Ranching and beef are such a cornerstone of life in Garden City that there’s even a summer festival, Beef Empire Days.

The city was cofounded in the 1870s by frontiersman and hunter Charles “Buffalo” Jones (1844-1919). Initially a prolific hunter of buffalo, he came to realiize the wrongs of the buffalo trade and was one of the first people to preserve the species.

Now, the largest publicly owned buffalo herd in Kansas grazes the sandsage prairie south of Garden City and can be seen on a guided tour.

Like much of Western Kansas, Garden City was developed during a rush in the 1880s, and the Windsor Hotel downtown is a magnificent holdover from that time.

1. Lee Richardson Zoo

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Garden City boasts the largest zoo in Western Kansas, open all year and set on 50 acres in Finnup Park.

The zoo dates back to the 1920s and is named for former Chief of Police Lee Richardson (1884-1851), who founded this attraction by bringing in a pair of skunks.

From those simple beginnings, the Lee Richardson Zoo is now an AZA-accredited attraction with more than 110 species from around the world.

A brief list includes African bush elephants, jaguars, maned wolves, alpacas, Amur leopards, snow leopards, sloth bears and anteaters.

Among the eight main exhibits are North American Plains, South American Pampas, Pachyderms, African Plains, Wild Asia and an impressive aviary mixing indoor and open-air areas.

2. Historic Downtown Shopping District

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The best place for independent shopping in southwest Kansas is Garden City’s historic nucleus, also known as Main Downtown.

Come here for gifts, art, jewelry, fashion, homewares, shoes, BBQ supplies and food, sushi to sandwiches.

The historic downtown is also a joy to behold, with its tree-lined streets, vintage storefronts, new street furniture and a collection of murals and sculpture that grows by the year.

A map for a self-guided tour of these works is available from Garden City Arts on Main Street. The Windsor Hotel, dating back to the 1880s, is still a mainstay for downtown, and is diagonal to Stevens Park, a great spot for a picnic and a venue for outdoor events all summer.

3. Garden City Arts (GCA)

Source: Garden City Arts / Facebook

On Main Street downtown is an arts hub elevating the cultural scene in Southwest Kansas for more than 30 years now. At this free center you can check out a new exhibition every month, so there’s always something fresh to see.

The month of August is dedicated to the SWKS Juried Exhibit, which is not to be missed. The gift shop is also something special, stocked with unique pieces by talented artists and makers from the area.

As a community asset, Garden City Arts hosts a wide range of classes for anything from printmaking to watercolors.

The events calendar is also packed, and a highlight is Art in the Park, held in Stevens Park on the fourth Saturday of June, and combining art, music and a slew of activities.i

4. Sandsage Bison Range

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On the south side of Garden City is an immense sweep of sandsage prairie that has never been plowed. This dates back to 1916 when Woodrow Wilson granted more than 3,000 acres of the Kansas National Forest holdings to the State of Kansas.

Roaming this land is the oldest publicly owned herd of bison in the state. Numbering more than 100, that herd arrived in 1924, and can only be seen on a public tour.

This is well worth taking, getting you close to this iconic animal and giving lots of interesting info on the intricate sandsage ecosystem. In June there’s also a popular series of tours to admire the wildflowers, with amazing photo opportunities.

5. Finney County Historical Museum

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In a brick building to one side of the zoo entrance in Finnup Park is a museum charting the social, cultural and natural history of southwest Kansas.

You’ll pick up lots of interesting tidbits about the settlement rush in the 1880s, the area’s cattle industry and the Garden City Sugar Company which powered the local economy in the early 20th century.

There are also profiles for figures like Charles “Buffalo” Jones, the frontiersman and cofounder of Garden City, credited with helping to preserve the American bison.

There’s an historic one-room schoolhouse on the museum campus, as well as the William D. and Luticia Fulton House from 1884.

6. Parrot Cove Indoor Water Park

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The best-rated water park in southwest Kansas is just off U.S. 400 on the east side of Garden City. As you can tell from the name, Parrot Cove is a year round indoor attraction, but has everything you could want from a water park.

