Newly restored Constitution Hall in Topeka set to reopen

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A historic building in downtown Topeka is getting ready to reopen to the public this fall.

The Shawnee County Historical Society said in a social media post that Constitution Hall in Topeka will officially be reopened on Saturday, Sept. 27 with a presentation program called “Underground Railroad on the Western Frontier” that runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the event. Attendees will learn about the western routes of the Underground Railroad during this presentation.

Constitution Hall is one of the more significant buildings in Kansas. Built in 1855, the building housed the Topeka Constitutional Convention and would eventually become the temporary capitol. It was here where delegates assembled to draft the Topeka Constitution, which called Kansas territorial citizens to reject slavery and form the abolitionist cause.

The building has been under restoration for 25 years. Constitution Hall received a $3.75 million BASE grant in 2022 to cover the restoration and transformation, allowing the building to continue to inspire new generations of Kansans.

“We have all but completed restoration of Constitution Hall Topeka and constructed the adjacent new welcome building, ” Historic site manager for Friends of the Free State Capitol Chris Meinhardt told 27 News. “Friends of the Free State Capitol purchased Constitution Hall in 1998 and has since restored this nationally important building.  The project was awarded highly competitive Save America’s Treasures funding to complete the restoration and improve public access. Private donors, and grant funding by the Kansas Department of Commerce, City of Topeka, and the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom also brought about this completion.” 

The Shawnee County Historical Society said the upcoming event in September will feature a symposium exploring western routes of the Underground Railroad and include presentations from historians Diane Miller, Todd Mildfelt and Darryl Hogan. Following the program, there will be refreshments, as well as a special exhibit of photographs from Stephen Marc’s “Passage on the Underground Railroad.” Guests will also be allowed to explore the newly renovated building.

All programs are free to Historical Society members, however, non members will be asked to donate $5  to attend. You can find Constitution Hall at 429 South Kansas Avenue in Topeka.

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