9 Best Things To Do In Lawrence, Kansas

things to do in lawrence
Sakshi
Sakshi 
Published
| 4 min read

Lawrence has a lot to offer to its tourists; from art galleries to grand shopping centres, the attractions are endless. Food lovers can take delight in a wide variety of restaurants in the city. Lawrence has a vibrant culture with a thriving music scene, famous for the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, lush green community parks like the Japanese Friendship Garden, Clinton State Park, South Park and Centennial Park. The city combines beauty and rich heritage showcased by Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum, Spencer Museum of Art, and Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas. If you’re planning a trip to Lawrence, here’s a list of the best things to do in Lawrence, Kansas.

1. Plan a day out at Prairie Park Nature Center

Posted by Prairie Park Nature Center on Thursday, 23 June 2016

Prairie Park Nature Center is a beautiful state park known for its diverse wildlife and environmental and recreation programs. The park has a special area for bird watching, classrooms that offer ecological courses and an aquarium with live birds and animals on display. The park also has a serene lake in its midst where you can go fishing or just relax on the shore. Here, you can spot a wide variety of birds like owls, hawks and eagles, animals like beavers and deers, beautiful butterflies and colourful flowers.

Prairie Park Nature Center

Address: 2730 Harper St, Lawrence, KS 66046, United States

Website: Prairie Park Nature Center

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 9am - 5pm; Sun: 1pm - 4pm (closed on Mon)

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2. Have a lunch at The Roost

Fried Avocado Benny with fire roasted salsa & cotija cheese ?

Posted by The Roost on Friday, 6 March 2020

The Roost is a speciality restaurant in Lawrence that serves delicious breakfast and lunch options. They are known to serve classic American cuisine in a warm inviting ambience. Some of their popular breakfast dishes include bacon omelette, French toast, granola bowl and a famous combo called Campfire Breakfast. They also have an on-site bar that offers hand-crafted cocktail combinations. Their fine espresso and coffee is the best way to kickstart your mornings. Don’t forget to try their delicious pastries and pancakes.

The Roost

Address: 920 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, United States

Website: The Roost

Opening hours: 7am - 3pm (daily)

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3. Spend some time by the Clinton Lake

Clinton Lake, KS
Source: Photo by user freeblue_kostas used under CC BY 2.0

The Clinton Lake is a beautiful tranquil picnic spot for couples and families. The lake site offers a wide range of activities from fishing, hunting and boating. You can also set up a camp here or explore the hiking and biking trails. The region has an 18-hole golf course to indulge the sports lover in you. If you’re into heritage and history, you can visit the Clinton Lake Historical Society Museum. You can also see the model aeroplane airport built on-site.

Clinton Lake

Address: Douglas County, Kansas

Website: Clinton Lake

Opening hours: 10am - 7pm (daily)

Price: USD 3 per camp; USD 14 per cabin

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4. Check out the University of Kansas Natural History Museum

KUNaturalHistoryMusMar06
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user InaMaka used under CC BY 3.0

University of Kansas Natural History Museum is an educational-heritage Biodiversity Institute in Lawrence. It is home to over 1.5 million archaeological artefacts that offer historical and ecological insights about different amphibians, fossil plants, reptiles, fishes, parasites and insects. The KU Natural History Museum is a four-storeyed public museum that houses live snakes and insects, different varieties of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils and information about the flora and fauna of the Great Plains that enables the students and tourists to learn about the ecosystem, the importance of preserving endangered species, biodiversity and effect of climate change on different levels of the ecosystem.

University of Kansas Natural History Museum

Address: 1345 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States

Website: University of Kansas Natural History Museum

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 9am - 5pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm (closed on Mon)

Price: USD 60 (membership); free: family entry

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5. Drop by Ruff House Art

Every time I redo the window I think “this one is my favorite”. Also, it’s nearly impossible to capture how great it...

Posted by Ruff House Art on Thursday, 12 December 2019

Ruff House Art is a stationery boutique is Lawrence. It is known for its personalised cards and stationary mostly used as gift packs. The chic letterpress shop has been selling personalised greeting cards, planners, journals, gift wraps, notebooks and miniature gift items for over nine years now. They also offer wholesale items for weddings, birthdays and parties. Visitors love the hand-crafted customisable cards and stationery that is both cute and useful. Ruff House Art is a perfect gift shop that enhances special occasions.

Ruff House Art

Address: 729 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, United States

Website: Ruff House Art

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 6pm; Sun: 11am - 4pm

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6. Step into Free State Brewing Company

1516 Brewing Company - Bar 02
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Michael Kranewitter used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Free State Brewing Company is a kid-friendly brewpub in Lawrence that serves a wide array of beers and delicious snacks. They are known for their signature black bean quesadillas and crispy Fish & Chips. The Free State Brewing Company sells special gift items that perfectly match their beer based theme. They also host special banquet events and take part in the annual beer harvest festival held in different cities. You can count on the Free State Brewing Company to fulfil all your beer cravings.

Free State Brewing Company

Address: 636 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, United States

Website: Free State Brewing Company

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11am - 12am; Sun: 12pm - 11pm

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7. Take a walk across Massachusetts Street

Massachusetts Street
Source: GoodFreePhotos

Massachusetts Street is popularly known as the Mass Street or just Mass. This street is listed in National Register of Historic Places and covers major tourist attractions like the Douglas County Courthouse, Watkins Community Museum, Castle Tea Room, the Liberty Hall and other historically significant buildings or ‘houses’. The street also covers some beautiful places like South Park and the Granada, which is one of the best live music venues.

Massachusetts Street

Address: Along Massachusetts between Sixth and South Park Streets, Lawrence, Kansas

Website: Massachusetts Street

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8. Learn about the Quantrill's Raid of Lawrence

Oak Hill Cemetery (2)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bhall87 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Quantrill’s Raid of Lawrence was a historically significant event that took place during the American Civil War. Since that disastrous event, multiple movies, songs and TV series have been made depicting the terrible aftermath of the massacre, also known as the Lawrence massacre. Today, tourists from all the world can go on a self-guided tour through the major historically significant sites that offer a unique experience and in-depth insight on the history of Lawrence.

Quantrill's Raid of Lawrence

Address: Miller Farm to Oak Hill Cemetery.

Website: Quantrill’s Raid of Lawrence

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9. Find your way to Washington Creek Lavender

Indian Camus (16923372277)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sheila Sund used under CC BY 2.0

Washington Creek Lavender is a beautiful lavender farm/shop created by Kathy and Jack Wilson. They work together to maintain the garden and take care of over 6,000 plants with a lot of love. They sell adorable hand-made products that are both relaxing and stimulating at the same time. This is perhaps a wonderful place to buy souvenirs or some for your home decoration.

Washington Creek Lavender

Address: 858 E 800th Rd, Lawrence, Kansas

Website: Washington Creek Lavender

Opening hours: Wed - Fri: 10am - 2pm; Sat - Sun: 12pm - 4pm

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Make the most out of Lawrence

From lush green parks to delicious food, there’s a lot to do and explore in Lawrence. Visit the rich heritage sites or buy cute customised stationery. Bring along your family and friends and make the most out of your trip!

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Sakshi is a professional writer, freelancer, author and content creator. And while these fill her pocket, poetry fills her soul. She's physically based in India, but mentally often found in Rome,...Read more

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