I LOVE that we have so many old historical sites to visit and Shawnee Town is a great one for kids. It has a whole bunch of old buildings set up like a village back in the 1920's. Not exactly pioneer era but close enough. It costs $3/adult, $1/age 5-17, and free for those under 5; cheap right?! The visitor's center is where you pay and they have a small exhibit for you to enjoy. They also have a selection of toys like paper dolls and old wooden games that my girls couldn't keep their hands of off. After checking to see if they needed a potty stop (they didn't) we went outside. We first entered a general store which had fabrics, yarn, and vintage housewares on display. Then we decided we needed money so we hit up the bank next door but no one was working, so no green paper for us. We continued down the wooden path and decided to cross the "street" to pay the barber a visit. They were closed so no beard trim today. Picasso and Princess Tiger Lily were being outlaws so I put them under citizen's arrest and hauled them to the slammer. They each made their one phone call and were bailed out so I led them to the schoolhouse hoping they would learn a thing or two. We explored an old firehouse and in the garage was a vintage fire truck. The girls were ecstatic and climbed in the front seat. What a treat! There was a beautiful garden just down the path and the girls decided to skip along the brick pathways and tried to pick flowers but I caught them just in time. "Those aren't our flowers to pick", Mom says. Girls give disappointed looks and run across the grassy knoll to a tiny wooden cabin built in 1855. It was a one room home with a loft where I'm sure the little Laura's and Mary's who once lived in this house slept. All of a sudden a potty break was needed so we raced back to the visitor's center. Once done we strolled down a different path and came upon an old homestead. A house, a barn, an outhouse, and an old garage complete with car waited to be explored. I fell in love with the house especially since it had a front porch with wooden rocking chairs. The girls had to sit a minute and then we entered the kitchen. So simple, but so grand in my book. It had a great vintage stove, a table, a big old wash sink, and a standing pantry. I could envision myself cooking in that charming kitchen barefoot and wearing an apron over my twirly dress and pearls around my neck. Ahhhh, beautiful thoughts of days gone by. We peeked into the bedroom and the girls loved the old vanity with sink, pitcher, mirror, and brushes. In the living room was an older gentleman working on the vintage record player. The girls found a game of checkers and the man gave me a lesson in old records. What treasures are waiting to be found in places you would never think to look! I'm sure his grandkids adore him! They finished their "game" and we said farewell to my dream house. We quickly moved past the unusually odorous chickens and visited the barn and the garage. It was a wonderful day exploring and learning about the ways of old. Right down the street is another great park that we did stop to play at. I wish we would have brought lunch to have a picnic in the park, but alas I didn't know so maybe next time. By the way, this was our second stop of the day. The first was the Johnson County Museum which was about 10 minutes away. Check out my post and plan a fun day in Shawnee!
shawneetown.org
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