Lawrence (Kansas)

Lawrence is a college town with ideologically diverse residents. Two universities are located in the town - the older and more historic University of Kansas, with a campus spanning from downtown Lawrence to west Lawrence, and the federally funded Haskell University in southeast Lawrence. There are also many historic settings, as this city was among the first in Kansas and shaped the cultural and political landscape of Kansas for generations to come, at its founding. Today, it is a cultural hub in the state, with several theaters, restaurants, music venues, bars, clubs, churches, and landmarks. This town, and the surrounding county, is oozing with history from the pre-Civil War Bleeding Kansas era, and there is much to explore.

Watch

• The Day AfterA 1980's movie about life in Lawrence before and after a hypothetical World War III.

By car

• Interstate 70. On the north edge of town.
• State Highway Kansas 10. Access from southwest metropolitan Kansas City on the south edge of town.
• US 24 and US 40. East-west access from Topeka and Kansas City (24 immediately north of town and 40 through the center of town).
• US 59. North-south access from Ottawa and Atchison through the center of town.

By bus

• The K-10 Connector (RideKC Route 510). The K-10 Connector runs between Overland Park and Lawrence on weekdays. Services are limited during KU summer term and school breaks and holidays. $3 one-way.

• Greyhound BusTwo buses run from Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence before continuing to Topeka. The trip from Kansas City takes about an hour. Other buses run from Topeka and Wichita. After you arrive at the bus stop, you can catch the number 6 local bus to downtown Lawrence.

By train

Amtrak provides one daily service via the Southwest Chief route. Westbound trains, from Chicago bound for Los Angeles stops just before midnight while eastbound trains rolls in to Lawrance early morning. The is at 413 E 7th St. There's no bus stop directly at the station, however 7th & New Hampshire station is just a few minutes walk away.

By plane

• Kansas City International Airport (MCI) 46 miles east-northeast. The closest airport to Lawrence with commercial airlines operating, and a major Southwest hub. Service also available on major airlines to large domestic hubs (Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Memphis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York, Houston)

• Lawrence Municipal AirportA small airfiled, no scheduled service, only corporate and private jets.

The central part of the city, consisting of the downtown, the KU campus, and the student-filled neighborhoods in between is easily walkable. The Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau's Visitor Information Center offers brochures for self-guided walking tours in the city. Outside of the central part of the city, cars are king. Cabs are cheap, though uncommon.

By bus

Lawrence has a fairly good and inexpensive bus system, known as the T. The fare is only $1 and will get you one transfer or you can pay $2.75 for a day pass. The website is on Lawrencetransit and there a bus to the overland park campus k-10-connector . The transit stops are on Google transit and searchable there, except for the k-10 connector.

By taxi

• Jayhawk Taxi, 850 E 13th St, +1 785 843-8294, M-Sa Hotline Open at 8AM.
• Ground Transportation Inc. 301 Maple St, +1 785 838-4500. $9 anywhere in town, 24/7 hours open.
• Lawrence Taxi +1 785 304-6748. Th-Sa Part-time.
• Uber is also available in Lawrence, as far as the south border of Douglas County, and up to Lecompton, Kansas.

By bike

The city is relatively bike-friendly, and has had a good reputation among the biking community.

• The University of KansasBuilt on Mount Oread. Campus is simply beautiful and has been called "one of the most picturesque campuses in all of America." Walk around and enjoy a picnic next to Potter Lake, or visit historic Allen Fieldhouse on Naismith Drive, or Kansas Memorial Stadium on Fambrough Drive. Several of the buildings on campus are on the National Register of Historic Places.

• University of Kansas Natural History Museum

  phone: +1 785-864-4450
  address: 1345 Jayhawk Blvd
  See the Panorama of North American Mammals and Comanche, the famous horse.
• There's an interesting rock mural on North Side of the river which was created by local artist Stan Herd. It is visible from the Massachusetts Street Bridge.

• Liberty HallSee a film, theatre production, live concert, art show, wedding or any number of other things at the multifunctional Liberty Hall. (Serves Free State Beer on tap, including during films)

• Solidarity Library

  address: 1204 Oread Ave
  community-run library of over 4,000 rare & radical books and zines).

