Join the Smoky Hill Museum as it celebrates the birth, growth, and change of downtown in a new exhibit, The Crossroads.
The exhibit opens today and runs through March 26, 2022.
In 1858, the story of Salina began with a group of six individuals who envisioned a community on the central plains of Kansas. This community was not only located at a natural crossroads, but also defined a new one centered at Iron and Santa Fe avenues. This crossroads marks where Salina began. Born from a few wooden structures, downtown was once the sole destination for food, merchandise, transportation, and services.
While the city as a whole has expanded, the core of downtown morphed from one decade to the next. Leaders in the community continually sought new ways to attract business from the region. This area has constantly been building, shifting and evolving for 163 years. Each milestone is an inspiration for what lies ahead.
Within the museum’s newest exhibit, The Crossroads, visitors will learn of this fascinating story in three unique sections. In Area 1 you will learn of the birth of Salina’s downtown. Area 2 will focus on a period of growth. Lastly, Area 3 will explore a period of great change.
Through this exploration, one will see a history that solidifies the forward looking nature of the community. A city that has been unafraid to take risk and action. A place that strived to move in new directions and in doing so ensured the viability of the city’s heart.
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The Smoky Hill Museum, 211 W. Iron Avenue, is a nationally accredited history museum, in the heart of downtown Salina. This free museum is open Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.