The Benson Museum is essentially Elk County’s historical archive, with a soft spot for the town of Howard. But don’t expect a single tidy building with a gift shop and brochure rack—this museum is more like a historic campus, with sites scattered throughout town. It’s a little like a scavenger hunt, but with fewer clues and more Kansas artifacts. The museum is named for Edith Benson, a generous local who helped make the whole thing possible. She clearly had a passion for preserving history—and a very big appreciation for dolls.
And that’s the thing. One of the standout features of the museum is its doll collection. Almost 4,000 of them, in fact—making it one of the largest in Kansas. The sheer variety is impressive, and you can tell this collection has been carefully curated and deeply loved. I’ll admit, I’ve seen one too many spooky movies, so my imagination may have gotten away from me once or twice. But honestly, it’s fascinating to see so many eras and styles represented, and it gives the museum a unique personality all its own.
Beyond the dolls, the museum is packed with all sorts of unexpected treasures. One of my favorites? A folding, self-heating bathtub. That’s right—a portable hot tub you could take on the go. Where was this when I was road-weary and dreaming of a soak after a long day? Sure, it probably weighs more than my suitcase, but still… points for innovation.
The curator, Marcia Taylor-Trump, was incredibly kind and full of great information. She gave me an overview of the museum layout and let me explore the buildings at my own pace, which made it feel like a personal discovery adventure.
Among the gems I found was a gown worn by Jenny Lind—the famous Swedish singer featured in The Greatest Showman. You may remember her as the performer P.T. Barnum brings to America, which causes a bit of drama in the film. Whether or not the romance rumors were true, the dress is real, and it even caused a little media buzz of its own right here in Kansas.
Another cool artifact was a World War II field phone made by Motorola. What caught my attention was the Kansas connection. William Lear—the same guy behind Learjet in Wichita—helped invent the first car radio and co-founded Motorola (a mash-up of “motor” and “Victrola”). He also gave us the 8-track tape, which might not have aged as well as the car radio, but definitely powered more than a few epic road trips back in the day.
As I was leaving town, I made one final stop: Hubble Rubble. This quirky outdoor folk art display was created by local welder Jerry Hubble, who clearly put a lot of heart—and a lot of metal—into his work. It’s a quick roadside stop and well worth pulling over. My favorite piece? A big purple monster holding a sign that says, “I love people.” Whether it was intentional or not, it felt like a charming nod to the old novelty song “Purple People Eater”—and was a perfect little exclamation point to my time in Howard.
Kansas never fails to surprise me with its small-town creativity, unexpected history, and a whole lot of heart.
Which brings me to my next stop—Moline, KS. I grabbed lunch at the Swinging Bridge Café (highly recommend) before heading over to the oldest swinging bridge in the state. I snapped a few obligatory photos, walked across it, and enjoyed the view of a sweet little waterfall below. With all the rain we’ve had lately, the scenery was especially nice.
Click here to check more great road trip ideas