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Why go there

Emporia, a community of more than 25,000 people, features many recreational activities, including a host of parks, golf courses and a water park. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Tallgrass Prairie Natural Preserve and the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge are each 20-minute drives away. Home to the state’s first public institution of higher learning, Emporia also offers many different cultural and entertainment events.

What to do there

Emporia provides a wide range of attractions including a historic downtown area and flea market, a farmers’ market and cultural opportunities such as concerts at the city’s restored Emporia Granada Theatre.

Must see

Emporia State University offers galleries, museums and sporting events — the women’s basketball team recently won the NCAA Division II title. Home to the National Teachers Hall of Fame and the Kansas Business Hall of Fame, the university’s varied offerings are one of the primary draws for visitors.

For the kids

Emporia’s David Traylor Zoo is free. According to its Web site, naturalized exhibits are presented with a blend of native and exotic animals and birds along with extensive landscaping and horticulture.

Pocketbook friendly

Each Friday, free tours are available of the Richard Howe house, one of the first homes built in Lyon County by a Welsh immigrant.

Online/Twitter/Facebook

Check out the Emporia Chamber of Commerce’s Web page at www.emporiakschamber.com. The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau is also a group on Facebook. The chamber Twitter feed details goings-on at www.twitter.com/eacoc.

Save the date

From Aug. 20-22, on the Lyon County Fairgrounds, beef enthusiasts will converge on Emporia for the Flint Hills Beef Fest & BBQ, an annual celebration of the state’s grass cattle industry.

Did you know?

Emporia was the home of famous newspaper publisher William Allen White, who died in 1944. Tours of his home are available on Wednesdays through Saturdays.

How to get there

Emporia is easily accessible using Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike, and sits near the intersection of those two roads. U.S. Highway 50 also runs through the city.