Salina
Around Salina
Photo: SharonPapierdreams · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Town and around · Kansas · 59k people
Salina
“The Heart of the USA”
Prairie roots, open skies.
Kansas Wesleyan University purpleKansas Wesleyan University gold
Welcome to Salina! Whether you're here for the river festival or just passing through, you'll find friendly folks and wide-open skies. Grab a bite at a local diner and enjoy the prairie breeze.
Clubs for Salina
No clubs for Salina yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Salina. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Salina. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Eisenhower Presidential Library Museum and library in Abilene.
- Smoky Hill River River running through the city.
- Kenwood Cove Water Park Public water park with slides and pools.
- Lakewood Park Large city park with a lake.
- Rolling Hills Zoo Zoo located near Salina.
- Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts Historic theater hosting concerts and shows.
- Outdoors Hiking at Lakewood Park
- Outdoors Biking on Smoky Hill River Trail
- With kids Kenwood Cove Water Park
- With kids Rolling Hills Zoo
- Evenings Stiefel Theatre concerts
- Evenings Local brewery taprooms
- Locals love Farm stands
- Locals love Coffee shops
Through the year
- Smoky Hill River Festival June Multi-day arts and music festival along the river.
- Central Kansas Free Fair July Traditional county fair with rides, livestock, and food.
- Eisenhower Festival June Celebration in Abilene honoring the former president.
- Salina Art Center Exhibitions Year-round Rotating contemporary art shows and community events.
- Salina Symphony Concerts Seasonal Classical performances at the Stiefel Theatre.
Semi-arid climate with hot summers and cold winters. Best time to be out is spring and fall. Best: Spring and fall are mild and pleasant.
Getaways
- McPherson Charming town with a historic downtown.
- Hutchinson Home to the Kansas State Fair and Cosmosphere.
- Manhattan College town with Aggieville and the Flint Hills.
- Great Bend Gateway to the Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands.
Local flavour
Teams
- Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes NAIA
- Salina Liberty Champions Indoor Football
Eat and drink
- Chicken fried steak A classic Kansas comfort food, often served with cream gravy.
- Bison burgers
- Kansas-style barbecue A regional style with slow-smoked meats and tangy sauces.
- Sunflower seeds The state flower and a common local snack.
Where people go
- Grain elevators Iconic structures that dot the prairie and define the rural landscape.
- Prairie trails Paths through native grasslands, perfect for hiking and wildlife viewing.
- Historic downtowns Quaint main streets with preserved architecture, like in Abilene and Salina.
- Sunflower fields Vibrant fields that bloom in late summer, a symbol of Kansas.
Heritage and traditions
Salina and its neighbors are proud of their pioneer and agricultural heritage, from the Chisholm Trail to the wheat fields, and of hometown heroes like Eisenhower.
This time of year in Salina
- High school football Fall Fall; Friday night lights in every town.
- Bird migration Spring/Fall Spring and fall; sandhill cranes at Cheyenne Bottoms.
- Eisenhower Festival October October; celebrates Eisenhower's legacy in Abilene.
Say it like a local: “Run into town” — A quick trip to town.
Festivals
- Smoky Hill River Festival June June; art fair, music, and food in Oakdale Park.
- Eisenhower Festival October October; celebrates Eisenhower's legacy in Abilene.
- Central Kansas Free Fair August August; agricultural exhibits, carnival, and rodeo.
- Smoky Hill Blues & BBQ July July; blues bands and barbecue in downtown Salina.
- Concordia Fall Festival September September; parade, craft fair, and community dinner.
- Beloit Czech Festival September September; celebrates Czech heritage with food and music.
Landmarks with a story
- Eisenhower Presidential Library Archives, museum, and boyhood home in Abilene.
- Fort Riley Nearby army post with cavalry history.
- Brown Grand Theatre 1907 opera house in Concordia.
- Wolf Hotel 1879 hotel in Abilene, once a stagecoach stop.
- Smoky Hill Museum Local history in a historic downtown Salina building.
- Geographic Center of the USA Monument near Lebanon, KS, marking the center.
Food traditions
- Chicken fried steak A diner staple, breaded and fried, with cream gravy.
- Bison burgers Lean, local meat from prairie ranches.
- Kansas-style barbecue Slow-smoked beef and pork, often with burnt ends.
- Sunflower seeds Snacked on at baseball games and road trips.
- Czech kolaches Fruit-filled pastries from Central European settlers.
Music and arts
- Prairie folk music Acoustic storytelling at local coffeehouses.
- Czech polka bands Heritage music at Beloit's Czech Festival.
- Community theater Active troupes in Salina and Abilene.
- Quilting A craft passed down through generations.
A little history
- 1858 Founded as a trading post on the Smoky Hill River
- 1867-1871 Chisholm Trail cattle drives passed through Abilene
- 1890s-1910s Eisenhower's boyhood home in Abilene
- Late 1800s Salina became a railroad and milling hub
- 1870s Concordia founded by German immigrants
- Game day Friday night lights
- Game day Kansas Wesleyan basketball
- Outdoors Fishing at Kanopolis Lake
- Outdoors Hiking the Smoky Hill River Trail
- With kids 4-H livestock shows
- With kids High school football games
A neutral Midwestern accent, with a slight drawl and rural terms like 'crick' for creek.
Only here
- Geographic center of the contiguous US is nearby.
- Abilene was the first cowtown on the Chisholm Trail.
- Salina's grain elevators dominate the skyline.
- Czech heritage thrives in Beloit with kolaches and polkas.
New here? A few tips
- Expect hot summers and cold winters; pack for extremes.
- Drive carefully on gravel roads, especially after rain.
- Try a chicken fried steak at a local diner.
- Visit the Eisenhower Library for a dose of history.
- Get to know your neighbors; small-town friendliness is real.
Make this page better
Know a place, a festival, a word locals use, or something here that's wrong? Suggest it; someone at Popchat checks every one.
Sign in and join a club here to suggest.
Nearby
Every areaAbileneKansasWhere the prairie meets historyMcPhersonKansasSmall-town warmth, big prairie skiesFlint HillsKansasWhere the tallgrass meets the sky.ConcordiaKansasWide skies, warm hearts.HutchinsonKansasWhere the prairie meets the saltManhattanKansasWhere the Flint Hills meet the purple pride.Great BendKansasWhere the wheat meets the skyWichitaKansasAir Capital with a warm heart
Salina, KS. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.