Get a blast of the past in this western Kansas state capital, which was founded in 1854 by a group of anti-slavery activists and later played a key role in the civil-rights movement. Visit the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site, which celebrates those involved in the 1954 Supreme Court decision that deemed segregated schools unconstitutional. Continue your back-in-time travel at Ward Meade Park, which features an early 1900s town, Victorian mansion, one-room schoolhouse and log cabins. View aircraft dating from World War I at the Combat Air Museum, and visit Cedar Crest, the historic Governor's home, overlooking the Kansas River. Topeka is known for its world-class motor-racing site, Heartland Park Topeka, with its record-breaking quarter-mile drag strip. The city also has its share of cultural attractions in the form of numerous art galleries, live theatre and local symphony and opera companies. For a great family outing, head over to the Topeka Zoological Park for a visit to the tropical rainforest, naturalistic bear dwelling and the children's petting zoo, featuring llamas and sheep.  More info