Elk City Reservoir : Five miles northwest of Independence, 620-331-0315 - Admission: Kansas Wildlife and Park fees apply - Hours: Open year round - Offers: A variety of outdoor recreation and forms a lake featuring a shoreline nearly 50 miles long. It offers excellent opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping, boating, swimming, bird watching, hiking, and picnicking. Two of the six hiking trails in the state of Kansas to receive the National Trails designation. Water and electric hook-ups are available.
Independence Science and Technology Center : 125 S. Penn Ave., 620-331-1999 - Admission: $1.50 - Hours: Monday-Saturday 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. - Offers: This attraction houses a wide variety of exhibits that invite visitors to examine and experiment. Register on a computer, hear sounds on the echo tub, ride the anti-gravity simulator, or experience the hair-raising Van de Graaff generator. You may even want to visit with the life-like Albert Einstein. Memberships and groups available.
Ralph Mitchell Zoo : Intersection of Penn Ave. and Oak Street, adjacent to Riverside Park, - 620-331-2512 - Admission: Free - Hours: Daily, 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Offers: The zoo residents include sun bears, buffalo, monkeys, cougars, a swan pond, caimans, eagles, and a flock of tame peacocks that roam the grounds at will. One of the more famous inhabitants was Miss Able, the first monkey in space. She resided at Monkey Island until her blast off in 1960.
Special Events & Other Area Attractions : William Inge Theatre Festival - April - Kansas Sampler Festival - May - Little House on the Prairie - Prairie Day Festival - June & October - Neewollah Festival - Halloween Festival - October - Historial Museum - Independence Museum - Riverside Park & Zoo - Independence Golf Course - Neewollah Festival - Riverside Park and Zoo - William Inge Theater - Elk City Reservoir - Ralph Mitchell Zoo