The Booth Family Hall of Athletics
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics is a 26,000-square-foot museum adjacent to the east side of Allen Fieldhouse. This facility opened in January 2006 and is open year-round, allowing Jayhawk fans everywhere to experience the history and tradition of Kansas Athletics. The Hall honors KU’s historic athletics programs, its coaches and student-athletes, past and present.
Downtown Lawrence
Lawrence boasts one of the most beautiful downtowns in all of the U.S. The National Trust for Historic Preservation ranked Lawrence among its “Dozen Most Distinctive Destinations,” touting it as one of the best-preserved and most unique communities in America. Take a stroll down historic Massachusetts (the locals call it Mass) Street and indulge your senses with blocks of antiques shops, boutiques, quirky coffee shops, and sidewalk cafes as the sounds of a street musician or local jazz house filter down the street.
Galleries
Lawrence offers a multitude of art galleries. First Friday Gallery Walks are a celebration of the arts in Lawrence. From 6 pm to 9 pm on select Fridays throughout the year, participating galleries and arts centers stay open to the public, featuring special exhibits, demonstrations and other festivities.
Haskell Cultural Center
The newly completed center serves as a Visitor Center for the campus and features exhibits from the university’s archival and artifact collections. It provides a learning center for Haskell students, faculty and the public to understand more about Haskell’s diverse history. A gallery exhibits student and American Indian artwork and the grounds include a Veterans memorial and amphitheater.
Jayhawk Boulevard
The University of Kansas stands high on a hill overlooking Lawrence. Early traders, explorers and families climbed the ridge that is now Jayhawk Boulevard to head west along the Oregon Trail. Erosion and construction have worn away the wagon wheel ruts but as the University grew, Jayhawk Boulevard emerged running parallel to the Oregon Trail. Now lined with 16 buildings that contain classrooms, museums, laboratories, auditoriums, cafeterias, a library and a chapel, Jayhawk Boulevard reflects more than 125 years of campus history. For a self-guided tour of historic Jayhawk Boulevard, stop by the Lawrence Visitor Information Center at North Second Street and Locust streets, just north of downtown across the Kansas River.
KU Natural History Museum
Established in 1866, this museum is nationally recognized for its public exhibits and collections as well as research and graduate education. The museum features realistic scenes of wildlife from Alaska to Mexico. Permanent exhibits include fossils of dinosaurs, mammals, reptiles, fish and birds. The museum is also home to Comanche – the horse that was the only U.S. Army survivor of the Battle at the Little Bighorn, and Annabelle, an impressive 50-foot-long, 140-million-year-old camarassaurus dinosaur. Annabelle was found in Wyoming along with an adult male and baby camarasaurus, the first discovery of such a family grouping.
Lawrence Arts Center
The Lawrence Arts Center serves the community and region by providing an extensive calendar of exhibitions, performances and classes. Housed in spacious, new quarters, the Arts Center is the hub of arts activities in Lawrence. The new Arts Center has two galleries that feature exhibitions by area and nationally known artists. The 300-seat theatre and two dance studios are some of the Center’s most active areas and are home to the professional Prairie Wind Dancers and the Seem-To-Be Players Children’s Theatre Company. Classes and workshops, available to the public, are offered in fully equipped studios for drawing, painting, ceramics, jewelry, photography and printmaking.
Lied Center of Kansas
The University of Kansas’ $14.3 million performing arts center will enthrall you with Broadway favorites, magical family entertainment, breathtaking dance and elegant music. Ranked by International Arts Manager Magazine as one of “The Top U.S. University Presenters,” the Lied Center boasts state-of-the-art acoustical and technical integrity.
Old West Lawrence
Historically, the Old West Lawrence neighborhood was home to society’s elite, making it a target for Quantrill’s raiders in 1863. Most of the homes were destroyed and few remained after the massacre. Today, Old West Lawrence is one of the few neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was a finalist in the “America’s Prettiest Painted Places” competition. The neighborhood is located just two blocks west of downtown Lawrence between Tennessee and Indiana streets (east to west) and Sixth and Eight streets (north to south). For a self-guided tour of the neighborhood, stop by the Lawrence Visitor Information Center at North Second and Locust streets, just north of downtown across the Kansas River.
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics
Located in a striking 28,000-square-foot structure on KU’s West Campus, the Dole Institute opened in July 2003. The Institute houses exhibits tracing half a century of Kansas and American history. A 23-foot stained glass American flag forms the backdrop to displays including Dole’s World War II uniform, as well as other artifacts, videos and historic photographs. In addition, the building serves as a research center; Dole’s personal papers comprise the world’s largest congressional collection.
The Dole Institute houses, preserves and makes available (subject to restrictions) Senator Robert J. Dole’s House of Representative papers, Senate papers, and post Senate papers. The archive is comprised of almost 4,000 boxes of papers, 25,000 photographs and several thousand artifacts, all housed in the lower level of the Dole Institute of Politics.
Spencer Museum of Art
The Spencer is best known for its Asian ceramics, prints and paintings, European and American paintings and decorative art. Medieval through contemporary works, photography and textiles are displayed. The collection includes works by Hiroshige, Rossetti, Homer, O’Keeffe, Benton and Chihuly.
The University Theatre
KU’s internationally renowned University Theatre offers a wide array of classical, musical and contemporary productions in three major series – The University Theatre Series, William Inge Memorial Theatre Series and KU Theatre for Young People Series, plus the popular Kansas Summer Theatre. Now in its 77th season, The University Theatre is housed in Murphy Hall. Visually stunning production and high-quality student performances are two of the hallmarks of KU theatre productions.
