Local Attractions

Dedicated to early aviation and pioneer pilots of the area, the Aviation Heritage Museum features memorabilia from the Coffeyville Air Base, a Funk airplane and Breezy, owned by Joe Funk and donated to the museum, plus many other displays. Located in Pfister Park, the museum is housed in a 1930's era hangar that was used when the Big Hill Airport was in operation from 1933 to 1960. The hangar was constructed in 1933 as a Works Progress Administration project. The Museum is open for tours Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday and by appointment.
 

Located 5 miles east of Cherryvale, Kansas.

Five beautiful park areas are offered by the Corps of Engineers for camping, picnicking, and other outdoor activities. Facilities available at these areas include designated campsites both with and without electricity, group picnic and camping areas, potable water, sanitary facilities, boat launching ramps, a playground, ball field and a swimming beach with a change house. Camping fees are collected at three of the park areas and a day use fee is collected for the beach and boat ramps. More detailed information regarding the fee program can be obtained at the project office.

Other features of the lake include the Big Hill Lake Horse Trail. This trail is 17 miles long and provides a variety of terrain for all ages to enjoy. It also offers tethering areas and three parking area which are equipped with limited facilities and may be used for overnight camping by trail riders.

Due to stocking, fish shelters and leaving large areas of timber and other vegetation standing, Big Hill has developed into one of the most productive and popular fishing spots in the area. Principal species of sport fish include largemouth bass, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye and smallmouth bass.

With Big Hill being one of the clearest lakes in Kansas, our alcohol-free sand-covered beach has become a popular spot for cooling off from the summer heat.
 

You will take a step back in time to the elegant lifestyle of the early 1900's when you visit the Brown Mansion located on South Walnut (Highway 169) in Coffeyville. Completed in 1907 by W. P. Brown, the four-floor, 16 room Mansion contains the original furniture, wall and floor coverings. The main floor has nine rooms, including the dining room featuring a signed Tiffany chandelier. The second floor houses the sleeping quarters with five bedrooms and three full l baths, and a ballroom graces the entire third floor. A full basement features the butler quarters, laundry, heating system, walk-in ice box and storage spaces.

The Mansion is open weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March, April and December. From May 1-15 and September 16 through November 30, the hours are daily 1 to 5 p.m. May 16 through September 15, the Mansion is open daily 9 to 5. Guided tours begin on the hour. Adult tours are $4, ages 13-18, $1; and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Combination tickets for both the Brown Mansion and Dalton Defenders Museum are $5 for adults and $3 for teens.
 

Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Center For the Arts features monthly displays and a variety of arts and crafts classes for young and old alike.  Coffeyville Cultural Arts sponsors the Children's Choir.  The center is located at 912 Walnut.
 

Located at 113 East Eighth Street, just east of the downtown Plaza, the Dalton Defenders Museum houses memorabilia from the infamous Dalton Raid in 1892. Guns, saddles and the original First National Bank doors can all be seen plus many pictures taken following the raid. In addition, many items from the early days of Coffeyville are on view plus special displays on Walter "Big Train" Johnson and Wendell Wilkie.

The Dalton Defenders Museum is open daily, except Christmas, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the months of June, July and August, the Museum is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Adult ticket prices are $3; ages 13-18, $2; 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets to tour both the Museum and the Brown Mansion are $5 for adults and $3 for teens.
 

Walk the same path taken by the Daltons in 1892 as they attempted to rob two banks simultaneously. Markers show the location of the three Coffeyville citizens who were killed during the raid north of Isham Hardware - Lucius Baldwin, George Cubine and Charles Brown - with the fourth marker in the alley marking the location where Marshall Connelly was killed. Also in Death Alley you will see the old jail which has replicas of the Daltons as they were laid out following their death. Three of the Daltons were killed in the alley while the fourth died while attempting to flee Coffeyville. Look closely at the north brick wall in Death Alley to see bullet holes from the gun battle.
 

Elk City Lake is located 5 miles northwest of Independence, Kansas, and offers four attractive park areas with picnicking and camping sites both with and without electricity. The parks also include swimming areas, boat launching ramps, water hydrants, sanitary facilities, showers, fireplaces, playgrounds and group shelters.

