants to see and smell. I never knew there were so many types of Viburnum! Double screen doors on each door, what a place to dream about living in during it's heyday. A definite must see!

It was very interesting. It was from the old days. Then we had ice cream with the family we had the ice cream sundae. We will come back when we come back in town.

We had a meal in the little historic cabin. We had 8 adults and 8 kids from the ages of 2-14. It was a great time. Our meal was prepared over the fire. There was so much history taught through this experience. Everyone in our party had a wonderful time and I will for sure recommend this to others. The Ham tasted great, sweet potatoes were soft, peaches and pears were not fresh but still tasted great. My favorite was the biscuits as we got them freshly cooked right off the fire. The kids favorite was the freshly made cookies!!! It was a great experience!!