History of the Waconda Cultural Association

In 2017, the Mitchell County Convention and Tourism Director, Glen Elder State Park Manager, and Mitchell County Historical Society Director, met to discuss developing the history of the Waconda Mineral Springs at the Glen Elder State Park. Repairs to the Springs Replica and utilizing the renovated Visitor Center as a small museum and education center were discussed.

For the Visitor Center development, Glen Elder State Park was awarded a grant from the Solomon Valley Community Foundation to repurpose the inside as a small museum with displays and artifacts. The Waconda Visitor and Education Center hosted a grand opening on Saturday, June 30, 2018.

Realizing the project was large and that more people would be interested in the history, the project was taken to a Solomon Valley Community Foundation Strategic Doing meeting in the fall of 2017. 

At that meeting, ten additional people expressed their interest in the Waconda Springs history and activities at Glen Elder State Park. 

It was decided the short-term goal would be to open the visitor center building as the Waconda Visitor and Education Center, and secondly renovate the Waconda Springs Replica adding educational signage.

Waconda Springs Replica

For sustainability of activities and securing grants, a board of directors was formed from volunteers, and paperwork to form a 501c3 was submitted.

The Waconda Cultural Association was formerly authorized by the state of Kansas on June 5, 2018.
 
Board members were now prepared to finalize plans for renovating the Waconda Springs Replica and adding educational signage.  Funds for signage and renovation were made possible by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and completed by January 2020. 

Additional funds to purchase a viewfinder and buoy marking the location of the original mineral springs were made possible by the Solomon Valley Community Foundation in December, 2019. 

Waconda Cultural Association continues to support development and activities at the Glen Elder State Park.

Waconda Visitor and Education Center