Rural America is full of interesting things to see and a road trip is always filled with varied experiences. People passing through Southeastern Kansas have plenty of quaint and interesting places to visit but one of the more fascinating places to go to is Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum. This gem of a museum is a repository of a large variety of farm tools and household objects that are no longer in use these days but were once a very important part of life.
Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum is located on a small farm near Columbus, Kansas which is on the outskirts of Pittsburg. The drive up to this farm and the museum it houses is quite enjoyable since it takes one through the heart of rural Kansas which is without a doubt a very picturesque place at any time of the year. It is fairly easy to reach it from US 69, the nearest highway, and there are plenty of signboards to direct visitors to it.
Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum is the labor of love of Ted Houser, a longtime resident of Cherokee County, Kansas. Now deceased, Ted was a much beloved and well-known member of the local community. Visitors are fascinated to learn that most of the objects on display in the museum have actually been put to use some time or the other on the Hauser family farm. The farm itself has been in the possession of the family for over a century.
Apart from farm equipment used by the Houser family over the past century, the Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum also contains many objects that have been collected by Ted. For instance, the museum contains more than 70 different tractors. Many of the pieces of equipment found in this museum are no longer in production these days which makes it a must-visit place for antique-equipment aficionados. One of the most interesting things in the museum is a John Deere wagon dating from the beginning of the 1900s that was one of the most important pieces of equipment on the farm. Speaking of this brand, farmers can still get John Deere Tractors for sale, for example, in the hopes of upgrading equipment and be able to produce results when it comes to regular lawn maintenance.
The farm implements are put on very casual display in Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum and visitors are encouraged to potter around and take a good look at everything. Most of the farm implements are unrecognizable to city dwellers and even to modern day farmers. Even so, this is a truly interesting place to visit because this is truly a bit of Americana that is quickly passing out of use and into history books.
Ted’s Old Iron Farm and Museum attracts a wide range of visitors. Many people are road trippers eager to experience rural America up close. The museum is also a great place for people who are looking for spare parts for vintage equipment and farm vehicles. The museum is not a fancy place but it is definitely worth a visit if one happens to be passing through the area because it can give visitors an enjoyable and informative couple of hours.