That includes four tube and body slides, a lazy river, a climbing wall and Lil’ Explorers’ Reef, zero-depth play area for the smallest visitors.

For a more relaxing time you could wait for Adult Night, from 9pm to midnight on the third Saturday of the month. There’s an arcade and snack shack here, while the park is part of a larger complex with a hotel, gym and branch of the Old Chicago pizza chain.

7. Garden Rapids at the Big Pool

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The record-breaking Big Pool was excavated by hand in the early 1920s, and is longer than a 100-yard football field. This giant body of water has witnessed a few stunts in its time, from swimming elephants to water skiing.

The Big Pool remains a permanent part of the Garden City summertime, with a season that begins in May.

The pool complex has been improved several times over the years, including a bathhouse built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.

Most recently, in 2020, the park was rebranded as Garden Rapids at the Big Pool, complete with a tangle of water slides, a lazy river and climbing equipment for kids.

8. Tumbleweed Festival

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Garden City has its very own music festival, arriving on the fourth weekend in August at the West Green of Lee Richardson Zoo.

Music-wise the Tumbleweed Festival has a country flavor, while incorporating adjacent genres like rock, bluegrass, Americana, blues and folk. There are usually four stages, one of which has a program of entertainment for children.

You’ve also got great food and a schedule of workshops for anything from songwriting to blues guitar, playing the mandolin and bluegrass.

9. Windsor Hotel

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Main Street wouldn’t be the same without this grand old hotel building, once known as the Waldorf of the Prairies.

The Windsor Hotel (1887) is an imposing testament to the boom days of the 1880s, when there was a rush for Western Kansas.

This four-story neo-Renaissance building has a massive footprint, measuring 120 by 100 feet, and is composed of red brick with local limestone for the trim.

The Windsor Hotel’s glory days didn’t last long, and setbacks included the Panic of 1893, the rise of the automobile making motels more convenient and finally a fire code breach which sealed the building’s permanent closure in the 1970s.

The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places and owned by the Finney County Preservation Alliance. Although the future of the Windsor Hotel is unclear, there’s plenty of hope for brighter days ahead.

10. Escape the Clock

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At the corner for Fulton and Main downtown is a family-run escape room attraction, featuring five different themed rooms. For the uninitiated, you’ll have an hour to solve a sequence of puzzles to escape a given room.

These require brain power of course, but also plenty of teamwork and some lateral thinking. Each of Escape the Clock’s rooms has a different difficulty level and recommended group size, ranging from a maximum of 6 to 12 people.

The staff will recommend a room appropriate for your group size and preferences, and if you get stuck you can take advantage of a new clue every few minutes.

The rooms are carefully crafted and have totally immersive stories, with names like The Mayan Experience, Alice in Wonderland – The Final Chapter, The UnDead End, The Vanished and The Copper County Conviction.

11. Sequoyah Cinema 9

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A short way east of downtown you’ll find an up-to-date multiplex run by the Mitchell Theatres chain. Mitchell took over in 2010 and added an extra screen in 2018.

You couldn’t pick a better place to watch the latest blockbusters: SQ9’s auditoriums have high-back rocker seats, several feet of space between rows and stadium seating to ensure great views for all.

All screens are equipped with 100% digital projection and 7.1 Digital Surround sound. When we made this list, ticket prices were absurdly low for a modern theater, and it’s worth keeping an eye on the schedule for discounted $4 films.

12. Beef Empire Days

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Summers in Finney County wouldn’t be the same without this week-long celebration of the local meat industry.

Falling in late May and early June, Beef Empire Days has been going for more than half a century and puts on a big program of events around Garden City and the Finney County Fairgrounds.

For a brief summary, there’s cattle shows, rodeos, a carnival, parades, contests of all descriptions, art installations and, of course, great food.

One highlight is the Ranch Rodeo, which has an educational aspect, with teams of working cowboys showing off the expert horsemanship, roping and groundwork skills needed on a typical day on the ranch.

