All About the City of Topeka

Our local newspaper is online. Click here to see today’s Topeka Capital-Journal.

Topeka’s biggest TV station has a wonderful website at WIBW.com. Their Storm Call service is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

See SevenEightFive magazine here to keep up with the bar and music scene.

Visit Topeka’s website will help you explore our town online. Please click here.

Fun things are going on all over Kansas. Click here to see just a few.

It’s great to live in a state capital. If you want to talk with a legislator, they are all right here. When I want to talk with the state’s experts about things like termites or radon or environmental issues, they are all right here, too. AND, the capital city hosts the Kansas Historical Society and its libraries and archives are here, too. See for yourself here.

Our Topeka/Shawnee County Public Library is an extraordinary resource for all of us.

Named The Best Library in the USA in 2016 for good reasons. Non-profit organizations of every description use the library as their meeting place. There are library-sponsored reading groups, classes, lectures, concerts, and events every day. Even a games program. A 3-D printer for your use. Kindles and Nooks to lend if you don’t have your own to download books from the library there or on your phone or computer. Cake baking equipment, bins of educational toys… the library lends more than you think. There are services to the blind, great reading programs for kids, free computer classes for kids and adults, a notary public, audio and DVD lending, an art gallery, a Topeka history room, a well-stocked cafe, a gift shop, and more, all in a fabulous building designed by renowned architect Michael Graves just for us and in bookmobiles roaming the town. Check out their pretty incredible website here.

Our Shawnee County Parks and Recreation department wows most visitors who take time to explore the local resources.  40 miles of running/walking/biking trails.  Water parks.  A beautiful lake with one of several public golf courses, camp grounds, shelter houses for your parties, fabulous gardens, as well as boating, fishing, and swimming.  400+ parks throughout the city of Topeka.  A zoo.  My personal favorite is Gage Park.

Four active volunteer theater groups including Topeka Civic Theatre.

Downtown North Topeka has been developed into a super fun arts district, NOTO.  Don’t miss the First Friday Art Walks each and every month there and all over town.

Downtown South Topeka is a hopping place with event space on the street, new restaurants and a boutique hotel we are proud to show off.  Please click here to see just a bit.  Don’t miss Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) just a block off the main street.

Another source of myriad activities is our own Washburn University. There is a full liberal arts and sciences program, a law school, a school of nursing, a strong international program, an art museum and even its own public television station (KTWU.) Basketball is big here and Washburn’s men’s and women’s teams are nationally ranked. High school kids can take college classes for dual credit — high school and college. Citizens over age 60 can audit classes for free. Parents of growing children can find great tutors and kids enjoy special opportunities like peeking through the giant telescopes at the night sky. The whole town uses the beautiful student union spaces and services and alumni hall for special events. Washburn is very generous about sharing its resources with the Topeka community. Learn more about it here.