Today is Kansas Day, a celebration of all things Kansas.

Kansas, known as the Sunflower State, entered the union as the 34th state on January 29th, 1861.

Hundreds of area students and teachers are celebrating Kansas statehood in Salina all this week. Grade school children are participating in special activities at the Smoky Hill Museum. The children, all third-graders, are learning what life was like for pioneers back in 1861. Activities include shelling and grinding corn, packing a covered wagon, and playing some of the same games pioneer children played.

Along with the Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair, it is one of the largest events of the year at the museum.

This weekend the museum is hosting a similar event for the public. Saturday afternoon a free Kansas Day Open House will be held from 1:00 till 3:00.

Visitors will be able to try their hand at a few activities pioneers. There will also be make and take crafts, cupcakes, and door prizes.

Kansas Day has been celebrated around the state since 1877. Kansas Day is not a public holiday, but it is a state-wide observation.