Manhattan, Kan., affectionately known as the Little Apple, is an ideal destination for a weekend getaway. Located approximately two hours from Kansas City, this charming college town boasts attractions and activities. With a population of around 54,000, Manhattan provides families with unique experiences that make it a perfect choice for a memorable weekend. Our family thoroughly enjoyed our recent trip there — check out our itinerary below for inspiration!
Friday
We arrived in Manhattan in the early afternoon so we could check into our hotel and freshen up before we hit the ground running. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, located downtown near the downtown Poyntz and the Blue Earth Plaza area. For us, this was the perfect spot to stay because it offered the walkability we wanted — it is near many of the attractions we planned to visit, as well as many dining options. The hotel was very family-friendly — there were lots of other children, as well as a pool!
That afternoon, we began our adventure by walking from our hotel to the new Museum of Art + Light. The museum offers a light show that features a moving display of artwork carefully crafted from lights. We were surrounded by famous paintings and scenes that moved to music, which made us feel immersed in the art. After our immersion experience, we walked the three gallery floors. We particularly enjoyed the amazing Hot Wheels exhibit, which featured over 500 Hot Wheels cars! We stopped at the small cafe located inside the museum, Cafe Azul, for a quick snack and iced tea.
After we left the museum, we walked about 10 minutes over to the downtown Poyntz Avenue area. There are so many places to explore on this street — we checked out the SNW Art Gallery and Rev Thread, which features unique K-State apparel. The Manhattan Town Center Mall is also in this area. We walked around in the mall to get some more energy out and stopped at the Tooth Story play zone for kids.
That evening we grabbed dinner at AJ’s Pizzeria on Poyntz Avenue. We tried a cheese pie, The Big Apple and a grilled chicken salad. When the weather is nice, you can dine outside and do some extra people-watching as the crowds walk by! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel for a little swim in the pool before calling it an early night.
Saturday
In the morning we walked over to Blue Earth Plaza, which sits directly across from the Hilton Garden Inn. We grabbed breakfast from Radina’s Bakehouse, which offers a wide selection of baked goods made fresh daily. We enjoyed protein-rich breakfast burritos and shared a giant cinnamon roll with coffee before we headed on.
We then strolled around the green space in Blue Earth Plaza to finish our coffees before walking to the Flint Hills Discovery Center, which features a standing exhibit about Kansas history, a rotating exhibit and a children’s play area. My children loved placing scarves and yarn balls into the giant wall vacuum and watching it shoot the objects into the air for them to catch and do it again.
Afterward, we drove to Aggieville for lunch at Bluestem Bistro. Bluestem is a great choice for families because it has a lively atmosphere and crowd, as well as an outdoor space that makes dining out with children a breeze. Take advantage of the parking garage nearby so you don’t have to deal with the two-hour street parking.
After lunch, we strolled over to the Beach Art Museum, which is part of Kansas State University. This donation-funded museum is perfect for families with children. Our younger kids thoroughly enjoyed the self-guided tour and the kids’ art area where they could unleash their creativity by coloring, playing with farm animals and reading books. There’s a cozy couch next to the children’s area that provides the ideal spot for parents to relax and enjoy some quiet time while their kids explore and learn.
After leaving the museum, we headed back to Aggieville and indulged in locally famous donuts from Varsity Donuts. My crew was particularly fond of both the maple-bacon and double-chocolate varieties. We then made a stop just a few doors down at another local gem, the Dusty Bookshelf. Established in 1898, the Dusty Bookshelf is a beloved Manhattan institution that serves as a bookstore for the Kansas State Agricultural College. Tragically, a fire occurred during renovations in 2017, but the store rose from the ashes in 2019! We found some gently used books there for our home collection.
After leaving Aggieville, we took a short drive through the K-State campus and went to the K-State Insect Zoo, which is located inside of the K-State Gardens. The Insect Zoo may be small, but its insect collection is impressive! The zoo provides visitors with flashlights to help spot the bugs in their cages. It’s easy to navigate, and with many stops to see the insects, you can complete the tour in about 30-45 minutes. We had a great time exploring and even got to help feed a praying mantis! After stepping outside and back into the K-State Gardens, we took a short break watching the fountains before exploring the flowers.
That evening, we enjoyed dinner at one of Manhattan’s local favorites, Powercat Sports Grill. We personally preferred Powercat’s outdoor patio, where games like giant Connect 4 and corn hole are set up. After a satisfying dinner, we headed back to our hotel feeling quite exhausted.
Sunday
After checking out of our hotel in the morning, we enjoyed a delightful brunch at Parkside Station. The Manhattan City Park right next door to Parkside was a beautiful spot to explore. There is a one-mile loop around the park where we saw many people walking, running and playing with their kids. A great playground provided ample space for our kids to run around. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s also a splash pad near the playground!
After exploring the park, we made one final stop at MHK Play Studio. This was the perfect final activity for us because it offered a calm, STEAM-based play environment. They have a small snack bar if you need a quick bite, but since we were already full from brunch, we decided to wait and grab a bite from Panera, which was conveniently located just down the road as we left town.
Overall, Manhattan proved to be an incredibly family-friendly destination. We met many local Manhattan families who were thrilled to welcome us to their community for a weekend getaway from “the big city.” We will go back!