13. Garden City Community Theatre

For a taste of Garden City’s creative side, this community theater group was set up in the 1990s to raise funds for Garden City Community Church and continues to thrive.

The group is remarkably open, accepting anyone who has completed kindergarten, and all cast members take part in making productions a success, helping with ticket sales and set construction.

The Garden City Community Theatre usually stages one big show each season, and recent performances include The Music Man, Oliver and Mamma Mia.

14. Hard Rock Lanes

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Locally owned and managed since 1979, this Hard Rock Lanes is a family entertainment center, with a great bowling alley at its heart.

There are 12 lanes, all fitted with a state-of-the-art scoring system that includes video playback so you can enjoy a replay of your strike. Automatic bumpers are also included for bowlers under the age of seven.

There’s a newly updated arcade area, a pro shop with equipment from top brands and even an 18-hole miniature golf course, so families could easily spend a few hours here.

15. Airport Raceway

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For some high speed action there’s a dirt track out by the Garden City Regional Airport. With a grandstand a few feet from the track, this is touted as the fastest ⅙-mile in Kansas, with a racing season that runs from May to early September.

Race day is normally Saturday, with a weekly lineup of A Class Micro, Restricted Winged Micros, Junior Sprint Junior, Junior Sprint Senior and Quarter Midget races.

For special events, the last weekend in May is the Annual Midget roundup, while the weekend on or just before July 4 is the Fast Cars and Freedom 40, with a program of races for Restricted Winged Micros, 600cc Winged Micros and 600cc Non-Winged Micros.

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This has much to do with the affordable rents in this part of town, and Garden City has taken care to nurture a creative atmosphere.

The Visitors Bureau has established a Craft Beverage Corridor, packed with wineries and breweries, while Garden City Artisans Pathway will lead you to dozens of artists’ studios.

Garden City is right on the Boise River, traced by the acclaimed Greenbelt trail system, and Boise’s sights, cultural amenities and family attractions are all just minutes away.

1. Boise River Greenbelt

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A wonderful asset for Boise and its suburbs, the Greenbelt is a system of waterside trails encompassing 20 miles of the Boise River between Eagle in the west and Lucky Peak Dam in the east.

These multi-use paths are completely clear of motorized vehicles and thread through 850 acres of peaceful waterfront parks and undeveloped green spaces rich with wildlife.

Bald eagles are often sighted along the trail in winter, while waterfowl, a diversity of songbirds, Canada geese and the occasional great blue heron all make an appearance in the warmer months.

Bike rentals are available close to the greenbelt, and you can also rent paddleboards and kayaks for a trip on the river.

2. Garden City Artisans Pathway

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There’s such an abundance of artists, wineries and craft breweries in Garden City that the visitors bureau has created a trail to connect as many of them as possible. You can get hold of a map close to the historical marker by Joe’s Crab Shack.

Cutely illustrated, labeled and numbered, this will guide you to a multitude of small businesses in the city, from jewelry-makers to glass artists, ceramicists, photographers and many more.

You’ll never be more than a few steps from the nearest winery, cidery or craft brewery where you can make a delicious discovery.

If you don’t have a map, the “Taste”, “Create” and “Play” signs posted around town will point you in the right direction.

3. Boise Hawks Baseball

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Idaho doesn’t have a lot of professional sports teams to root for, but there’s one based right here in Garden City.

With a history going back to 1987, the Boise Hawks play their home games at Memorial Stadium right on the Boise River next to the Western Idaho Fairgrounds.

In this fine location, Memorial Stadium can hold close to 3,500 spectators, has a natural grass playing field, and has undergone plenty of improvements since it first opened in 1989.

The Hawks play in the MLB partner Pioneer League and when we wrote this article they were independent from any MLB outfit.

As for the fan experience, food options are plentiful and diverse, but old favorites like hotdogs, peanuts and beer are both good and inexpensive.

There are fireworks before and after the game on Fourth of July, while Memorial Stadium hosts all kinds of outdoor events, from concerts to stunt shows.

