WELCOME TO HAYS, KANSAS
ABOUT HAYS
The foundation for the city of Hays was laid in August of 1867 as a key location of the Union Pacific Railways, connecting the east to the west. The town was renamed Fort Hays in 1866 in honor of General Alexander Hays, a Union general killed during the Civil War in 1864. Due to the city’s proximity to the railroad tracks and the military post at Fort Hays, it attracted an assorted group of people from railroad workers, migrants, business owners, farmers, but also other disreputable characters that made the history of Hays as notorious and interesting as it is known to be today. Initially the city gained quite the questionable reputation thanks to the presence of the infamous Wild Bill Hicock who served as a Special Marshal, a known reckless man, who has over seven kills to his name alone. The early history of Hays is replete with stories of duels, bloodshed and murders led by a class of infamous men that has forever been preserved in the old stone structures dotted across the city of Hays. Today, Hays successfully continues to modernize itself as it straddles its checkered past with forging a path into the future.
Hays is home to Fort Hays State University, the fourth largest university in the state of Kansas. A vibrant college town like Hays attracts students and other working professionals from all over the country and the world, including the two of us! Today Hays boasts as a center of learning, small businesses and culture for western Kansas. Hays is home to about 20,000 people from all backgrounds and continues to display it rich historical heritage at Historic Fort Hays, Ellis County Historical Museum and the Sternberg Museum and Natural History. Downtown Hays is where the past and the present meet. The renovated historic brick buildings of downtown Hays from the past today houses specialty shops, boutiques and a multitude of dining options to choose from. Whatever your heart may desire, we assure you will find it in Hays.
WHERE WE ARE
Hays is centrally located between Kansas City and Denver, making it a great place to stop for a bite to eat, or an overnight stay. Also served by Hays Regional Airport, with daily flights to and from Denver, CO.