Hotel at a Glance: Ramada Topeka West

The Ramada Topeka West is just a short 12-minute walk from Topeka’s beautiful Gage Park, home of the Topeka Zoo and Helen Hocker Theater. Inside, you’ll find plenty of amenities from free WiFi to in-room hairdryers and coffeemakers.

• Eat your fill at the complimentary breakfast buffet in the morning.
• Enjoy live music at the onsite restaurant Landmark Grill, which serves hearty mains and fun, flavored martinis.
• Hop on the water slide at the heated indoor pool or soak in the hot tub.
• Get a workout at the hotel’s fitness center.

Topeka, Kansas: Capital City with Legendary Past

Topeka lies along the Kansas River, about an hour west of Kansas City. It’s home to the Kansas State Capitol, a classical stone building topped with a massive copper dome. The structure is well worth a visit, both for the history and notable works of art found here. These include a pair of famous murals by John Steuart Curry and a bronze statue entitled Ad Astra. Depicting a Kansa warrior, the piece takes its name from the state motto, Ad astra per aspera—“To the stars through difficulties.”

You can learn more about the state’s past at the Kansas Museum of History, which displays artifacts from the Kansa, Osage, and Pawnee tribes, as well as the oldest surviving locomotive from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

One of the most famous names in Topeka history is Oliver Brown, the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that ended segregation in American public schools. The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is housed in the formerly segregated Monroe Elementary School. The building has been restored to its 1954 appearance and contains numerous self-guided exhibits, including a 30-minute film that chronicles the years leading up to the case.

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