4. Ann Morrison Park

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Walking the Greenbelt between downtown Boise and Garden City you’ll arrive at this delightful riverside park in 150 acres.

It was all planted in the 1950s, and as well as being picture-perfect and abounding with water features, Ann Morrison Park is packed with amenities and interesting details.

You can go birding here, right in the middle of an urban environment, while there’s a series of conservation stations providing habitats for insects, bats, birds and more.

For people with pups in tow, there’s a superb off-leash dog park that has a fenced area for “shy dogs”.

Elsewhere you’ll find a children’s playground, bocce, an outdoor gym, horseshoes, an 18-hole disc golf course and even a cricket field, home to Boise Cricket Club.

5. Water Activities

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On a walk along the Greenbelt, the Boise River will begin to look very appealing, especially on a summer’s day.

As it flows past Garden City the river is constantly forking off into channels and converging, so there’s plenty to explore, and no shortage of lovely green places to take a rest or a picnic.

If you’re in the mood for a paddle along the river there are a couple companies offering rentals right on the Greenbelt in Garden City.

Idaho River Sports has hourly and daily rates for canoes, inflatable kayaks and inflatable SUPs, while Cascade River Gear offers daily packages for paddleboarding, kayaking and boating.

6. Telaya Wine Co.

Source: Telaya Wine Co / Facebook

Directly on the Greenbelt in Garden City, Telaya Wine Co. produces handcrafted wines with grapes grown at vineyards around Washington and Idaho.

If you’re riding by the river you’ll be able to use the bike rack here. Among the releases when we put this list together were Chardonnays, Cabernets Sauvignons, a Malbec, Tempranillo, a Cab Franc, a Pinot Gris, a Petit Verdot and a lineup of red blends.

You’re free to bring your own food or snacks along, and there’s no shortage of eateries along the Greenbelt for takeout.

If you would like to know more about how Telaya crafts its wine, you can take a private guided tasting (six wines), along with an enlightening tour through the production space.

7. Meriwether Cider Company

Source: Meriwether Cider Company / Facebook

Hard cider is a drink once hugely popular in the United States but disappeared after prohibition.

This beverage, blending the drinkability of beer with the sophistication of wine, is now making a comeback, and one brand gaining a foothold in the Boise area is the Meriwether Cider Company.

Using only apples from the Northwest, Meriwether has a taproom on the Craft Beverage Corridor in Garden City, as well as a cider house in downtown Boise.

At the taproom you might be surprised by the variety, including semi-dry and semi-sweet ciders, barrel-aged or brewed with blackberry, ginger, hops, wine grapes or cherry and thyme.

There will always be a seasonal cider to try, and Meriwether also produces hard seltzers, all made with a cider base.

8. Barbarian Brewing

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This intrepid and creative small-batch brewery was established in Garden City in 2015 and also has a second taproom in downtown Boise.

Barbarian Brewing ages its beers in oak barrels (90 in total) and blends old world methods with new world innovation.

This means classics like IPAs, sours, stouts, porters and Belgian ales, along with crazy experiments like cocktail-inspired beers and ice cream ales.

No fewer than 20 of these are on draft at one time at the taproom in Garden City, and you can also order local cider and wine as well as limited-run beers by the bottle.

In summer you can sip your pint outside on the patio, and you can catch food trucks and live music most Fridays and Saturdays.

9. Western Collective Beer

Source: Western Collective / Facebook

This stylish craft brewery has set up shop in a warehouse in the south of Garden City, hard to miss for the sleek mountain motif on its exterior.

Imbued with hip design, Western Collective makes a selection of IPAs, as well as a rotating lineup of lagers, stouts, shandies, Hefeweizens and Pilsners, to name a handful.

At the taproom you can try an alcoholic or non-alcoholic slush, while the brewery also makes its own coffee, hard seltzer and wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blend).

Thursday to Sunday there’s always something happening at the taproom, with live music and food trucks for a diversity of cuisines, from Japanese to Caribbean.

10. Western Idaho Fair

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One of Idaho’s three annual state fairs is held here in Garden City in the grounds of Expo Idaho.