• Allen FieldhouseHistoric Allen Fieldhouse was built in 1955, named after Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, the most successful coach in Kansas basketball history, and recognized nationally as the "father of basketball coaching". The court is named after James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball, who was also the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas.

• David Booth Kansas Memorial StadiumHome of the Kansas football team, Memorial Stadium is situated just north of Potter Lake, at the base of Campanile Hill, in the heart of Lawrence. Along with football games, the stadium also hosts summer movie nights, free of charge, open to the public.

• Watkins Museum of History

  phone: +1 785-841-4109
  address: 1047 Massachusetts St
  A history museum focusing on the history of Kansas and Lawrence, ran by the Douglas County Historical Society. The museum features permanent exhibits about Kansas history such as Bleeding Kansas and various changing exhibits. Its public spaces are fully accessible.

• Spencer Museum of Art

  phone: +1 785 864-4710
  address: 1301 Mississippi St

• Kansas Men's BasketballIf you haven't seen the Jayhawks play in the heart of basketball season, you're missing out on one of the best events in the area, even if you're not a huge basketball fan. People from all over Kansas come to Allen Fieldhouse to cheer on this nationally acclaimed team that has been to countless Final Fours and Sweet Sixteens in its long history. Make sure you buy tickets well in advance, since they sell out fast. During any Kansas Men's basketball game, home or away, Massachusetts Street will be alive with people.

• Kansas Football. The Jayhawks play their home games in Memorial Stadium. In recent years, the football program has seen troubled times from coaching changes, but Memorial Stadium is regarded locally as one of the most underrated Division I stadiums in the country.
• Kansas Soccer. The Jayhawks play women's college soccer at Rock Chalk Park in west Lawrence. They compete in the Big 12 conference.
• Kansas Baseball. The Jayhawks play their baseball games in the heart of Lawrence, in Hoglund Ballpark, just south of Allen Fieldhouse.

• Historic driving tourVisits many of the sites involved Quantrill's Raid (The Lawrence Massacre) in 1863. You can also see many of these sites on the Quantrill's Raid

• Clinton Lake State Park

  phone: +1 785-842-8562
  address: 798 North 1415 Rd
  The park is located just outside of town and provides opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, and camping.

• University of Kansas, home of the Spencer Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History (Dyche Hall), the "Lone Survivor" of the Battle of Little Bighorn, and the Dole Institute of Politics at 2350 Petefish Drive. The flagship university of the state of Kansas, and regarded as one of the most beautiful university campuses in the Heartland.

• Haskell Indian Nations UniversityHaskell has served as an institution of learning for Native Americans since 1884.

Massachusetts Street is the downtown shopping district. One can find anything from incense burners to sporting goods. Allergy sufferers, take note: several local merchants (the Dusty Bookshelf, Love Garden Sounds, and Sunflower Outdoor) have resident cats. The 23rd Street in the south has many shopping places and Iowa/31th Street is home to Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, and other big box stores.

• Limestone Pizza

  phone: +1 785 856-2825
  address: 814 Massachusetts
  Delicious, locally sourced, minimally processed & hand-crafted pizza.

• Pizza Shuttle

  phone: +1 785-842-1212
  Dirt cheap, open late. Everybody's top choice for post-bar dining.

• Pyramid Pizza

  phone: +1 785 842-3232
  address: 701 W 9th St
  Great pizza. Open Late. City-wide Delivery. Everyday walk-in special.

• Bigg's on Mass

  address: 719 Massachusetts
  Barbecue.

• India Palace

  phone: +1 785 331-4300
  address: 124 E. 10th St
  Authentic Indian food. Lunch buffet every day.

• Jade Garden

  phone: +1 785 843-8650
  address: 1410 Kasold Dr
  Chinese and Vietnamese food. Delivery available for orders over $10.

• Johnny's Tavern West

  address: 721 Wakarusa Dr
  Pizza, sandwiches and other bar food. Great place to watch a game or play pool.

• Kokoro

  phone: +1 785 838-4134
  address: 601 Kasold Dr
  Japanese grill and sushi.

