We are the people of Western Kansas, descendants of the Native American, the soldier, homesteader, the farmer, the railroader, the teacher, and the entrepreneur. Our stories, beginning over 100 years ago, continue and are presented and preserved through the efforts of the High Plains Museum.

Established in 1959, the High Plains Museum is a local history museum located near downtown Goodland, Kansas. Owned and operated by the City of Goodland, the High Plains Museum features objects from its collection of over 8,000 objects that represent its over one hundred years of Northwestern Kansas history. The High Plains Museum enables adventurers of all ages to discover the rich history of Sherman County.

If you love history, we’d love to work with you. We have a variety of activities and projects you can work on as a volunteer in a variety of areas: visitor relations, exhibits, collections, and as a field curator.

It is the policy of the High Plains Museum to collect objects that are representative of life in Sherman County. Due to space and funding restrictions, the High Plains Museum is selective in what it accessions into its permanent collection.We are primarily interested in items associated with the history of Goodland and Sherman County, Kansas. There are some exceptions to this rule, including genealogies and vital records from other states. We urge you to contact us because your generous gift may fill a gap in our collections.

The High Plains Gallery is a great multipurpose space in which we host traveling exhibits, lecture programs, and community events. It is also available for rental. We have room for 100 people and would be happy to host your special event. Contact the director for more information

The mission of the High Plains Museum is to promote, educate, and instill an appreciation of our Western Kansas High Plains heritage through the collection, preservation, exhibition, and educational interpretation of the objects, culture, and ideas representative of Goodland and Sherman County history.