The Historic Ritchie House
Home of John and Mary Jane Ritchie
Kansas Territorial Settlers of Topeka and a stop on the Underground Railroad
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Cox Communications
Heritage Education Center
Shawnee County Historical Society
1116 and 1118 SE Madison Street
Topeka, Kansas 66601
785-234-6097
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Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 to 1pm However the two sites are closed for the Holidays until Thursday, January 2nd, 2025.
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Adults $2.00 Students $.50
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Learn about the Bleeding Kansas era of the 1850's. And see an Underground Railroad Site and learn about the quest for Freedom before the Civil War.
Click on picture above to learn more about the House built in 1856
In the coming weeks, the Shawnee County Historical Society will present these various programs.
2025 Programs
January 26th Lofts in Topeka 3pm Mark Burenheide at 1118 SE Madison
February 2nd Topeka Radio Stations 3pm Marshall Barber at 1118 SE Madison
February 16th Old Movie Theaters 3pm Bill Shaffer at 1118 SE Madison
March 2nd Nick Chiles 3pm Sonja Czarnecki at 1118 SE Madison
March 16th Civic Theater 3pm Shannon Reilly at 1118 SE Madison
March ?? Show and Tell 3pm 1118 SE Madison
March ?? Rossville Baseball Stadium 3pm Undecided where
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All programs are free to Historical Society members however non members will be asked to donate $5 to attend.
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The Shawnee County Historical Society formed in 1946. It's founders recognized the need to preserve the facts and legends of the early days of our county up to more recent times.
The Historic Ritchie House
and Cox Communications Heritage Education Center
Shawnee County Historical Society
1116 and 1118 SE Madison Ave
P.O. Box 2201 Topeka, Kansas 66601
785 234-6097
Bus on Us
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area's "Bus on Us" grant program is designed to assist educators and schools with the cost of transportation to field trips within the heritage area that also align with the themes of Freedom's Frontier (Missouri Kansas Border War, Shaping the Frontier, and Struggles for Freedom).
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For More Information:
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Scheduling for 2019-2020 School Field Trips
Ready for September - May Scheduling
Information​
We are scheduling now for school field trips beginning in September 2019.
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There is no charge for admission
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Limited to 75 students or (3 classrooms)
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We are only open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for tours.
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Classroom field trips are 1.5 hours
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Please call 785-234-6097 to register or click for our contact page.
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If you wish to schedule other museum sites on the same day, you will need to contact those sites separately.
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After receiving your initial request, we will send you a confirmation e-mail and guidelines for your classroom visit.
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Picnic tables are available outside on the grounds of the Ritchie House. In inclement weather, there is space for students to eat inside the Cox Center.
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Standard procedure for school field trips visits is to have one supervising adult for every 10 students. Depending on the specific needs of students, additional supervising adults may be required. Please call 234-6097 on Monday or Wednesday to discuss details
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In the Ritchie's Historic 1856 home, visiting students will learn of the lives of the Ritchies and other settlers of Territorial Kansas and the contributions to Kansas history. They will also learn of the activities of the Underground Railroad that took place in early Topeka.
Students will also discuss the meaning of freedom and its ever-changing definition in our country. Students will discover the importance of the rich history of Topeka and early Kansas that has played an important role in the shaping of our nation's history.
Freedom's Pathway by Gary Jenkins
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