Visit Baldwin City

In many ways, Baldwin City is here at the pleasure of Baker University. The university was founded first, founded by Methodists in pursuit of education, abolition, and the American Dream, drawn by the Santa Fe Trail and the railroad. The town supports staff, faculty, and students who choose to live off campus. The University returns the support through a highly-educated citizenry, time investment and cross over to the local school system, student labor, and a steady flow of alumni and parents.

It is a diverse, peaceful cohabitation of humanity - living, learning, working, and growing together. Brick streets encircle campus, widening out to 8th and High Streets where the heart of the historic downtown reigns. Downtown businesses are an eclectic mix of new, old, and up-and-coming. There are business owners who have been here for decades, those who have inherited family businesses, and entrepreneurs chasing the dream of a lifetime: working where they live, play, and raise their families.

Downtown has a park-like quality, exceedingly walkable and friendly. In the evening you'll find families out walking, young dancers practicing, kids playing in the splash pad at Sullivan Square in the summer, and the Lumberyard Arts Center is open for events private or public.

Many buildings were built in the early 1900's and are generally still in good structural condition. The brick streets downtown are lined with these buildings and give one the feeling that this place has been here a long time. It's not uncommon to come across someone from out of town looking around and asking, "Are you from here? Can you tell me about the history of your town?"

Downtown is the cultural center of Baldwin. The Dance Academy and Lumberyard Arts Center operate downtown, as well as Quilter's Paradise, a business that has made us the official Quilt Capital of Kansas. The murals remind you that you aren't in any ordinary downtown -- you are in a vibrant, creative, and inclusive place.

A thriving arts community warms the atmosphere, bestowing murals, galleries, an arts boutique, a community newspaper, and all manner of clubs, events, and activities. The public library and Baker University host historic archives and promote research. 

The roots are here in Baldwin City. Deep, strong, stable roots drawing from the deep springs of historic trails and large population centers. Work ethic, community, education, and family are our strongest values. These are reflected in the hand laid brick streets and renovated storefronts, the silent Sunday morning shops listening to church bells, the faces of happy children and friends laughing at the Maple Leaf Festival or the local bakery.