I love living in Johnson County, Kansas. Our county is constantly listed among the most wonderful places to live in the United States. We have beautiful parks, delightful museums and a multitude of theaters; our schools are excellent. When my children were little, I often took advantage of the many free or low-cost activities available to keep them occupied. It is easy to have a staycation, a stay at home vacation, because there is so much to do.
Even though I no longer have small children, but am not yet a grandmother, I still like doing these fun activities. Luckily for me I have a friend who enjoys these activities as well. I hope that we never grow up or grow old. As they say, age is just a state of mind. And we keep exploring.
In the last two weeks, my friend and I spent an afternoon at the local Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. While there we visited all the farm animals. But we also walked through the historic sections we were went through an apple orchard, visited a cow barn, spoke to a school marm in a one-room school house, visited a bank and a doctor’s office, went to a mine, visited an Native American encampment, and entered several shops learning about blacksmithing, ice cream and the general store from the late 1800s to early 1900s in Kansas.
About two weeks later, I called my friend and told her we should go to the Johnson County Museum, located in the Arts & Heritage Center. I wanted to go specifically to see a temporary exhibit about The Wizard of OZ. And for people living in Kansas, OZ and the Wizard are a big deal. This exhibit was from a personal collection of OZ memorabilia.
The electric house and a period car.
The exciting part for some of the children who were there, was the house in the middle of the museum. One of the first all-electric houses in the county, the house was enclosed inside the new museum before the new building was completed. Moving it took over six-hours from its previous location. I actually enjoyed watching a video about the move.
There was another area called Kid Scape for the children. My friend and I did not go in to experience the activities and the crafts, but we peaked inside. I think my friend will be returning with her grandchildren!
The Heritage Center, where the museum is located, was a bustling place. When we left the museum, we walked over the historical society, although we did not visit the displays as we were captivated by the sounds of music. In another room, at the end of a hall, a live band was playing ballroom dance music, specifically a tango. We watched as about 12 couples danced around the large room. I might have to come back with my husband one day. We enjoy ballroom dancing. Unfortunately, he is usually at work on a Friday at 2 pm.
As we left the building, I looked over to where the black box theater is located. Beginning in the fall, my husband and I will be coming for productions of the Spinning Tree Theatre shows. We have been season ticket holders for several years and are looking forward to the company’s move to Johnson County.
I think our next adventure is a return visit to the Overland Park Arboretum. The plants, the art work, and the pond, the train garden, provide a lovely spot to walk. It will be another fun day in Johnson County.
https://www.opkansas.org/things-to-see-and-do/deanna-rose-childrens-farmstead/
https://www.jcprd.com/327/Arts-Heritage-Center
https://www.opkansas.org/things-to-see-and-do/arboretum-and-botanical-gardens/
https://spinningtreetheatre.com/
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/c/johnson-county-ks/rankings/
zicharonot 
Always good to be a child at heart!
Absolutely!