Do you know the 8 wonders of Kansas? Many of you right now may be saying; What even is there in Kansas? Well, if you are saying that, I’m about to tell you all about one of the eight wonders of Kansas, the Greensburg Well. The Greensburg Well, otherwise known as; “The Big Well,” is considered to be the eighth wonder of Kansas and is also the world’s largest hand dug well. This well can be found in Greensburg Kansas and is 32 ft wide and 109 ft deep.
The well was originally dug in 1887-1888 by men using only picks, shovels, a pulley, a rope, and half a barrel for hauling dirt. 28 years later, in 1916, a staircase and lighting was added. The well wasn’t officially opened for tourists though, until 1939. This was how the well stayed until 10 years later, when the worlds largest Pallasite Meteorite was discovered by a local farmer. All was well in Greensburg, Kansas until May 4th, of 2007. On this date a mile-wide tornado hit the town of Greensburg. 11 residents died from the tornado, although the below-ground well and meteorite suffered minor damage from the tornado.
If you drive through the town of Greensburg now, you will soon see the terrifying story of the deadly twister that ran over the town only a little over a decade ago. The town soon rebuilt itself and the well reopened 5 years later, with a museum which tells the story of the town and its disaster. A new staircase was added to the well to suggest the tornado. The Big Well Museum is now said to cost roughly $3 million. 
The museum now contains many significant debris from the deathly tornado, such as the tornado siren and a clock that stopped directly when the tornado hit. The gift shop also contains many souvenirs of things that were destroyed from the tornado, like the wells old staircase. The best part of the well is said to be the thrill of walking down to the bottom of the well. Along the staircase of the well there are many small balconies onlooking the downfall of the well, allowing the tourists to look straight down without the worry of falling. The inside of the well is said to have a cool, humid interior, with slick walls, as for the bottom of the well is said to be littered with loose change, so watch your head, you wouldn’t want to be hit with a penny falling from above.
Although many people may think Kansas is home to just many hills and plains, the state actually has much more to offer if you just give it a chance. The Big Well in Greensburg, Kansas is not only the world’s largest hand-dug well, but also tells the amazing story of the town’s history and horrible disaster. You can read more about the Greensburg Well and museum at https://www.bigwell.org/.
