When researching our Summer Road Trip 2022, I was jazzed to find another World’s Largest to add to our adventures. Self-promoted as the “Czech Capital of Kansas”, the town prides itself on the heritage brought by railroad workers from Bohemia in the 1870s. With a label like that, we just knew there had to be more to see than one giant egg, and we were right!
Find the World’s Largest Hand Painted Czech Egg
At 20ft tall, the World’s Largest Hand Painted Czech Egg can’t be missed when driving into town. With fewer visitors than it deserves, we got up front parking and plenty of alone time to read about the egg and grab some fun photos. The adjacent opera house burnt down recently, and a neat plan is in place to restore the property for cool events. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a party with this beauty?
Grab an old-fashioned soda
We rolled through town at 6pm with two hours left to drive and needed a little boost. To our surprise, Grandma’s Soda Shop was still open, so we popped in for a snack. While waiting for our personalized sodas, we learned the building was originally the town’s post office. Filled with gems like original mailboxes and an old phone, it had a charming hometown feel.
Check out the Jail
Like many small towns in middle America, Main Street Wilson is a shell of its former glory. Most buildings were vacant or crumbling. But a few were being renovated, which makes my small-town heart happy. My inquisition about the town led the shop keeper to believe we might be interested in seeing the old Jail, and he was right!
At first, I was hesitant because it felt like the plot opening scene to a scary movie… “mother and children visit small vacant town for soda and get locked in old jail”. But we wandered through the alley with our guard puppy to find a pretty interesting round structure.
Built as the regional jail almost a hundred years ago, it had been home to a homeless man most recently. Town residents donated items from Alcatraz and the Yuma Territorial Prison to give it the full vibe. They even keep a mannequin inside for a good laugh when showing visitors. We jumped when we saw it, so mission accomplished:)
Hunt for more eggs!
After seeing an intricately painted smaller egg while walking to the jail, there are several more along main street. The kids and Arlo took that as a challenge, so we had a running photo egg hunt. Five lovely little eggs little eggs later, our legs were thoroughly stretched, and we were ready to finish our travels to our favorite family ranch in St. Mary’s.
What else is in the area?
- Monument Rocks: first National Natural Landmark in Kansas.
- Dodge City: great water park, yummy brewery and Old West charm.
- Fort Larned: well preserved frontier fort from the Santa Fe Trail era.
- Lindsborg: cute small town with painted horses, fun Swedish festivals and a castle.
- Abilene: Dwight D Eisenhower’s Presidential Library & Boyhood Home
- Topeka: Brown vs Board of Education NHS, Evel Knievel Museum, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center and Kansas State Capitol.
- Weston, MO: top notch brewery, cute downtown and Weston Bend State Park.
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