Permanent Exhibitions

Good Exhibits Ask Questions

 

Our permanent exhibition, Of Land and People, points viewers to a deeper questioning of our relationship with each other, faith, nature, and immigration. Special exhibitions are developed and exhibited in our gallery seasonally. Attend a related program or event to learn more about each exhibition. Sharing our ideas with other museums and cultural centers is possible through our Traveling Exhibitions. Book one today!

Permanent Exhibitions

Of Land & People: Mennonites of the Central Plains

Of Land and People tells the story of the coming of the Mennonites from Europe to the Central Plains in the 1870s, their encounters with the prairie environment and its peoples, and their continuing global relationship through service, mission and travel in the twentieth century.

Tallgrass Prairie Restoration

Begun in 1984, this 1.5 acre living exhibit reconstructs a fragment of the plant community that once flourished here at the western edge of the tallgrass prairie. As you walk from our parking lot to the Kauffman Museum interpretation building you’ll encounter over 15 grass species and more than 100 wildflower species.

Historic Farmstead and Gardens

The outdoors farmstead includes buildings originally constructed between 1875 and 1886 which were moved to the Kauffman Museum grounds from farms in southcentral Kansas.

Mennonite Immigrant Furniture

Kauffman Museum presents Mennonite immigrant furniture with origins in the Vistula Delta of present day Poland. The special collection contains handcrafted furniture brought by Mennonites from Prussia, Poland and South Russia to the Great Plains of North America in the 1870s and 1880s or built by their first-generation descendents. 

Mirror of the Martyrs

A Kauffman Museum Traveling Exhibition that is on display when not touring. This exhibition recalls the drama of people of authority–obedient to crown and church–torturing and killing Anabaptist Christians, people who claimed a higher obedience. The exhibition is based on martyr stories depicted in word and image in the illustrated 1685 edition of the Martyrs Mirror.

Watch, Listen, Learn

Get a quick introduction to Kauffman Museum in our 7.5 minute video. Learn more about our design process or our traveling exhibits and watch curator interviews by exploring videos on our YouTube channel.

Podcasts enhance the interpretation of our exhibits by exploring ideas that bridge multiple themes or expand on the history of selected artifacts or natural history specimens. Check out our audio stories to prepare for your visit or simply for pleasure!

VISIT US

27th and North Main St.
North Newton, KS 67117
Across from the main campus of
Bethel College

CONTACT US

(316) 283-1612
kauffman@bethelks.edu
Mailing address:
300 E. 27th Street
North Newton, KS, 67117-1716

HOURS

Tue-Fri  9:30am-4:30pm
Sat-Sun 1:30pm-4:30pm
Closed Mondays and
Major Holidays