Mine the Underground and Soar the Cosmos in Hutchinson, Kansas

Where, you ask, can you plunge 650 feet below the surface and then visit outer space? Answer: in Hutchinson, Kansas. And, it’s probably the only place you can visit such extremes within driving distance of the Kansas City area. Driving time from Kansas City is between 3.5 and 4 hours. If you are looking for a weekend getaway that will make your family feel as if they have journeyed way beyond the Kansas border, this excursion is for you.

Itinerary

We chose to do our road trip on a cold winter weekend when we needed a change of scenery and pace, but you could as easily choose a really hot stretch of Kansas weather. We got up early on Saturday morning and drove to Hutchinson, arriving just in time for the 10:00 tour at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Our next stop was the Grand Prairie Hotel, about 5 minutes away, where we changed into swim gear and hit the hotel’s water park. There, we wiled away the afternoon and shook off our road-weariness and probably a little road salt. We had a nice dinner and retired to our hotel room, where the kids had their own Disney-themed bedroom, furnished with two sets of bunk beds. The next day we visited the Kansas Cosmosphere and were completely “WOWED” by what we saw there – so much so that we spent three hours with our 8- and 11-year-old children.

Kansas Underground Salt Museum

Both museums are worth the drive to Hutchinson, but the Salt Museum is a truly unique experience. It is a pure gem. As the enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff tell you, it’s “a unique museum in the western hemisphere,” having been a continuously-operated mine since 1923.

In keeping with that tradition, visitors receive a hard hat and a rescue breather at the beginning of their visit. Wearing the gear not only was fun, but added a sense of adventure, too.

Once you’ve gotten all of your gear on properly, you are escorted into a hoist. This freight-size elevator takes you 650 feet underground in total blackout conditions. The elevator is the same size and material as those used by the miners, who are still extracting road salt elsewhere in the mine. The ride is smooth but dark and opens out into the mine shaft where you begin your tour.

The mine is very cool – literally. It’s always a perfect 68-70 degrees with 50 percent relative humidity, an ideal environment for a museum. You will see how the miners blast out the working space, move air and transport the salt above ground for processing and distribution. The striated walls stir up images of cave paintings and unknown mysteries. The Dark Ride includes a place to “mine” a pile of salt for take-home souvenirs. We brought home a paper-weight size piece of salt, while the kids filled up bags with smaller pieces. Mining equipment displays and short videos round out your underground journey.

One display area unrelated to mining is worth mentioning. The constant temperature and humidity levels in the mine attracted an unexpected interest: The Underground Vault Storage Company (UVS). UVS stores movie costumes and posters in the mine, along with other sensitive items. We viewed several costumes from the Superman and Batman movies, classic cartoon animation cells and a Civil War-era newspaper announcing President Lincoln’s assassination.

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

As mentioned above, we went straight to the hotel/water park for an afternoon of swimming. The physical break was just what everyone needed before embarking on the Cosmosphere. You could visit both museums in one day, but I would strongly recommend a break in between. (To purchase tickets for both sites, visit www.UndergroundMuseum.org.)

The Cosmosphere, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, chronicles the Space Race through personal stories and the actual spacecraft that took man to the moon and beyond.

Although the self-guided Hall of Space tours are lengthy and quite text heavy, there are plenty of ways to break up your visit: a hands-on simulation area, an IMAX theatre, live rocket shows in Dr. Goddard’s Lab and a well-stocked cafeteria with “space food.”

The number of awe-inspiring artifacts is too many to list here, but a few highlights include: World War II-era German V1 and V2 rockets that “laid the groundwork” for space travel, Russia’s Sputniks I and II from the Cold War and flown Gemini spacecraft. Live footage of President John F. Kennedy’s Berlin Wall speech plays alongside pieces of the Wall. Another exhibit features the Liberty Bell 7 (the Mercury capsule that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1961). Apollo-era highlights include Apollo 13 command module, Apollo space suits and lunar module, and one of two Apollo White Rooms (where astronauts were prepped before boarding the spacecraft).

Video footage and launch day chatter interspersed throughout these exhibit areas bring to life these momentous accomplishments. As parents who grew up during the space race, we enjoyed how seeing these items brings back many memories. Our children, who have always known that man can fly to the moon and visit the galaxies, really enjoyed discovering the secrets of space travel, particularly the food and bathroom systems, naturally.

Our three-hour visit flew by and we wanted to see more, but the road home beckoned. (To do this site in 1-2 hours, see www.Cosmo.org.) Our weary legs welcomed a lengthy drive home, full of tales of favorite moments during our road trip. No doubt, we will repeat this journey without any family protest.

Kathy Stump , of Parkville, lovesto take Day Trips with her family.