Old Depot Museum, Ottawa, Kansas Tuesday, December 12, 10 a.m., 2 p.m., & 7 p.m. Free admission, Family Friendly The Old Depot Museum and Ottawa Library are partnering to bring Christmas Storytime to the Old Depot Museum! Join us for an hour of storytime and crafts at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., or 7 p.m. This free event is perfect for the whole family.
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Old Depot Museum, 135 West Tecumseh, Ottawa, Kansas Monday, November 27 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. AND 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. $5.00 per person – register by November 20, 11 :59 p.m. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. Thank you for your interest in this program! This event has been canceled because our presenter is not available that day. Note: This program will be offered TWICE on November 27. Learn the history of exchanging Christmas greetings while creating your own cards out of recycled Christmas cards and gift wrap! Some…
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Old Depot Museum, 135 W Tecumseh, Ottawa, Kansas Thursday, November 16, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. $10 per adult – register by November 14, 11:59 p.m. Learn the history of Christmas tree ornaments and make your own Victorian ornament. Materials will be provided, but you’re encouraged to bring your own glue gun (if you have one) and any scraps of lace, satin, velvet, or ribbon you might want to use! Please let us know if you prefer any particular colors. Because of the complexity of this craft, this program is…
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Ghost stories and Kansas history will be the focus of author Paul Thomas’s presentation on Sunday, October 29, 3 p.m. at Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, Kansas. Thomas has long been interested in Kansas folklore and the ghost stories of northeastern Kansas. As a student at the University of Kansas, he cofounded the Stephenson Hall Paranormal Investigation Team, which investigated purportedly haunted locations in and around the Lawrence area. His new book, Haunted Lawrence, looks at the ghosts of one of Kansas’ oldest towns. He explores the stories—and the…
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The Franklin County Historical Society is bringing three fun and spooky films accompanied by live music to the Plaza Cinema Saturday, October 21 at 7 p.m. Bill Shaffer, former producer/director at KTWU, will emcee the October 21 event, which starts at 7 p.m. The evening’s lineup includes the short films Felix Switches Witches (1927), Saturday’s Lesson (1928), and the horror film Nosferatu the Vampyre (1922). What will make the October 21 program unique is the live musical accompaniment. Composer and theatre organist Marvin Faulwell and Topeka Symphony Orchestra percussionist Bob…
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Cemeteries are a snapshot of a community’s history, and on Sunday, October 15 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Franklin County Historical Society will host a special event at Highland Cemetery in Ottawa, Kansas. This year’s tour is designed to help participants discover the stories of Franklin County through the history of its people and funerary art. Established in 1886, Highland Cemetery is Ottawa’s second cemetery. The first, Hope Cemetery, was established in 1865, but Ottawans quickly discovered that Hope Cemetery was prone to flooding. They chose a new…
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Neosho County Community College, 900 East Logan, Ottawa, Kansas Sunday, October 29, 3 p.m. Join us for a special program and book signing featuring Ottawa native Paul Thomas, author of Haunted Lawrence! Founded in 1854 as an abolitionist outpost, Lawrence is a seemingly unassuming college town with a long history of hauntings. A ghostly guest never checked out of the Eldridge Hotel’s mysterious room 506. Sigma Nu’s fraternity house, the former home of Kansas’s eighteenth governor, is still haunted by the specter of a young woman. Learn the tragic stories…
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Plaza Cinema, 209 South Main, Ottawa, Kansas Saturday, October 21, 7 p.m. Tickets: $15 (order online or call (785) 242-5555) NEW DATE: 10/21 7pm: The Franklin County Historical Society is partnering with the Plaza Cinema to bring you a spectacular silent film event featuring a LIVE musical score performed by organist Marvin Faulwell and percussionist Bob Keckeisen, with introductions by Bill Shaffer, past producer/director at KTWU in Topeka. Films include animated short film FELIX SWITCHES WITCHES (1927), short film SATURDAY’S LESSON (1928), and the feature film NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1922).…
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Highland Cemetery, 1050 East 15th Street, Ottawa, Kansas Sunday, October 15, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Our second annual cemetery tour takes us to Highland Cemetery, a garden cemetery established in 1886. After discovering Hope Cemetery (Ottawa’s first cemetery) was prone to flooding, citizens founded a new cemetery on higher ground. Highland Cemetery was designed by American landscape architect George Kessler as a garden cemetery (also called a rural cemetery), with winding roads and landscaping that encouraged a park-like experience. Highland Cemetery includes many beautiful and unique monuments and is…
Read MoreStep back in time at the 1859 Dietrich Cabin! Learn about life in 19th-Century Franklin County. Admission is free and kids are always welcome. Dietrich Cabin is located in City Park at 5th and Main streets in Ottawa, Kansas. Fall 2017 Schedule Saturday, September 30, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 1, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 21, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 22, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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