When the gun fired at noon on September 16, 1893, the great Cherokee Strip Land Rush was under way! It was a race for land, and when all was said and done 42,000 claims had been staked in a 50x200-mile area, primarily in Oklahoma Territory. Those who had come for land had spent days or months primarily in seven Kansas towns to secure permits and make preparations for the race. Museum exhibits and historic photos present a fascinating overview of this largest land race in world history. More area history is presented in displays of the 1942 Strother Army Air Field, early Arkansas City businesses, and American Indians. Featuring live farm animals, a garden, and pond, the Bill Baird Memorial Pioneer Farm & Garden gives visitors a sense of farm life and animal husbandry at the turn of the 19th century. The Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum is a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas History because it depicts the history of the largest and last land rush (race for land) in the history of America. Admission charge.