Taking place over ten, fun-filled days, starting on the third Friday of August, this time-honored agricultural event has a history going back to 1897.

At that time it was called the Intermountain Fair, answering a need for Idaho’s dispersed rural communities to connect with each other.

Things have changed a lot since then, and for decades the fair has booked big-name recording artists and entertainers, and has a carnival area that now covers seven acres.

But agricultural activities are still the soul of the celebration, with a wealth of crop, livestock and machinery exhibits, competitions and sales.

For the rest of the year there’s a lot happening at Expo Idaho, whether it’s a light display at Christmas, trade shows, vehicle exhibitions and dog shows.

11. Asana Climbing Gym

Source: Asana Climbing Gym

On the scene in Garden City for more than 20 years is this indoor climbing facility at the Glenwood Shopping Center.

Idaho is a state with innumerable world-class climbing locations, and if you want to develop your skills there’s no better place to begin than Asana Climbing Gym.

You can get a day pass for one of the most challenging workouts you could hope to experience, while the gym also offers multi-punch passes and membership for up to one year.

Practically every surface here is covered with climbing grips, and as well as a helpful and experienced team of staff there’s an comprehensive schedule of activities.

These include climbing classes for all ages and abilities, yoga and aerial arts sessions, ecstatic dance and youth programs from after-school climbs to summer camps.

12. Westy’s Garden Lanes

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With 40 lanes, this alley in Garden City is one of the largest in Idaho. Westy’s Garden Lanes also has a long history in the town, founded back in 1959 and entertaining generations of Boise and Garden City residents.

You can choose to bowl by the game or time slot, and if you’re here with your family you can opt for “MAD Games” that turn the lane into a kind of interactive video game.

There’s blacklight “Cosmic Bowling” on weekend evenings, as well as leagues and tournaments on weeknights for serious players.

The alley also has a restaurant with a big menu catering to all palates and serving breakfast food all day.

13. Old Idaho Penitentiary

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Naturally all of Boise’s top attractions are minutes from Garden City, and there are a few that need to be in your plans. For history the best place to begin is this state prison that operated from 1872 to 1973.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary was established a full two decades before Idaho gained statehood, and is made up of a series of Romanesque Revival sandstone buildings enclosed by a 17-foot stone wall.

The material for these structures was quarried from the Boise Range by inmates. Included in the 13,000 people to pass through these gates are some prominent figures, like Harry Orchard (1866-1954) who assassinated Idaho Governor Frank Steunenburg in 1905.

You can uncover Orchard’s story and more at the preserved cell blocks, solitary cells and gallows.

There are more than 30 historic buildings on the site, along with numerous exhibits including the permanent J. Curtis Earl Memorial Exhibit, featuring historic arms and military memorabilia.

14. Idaho Botanical Garden

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Close by the Old Penitentiary is Idaho’s state botanical garden with more than 800 species of plants growing in 14 specialty gardens.

Covering 15 acres, this attraction is on what used to be the prison’s farm and nursery and has steadily taken shape over the last 40 years.

One area, the Meditation Garden, features mature trees that were planted by minimum security prisoners in the 1930s and 40s.

Waiting to be explored are a rose garden with heirloom rose bushes and a water garden home to koi, frogs and spectacular lilies, while the Idaho Native Plant Garden showcases the plants that thrive in the state’s diversity of ecosystems, from desert sagebrush to mountain forest species like Pacific dogwood.

The garden has a busy events calendar, hosting concerts in summer, a harvest festival in fall and the magical Winter Garden in the holiday season.

15. Freak Alley

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On 8th and 9th Streets and Bannock and Idaho Streets in downtown Boise there’s a service alley that has been turned into the largest outdoor gallery in the Northwest.

It all began in the early 2000s when a doorway was decorated, and by 2002 the alley had earned its colorful name.

Every available space is covered with eclectic and imaginative murals by more than 200 artists from Boise and beyond.

These works are covered with new paintings every two years so Freak Alley is in a constant state of flux.

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