The votes are in. More than 24,000 people from all 50 states cast votes to determine Kansas’ most important natural or manmade wonders.
The winners were announced by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in a ceremony at the capitol on Kansas Day, Jan. 29. The winners were selected from 24 finalists; eight attractions were chosen because the Kansas Sampler Foundation, organizer of the project, bases its criteria on eight rural culture elements.
The winners are (in alphabetical order): the Big Well, Greensburg; Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Barton and Stafford counties; Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, Abilene; Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center, Hutchinson; Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Hutchinson; Monument Rocks & Castle Rock, Gove County; St. Fidelis Church (Cathedral of the Plains), Victoria; and the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Chase County.
Representatives from all 24 finalists as well as over a thousand fourth- and fifth-graders and other fans of Kansas were on hand to hear the announcement.
“The 8 Wonders of Kansas are all wonderful examples of the diversity and beauty that exist throughout the state. It’s incredible to see how excited Kansans are about the wonders in their own backyard, and it’s time we share that excitement with the rest of the country,” said Kansas Travel and Tourism Director, Becky Blake. “This is the perfect time to get out and discover – or rediscover – not just the 8 Wonders of Kansas, but all the wonders that Kansas has to offer.”
For more information and photos about the 8 Wonders and other finalists, visit: www.8wonders.org
Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com