Elk City Lake offers excellent opportunities for hunting and fishing. Principal species of sport fish found in the lake include white crappie, wipers, white bass, largemouth bass, saugeye, channel catfish, flathead and various sunfish.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has a license to approximately 12,240 acres of project area for wildlife management and public hunting. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees 1,600 acres for wildlife purposes.

The lake is also well known for its six scenic trails. These trails meander through the colorful oak and hickory forest surrounding the lake and lead the hiker through some of the most interesting rock formations in Kansas. The trails range from a 15-mile scenic trek to a one-mile all-weather/handicap accessible trail.
 

Visit Elmwood Cemetery just off Eldridge on South Walnut (Highway 169) and see the grave site of three members of the Dalton Gang. An old hitching post marks the graves. Emmett Dalton, the lone survivor of the gang, returned to Coffeyville many years after the raid and placed a permanent marker on the graves.
 

An 18-hole golf course located on North Cline Road, overlooking the city of Coffeyville.  The back nine was opened in 1998 and the front nine was renovated in 2001.  Tee times are not required on weekdays and yearly memberships are available.

Located throughout Coffeyville are murals depicting Coffeyville's history. Painted by the late Don Sprague, the murals feature the Perkins Building, Brown Mansion, Natatorium, Wholesale Grocery, Interurban and Walter Johnson.

Coffeyville’s Leclere Park is the home field for the Coffeyville Red Ravens softball team. Leclere Park, located on Woodland Avenue next to the football training complex, offers the community two softball fields, a regulation baseball field, six tennis courts, a walking/jogging path, a lake for fishing and duck watching, and a basketball court.

Located 13 miles southwest of Independence, just off of Highway 75, is an authentic, reconstructed log cabin located near the original site where famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder lived as a child. Also on the site is an 1872 schoolhouse, a turn of the century post office and a gift shop. Open May 15 to September 1.

Call 620-331-1890 or 800-882-3606 for more information.

Site of the Dalton Raid in 1892, the Perkins Building is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Built in 1890 by Luther Perkins, the building was owned by First National Bank and occupied by the Condon Bank in 1892. Over the years, the building has been home to many offices and today is occupied by the Community Relations Department of the Coffeyville Area Chamber of Commerce. In 1992, the exterior was restored through a cooperative effort of the City of Coffeyville, Coffeyville PRIDE, Condon Bank and a grant from the Kansas Heritage Trust Fund. In 1997, the interior was renovated to its original state.

This 124 acre showcase comes complete with facilities and equipment for the joy and entertainment of young and old alike. Inflation has had no impact on the cost of rides at Riverside Park. It’s still just a nickel for the carousel and a quarter for the miniature train. Forpaz is the opening day of the park. It will have actives such as: food vendors, arts and crafts in the park and many other actives. Shelter houses are available for group rentals at very reasonable rates. Hours: 6:00 am. till 10:00 p.m. Admission: Free.

The grounds also include a miniature golf course titled "A Path Through the Past", where you can play through the history of Independence for only $1.00.

Shulthus Stadium, also located in the park, is now used for local high school and college games. It was the location of the first lighted night game ever played in organized baseball on April 28, 1930. As part of the old Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, Mickey Mantle played his first minor league season here in 1949 as an Independence Yankee, a AAA farm team of the New York Yankees. Other notable Independence Yankees included Bill Virdon and Lou Skizas.

Zoo residents include sun bears, buffalo, monkeys, cougars, a swan pond, caymans, eagles, and a flock of tame peacocks who roam the grounds at will. One of the more famous inhabitants was Miss Able, the first monkey in space. She resided at Monkey Island until her blast off in 1960.

Located on the eastern edge of Caney, Kansas, Safari Zoological Park was established in 1989 for the purpose of saving endangered species.  For more information on admission prices and hours of operation, click on the associated link above.

This park, located on the eastern edge of town, is named after Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson, a one-time resident of Coffeyville.  The park offers softball and baseball facilties, a rodeo arena, camper and RV hook-ups, and is also home to the city’s recreation center.