• Rudy's Pizzeria

  phone: +1 785 749-0055
  address: 704 Massachusetts
  Unassuming location with great pizza. Free delivery.

• Sylas and Maddy's

  phone: +1 785 832-8323
  address: 1014 Massachusetts
  Sells Ice Cream

• Tortas Jalisco

  phone: +1 785 865-1515
  address: 534 Frontier
  Authentic Mexican food.

• Thai Siam

  phone: +1 785 331-2525
  address: 601 S. Kasold Dr
  Thai and Chinese food in what used to be a Subway (really).

• Yello Sub

  phone: +1 785 843-6000
  address: 1814 W. 23rd St
  Locally owned sandwich shop with a number of vegetarian options. Delivery available.

• Zen Zero

  phone: +1 785 832-0001
  address: 811 Massachusetts
  Thai, Nepalese, and Japanese noodle shop. Prices are low, and the atmosphere is casual.

• Encore Cafe

  phone: +1 785-856-3682
  address: 1007 Massachusetts St
  Specializes in Asian-American food, as well as bubble tea. Karaoke rooms available.

• Jefferson's

  phone: +1 785 832-2000
  address: 743 Massachusetts St
  Classic burgers, great fried chicken baskets, crinkle cut fries, oysters, and fried pickles

• The Burger Stand

  phone: +1 785 856-0543
  address: 803 Massachusetts Street
  Gourmet burgers, average price around $9.00 for a meal. $5.00 classic American burger basket 10PM to closing time.

Lawrence has a varied nightlife with a number of opportunities to see live music. For a calendar of upcoming shows, visit Lawrence.com

• The Bottleneck

  phone: +1 785 841-LIVE
  address: 737 New Hampshire
  Live music venue featuring a range of local and national rock music.

• Free State Brewing Company

  phone: +1 785 843-4555
  address: 636 Massachusetts
  This microbrewery and eatery claims to be the 'First Legal Brewery in Kansas'. Monday nights offer $1.50 pints of tasty microbrew.

• Fatso's

  phone: +1 785 865-4055
  address: 1016 Massachusetts A Pl
  To have a beer and enjoy some live music most nights of the week. Wednesday nights are the busiest here and usually have the best drink specials.

• Louise's

  phone: +1 785-843-9032
  address: 1009 Mass
  One of the few Lawrence bars frequented by both locals and students, featuring pool tables, foosball, and a double-decker heated outdoor smoking deck.

• The WheelCollege bar

• Replay Lounge

  phone: +1 785 749-7676
  address: 946 Massachusetts St
  Lawrence's home for local and national punk and indie rock. It's also has a collection of pinball machines and a large heated smoking porch to keep you from shivering while you smoke and swill your PBR.

Mid-range

• The Eldridge Hotel

  phone: +1 785-749-5011
  address: 701 Massachusetts St
  The Eldridge Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places - as one of the buildings that Quantrill burned during his raid of the city in 1863. It was renovated in the spring of 2005. Room rates climb higher the weekend of KU graduation.

• Halcyon House Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 785-841-0314
  address: 1000 Ohio St
  A lovely bed and breakfast with rooms to suit most budgets. Within walking distance to the city center (and all the shopping and eateries on Massachusetts St.) and the University of Kansas. Delicious homemade breakfast that will give you a good start to the day. Helpful tourist information is provided by the owners upon request.

• The Oread Hotel

  phone: +1 785-842-1200
  address: 1200 Oread Ave
  The Oread is a unique center for lodging, hospitality, business and social leisure activities.

Splurge

• TownePlace Downtown

  phone: +1 (785) 842-8800
  address: 900 New Hampshire St
  Great views overlooking the Kansas River

• Spring Hill Suites

  phone: +1 785 841-2700
  address: 1 Riverfront Plaza

• Lawrence Public Library

  phone: +1-785-843-3833
  address: 707 Vermont St
  home to thousands upon thousands of books and media, as well as a free, growing video game collection.

• Lawrence Post Office

• Overland Park
• Kansas City, MO
• Kansas City, KS
• Topeka