What to do in the Pittsburg Kansas Area

Southeast Kansas and Crawford County doesn’t have any large cities, but it does have a lot of unique things to do and yummy things to eat. I spent a long weekend that was filled from sun up to sun down. So let me tell you What to do in the Pittsburg, Kansas Area.

Unique Things to Do in the Pittsburg Kansas Area

• Count the Gorillas! Pittsburg State University is the ONLY school in the country with a Gorilla for a mascot and they take this very seriously. There are thousands of gorillas throughout the city. Definitely a fun activity to drive around and see them all.
• Visit Historic Kiddieland Amusement Park. This park is 70 years old! Yes, it’s fun for the kids, but I visited with 5 other adults over 50 and we had a great time as well. We rode the train, the carousal and the roller coaster and laughed till we almost peed our pants. 🙂 It’s located in Lincoln Park and is open during the warmer months only.

 

• Pay your respects at the Pittsburg State University’s Veterans Memorial. Find your state flag there, they have all 50. Or just enjoy the peacefulness of the reflection pond. You could relax or read a book in the amphitheater.

 

• Go Mural Hunting! There are so many beautiful murals in Pittsburg, Kansas. Some are even interactive and make for cute poses. Stop into the tourism office for Explore Crawford County in the downtown area and ask them about all the murals.

 

 

• Play the slots at Kansas Crossing Casino! My favorite is Gold Fish. Seriously, it is so fun and interactive. But this casino has many other things to play and even shows to see. There is a restaurant and a hotel right on site as well. It’s a Hampton by Hilton and the rooms are really nice. It’s where I stayed while visiting Pittsburg.

 

• Throw axes and knives at Main Street Axe Company. Make sure you wear closed toe shoes though, it’s a rule. I mean this place speaks for itself. If you haven’t ever done it, it’s so fun. Definitely give it a try. While you are in the area, check out Miners & Monroe and Books & Burrow, two cute stores right next door to the Main Street Axe Company. It’s also where several of the murals are if you went for the hunt.

 

• See the WORLD’S LARGEST SHOVEL, Big Brutus! It weighs 11 million pounds and was used to dig giant trenches for the coal mining companies that were big in this area. You can walk all around it and up in it. You can even sit in the drivers seat like me in the photo. Check out how large it is..that’s me and the tour guide standing by the wheel. He’s wearing an orange shirt. Isn’t that amazing! What I also found incredible is that it is an electric shovel. Which means it basically had to be plugged in to work.

 

• If it’s fall, then head over to Ol’ Yale Farms to get into that fall festival feeling. No matter your age, you could spend hours here. You can make smores, go on a hay ride, jump in a bouncy house and even mine for gold. There are lots of yummy treats to eat and take home to decorate your house for fall.

 

• And lastly, just a 30 minute drive south of Pittsburg is the town of Galena. Definitely worth the time to drive down and check it out, especially if you are a Route 66 or Cars fan. This is the only section of Route 66 that goes through the state of Kansas. You’ll want to stop into Gearheads if only to check out the very unique bathroom. Then just cruise around to find all the Route 66 and Cars attractions. 

 

Where to eat in the Pittsburg Kansas Area

I ate very well while on this trip. There are some very tasty places for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Pittsburg, Kansas Area. Some new, some quite old built on tradition and some with great names for their food. 🙂

• Toast is the place for breakfast and brunch! This big ass cinnamon roll was the bomb. And yes, it really is called the big ass cinnamon roll. Another reason to love this place. The decor was fun and the staff was awesome as well.

 

• Bob’s Grill is that classic breakfast diner. You know the place..there’s a bar with old men drinking coffee, local sports memorabilia on the walls and a huge griddle with eggs, bacon and pancakes all cooking at the same time. Classic America right there! They are also open for lunch and the burgers look amazing on their Facebook page.

 

• For lunch or dinner try Drop the H Brewing Company. You might have heard of another place called Pittsburg that’s located in Pennsylvania. Well that one has an H at the end, as in Pittsburgh. And that’s how they came up with the name Drop the H Brewing Company. They are a brewing company so they have their own beer for you to try here and also several fun cocktails. That’s what I went with and I was not disappointed. The apps, the pizza and the dessert were all yummy and perfect beer food.
• A little off the beaten path is McCune Farm to Market. It’s about 30 minutes west of Pittsburg in McCune, Kansas. It’s just a super casual little grocery store that also serves food and is in the middle of nowhere. But I’m putting it on this list because it has one of the best hamburgers I have EVER eaten. They supply all their own meat from Schenker Farms, which they also own. Definitely check it out and the little grocery store as well. They had some homemade banana bread and other treats. Mmmm

 

• And lastly, a tradition that you HAVE to try is Fried Chicken! There are two places in Pittsburg, Chicken Annies and Chicken Marys that should go on your list. I ate at Chicken Annies, but I am dying to get back and try the other one. I need to have my own answer to which one is better. The reason these two chicken places are tradition is that they’ve been in the area since 1934. Both were started by women whose husbands were injured in the coal mining business (remember that was huge here at one point). The women, Ann and Mary, both started selling food out of their homes to make money for their families.  And the rest is history.

 

Where to Stay in the Pittsburg, Kansas Area

• I would recommend the Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. It’s a Hampton by Hilton hotel and the rooms are nice and quite large. They are connected to a casino, a restaurant called Two Brothers Mining Co, a bar and they also have concerts and entertainment. It’s a one stop shop. 🙂

 

And that’s it for the Pittsburg, Kansas area! Check it out and let me know what you think. Take care and Happy Travels!