Hotels in Colby, KS

Plan an exciting trip to top Colby hotels to explore this old railroad town in Kansas. The town’s early growth came from being a major stop along the Union Pacific Railroad, as well as its local agriculture and farming, which brought jobs to the area and increased the town’s population. Still today, Colby is known for its vibrant agriculture industry, which produces wheat, corn, milo, and sunflowers. In addition to its farming and railroads, Colby is a great place to relax in the warm summer months from its many public green spaces, water parks, and mouthwatering eateries across town. Plan a visit to this small Kansas city, and you’ll find something fun around every corner.

Take a trip back in time and discover the fascinating local history of Colby when you visit the Prairie Museum of Art and History, right off Franklin Ave. Here, you’ll learn all about the lifestyle of the high plains through the museum’s varied collections and artifacts that tell the story of this small railroad town. Start by touring the inside of the museum, where indoor galleries include eight collections ranging from priceless collectors’ items to local high school memorabilia. Make a point to see the incredible exhibit “Over Here, Over There,” which houses uniforms from different military branches worn by Thomas County residents dating back to WWI. Then head outdoors to explore the rest of the grounds and preserved structures, including the 1930s homestead and barn, a one-room schoolhouse, a sod house, and to view the impressive Cooper Barn up close. The barn is actually the largest barn in the state and boasts striking interiors and an exceptionally tall ceiling. Plan to spend at least two hours here before heading back to hotels in Colby, in order to take in everything this museum and its surrounding grounds have to offer.

While staying at the best Colby hotels in town, one of the town’s biggest attractions is off of Franklin Ave at Colby Aquatic Park, where you’ll get to enjoy its water slides, a lazy river, and friendly lifeguards. Open seven days a week, you can relax and get some sweet relief from the sweltering Kansas sun while swimming or wading in one of its pools.

And for a nice green space, head over to Fike Park, located north of the courthouse right in town. Named after a one-time town mayor, the park is a gorgeous place to relax in the sun, enjoy a nice picnic on the grass, or stroll through more than nine acres of manicured lawns and oversized trees. While here, you can follow a winding sidewalk to check out the awesome public art installations and appreciate one of the more impressive pieces—a chainsaw sculpture made from a real tree! There’s also a stunning mini Statue of Liberty similar to the statue in downtown Hays, Kansas, and is one of the 25 Statue of Liberty replicas in Kansas.

Have a blast touring Manhattan, Kansas, and don’t forget to check out our other hotels nearby in Hutchinson, Manhattan, and Emporia.