Book a Tour or Field Trip

The John Brown Museum State Historic Site would like to invite your group to reserve a tour of the historic Adair Cabin/John Brown Museum, located at 1000 Main Street in Osawatomie, Kansas. The John Brown Museum State Historic Site is one of the most critical pieces of history still standing in the state of Kansas and features original artifacts from the Bleeding Kansas period including the original Adair Cabin now known as the John Brown Cabin). The Museum and nearby site of the Battle of Osawatomie are open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am – 5pm year-round, or by anytime by special appointment.

Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife, Florella, were peaceful abolitionist missionaries who came to Kansas in 1855 and settled near Osawatomie, an abolitionist community and a center of conflict during Bleeding Kansas. The Adair’s cabin was a station on the Underground Railroad and Florella's half-brother, the infamous abolitionist John Brown, used this cabin as his headquarters while he was in the Kansas territory. The cabin survived the Battle of Osawatomie wherein John Brown and 30 free-state defenders fought 250 proslavery militia in 1856. In an effort to protect this piece of history, the cabin was moved to John Brown Memorial Park in the early 1900s, where it still stands today as the John Brown Museum State Historic Site.

Grady Atwater, Site Administrator, offers an informative, captivating, and detailed tour of the site and, if weather permits, a walking tour of the battlefield. Mr. Atwater is well-versed in Bleeding Kansas history as well as many other subjects related to the Civil War and early American history. During his guided tours, attendees will learn age-appropriate lessons about the Adairs, John Brown, and others who struggled to survive the border war.

If touring the site isn't a good fit for your group, the John Brown Museum State Historic Site also offers options for speaking engagements at your facility for all age groups, from elementary through college-aged or adult classrooms and social groups. Our expert staff is well-equipped to cater to your group’s specific interests.

The John Brown Museum State Historic Site and the City of Osawatomie hope to welcome you soon, and encourage you to reach out with questions regarding school tours, group fees, or booking a speaking engagement at your facility.

New in 2023: a visit to the “Ghost Cabin!” This hauntingly simple steel structure stands on the original site of the cabin at the Adair Homestead in west Osawatomie and was erected in partnership with the John Brown Foundation. Developments continue at the Homestead, including upcoming parking and driveway improvements, but walking tours of the site are available. The Homestead was a featured archeological study of the Kansas Historical Society in recent years, with many artifacts recovered and now on display at the Kansas History Museum in Topeka.

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On June 8, 2023, the City of Osawatomie adopted new fee scale rates for groups of ten or more persons requesting tours of the Adair Cabin, John Brown Museum State Historic Site, and/or other historical sites in Osawatomie, and for speaking engagements outside of Osawatomie. These rates went into effect July 1, 2023.

The new fee scale rates are as follows:

Group Tour Admission Rates*:

(Base Tours includes an immersive, historical lecture through the John Brown Museum and the battlefield for the Battle of Osawatomie and some printed educational materials. Comprehensive Tours include the basic tour offerings plus guided tours of the Ghost Cabin at the Adair Homestead, the Old Stone Church, and a visit to the Soldier’s Monument.)

Base Tour (per person):                                   Comprehensive Tour (per person):

  •                         Elementary - $3                                                 Elementary - $4
  •                         Middle - $4                                                        Middle - $5
  •                         High School - $5                                                High School - $6
  •                         College - $6                                                      College - $7
  •                         Adult - $10                                                        Adults - $15

            (*If use of Memorial Hall is required, add a flat $50 fee for use of the facility.)

Site Administrator Speaking Fees

(All engagements outside of Osawatomie require mileage reimbursement at the current IRS rate in addition to the performance fee. Any engagement more than 100 miles from Osawatomie in any direction will necessitate overnight lodging at the expense of the event organizer)           

  • PreK – 12th Grade - $100
  • College - $250
  • Non-profit/Civic Groups - $150
  • Churches - $150
  • General Public - $250

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CONTACT

Grady Atwater
Site Administrator
[email protected]
913-755-4384

Phyllis Sharp
Assistant Site Administrator
[email protected]
913-755-4384

Please note that tour scholarships may be available through the Osawatomie Historical Society. Inquire about eligibility at the John Brown State Historic Site.