There is something strange going on in a small town smack dab in
the middle of Kansas. Mind you the unusual activity hinges on a little-
known collection that the town had kept secret for over forty years.
Like so many small towns across rural America Geneseo, Kansas
(Pop. 200) is crumbling from economic decline. Downtown business is
all but gone. Consolidation had robbed the town of its schools, people
moved away, and businesses failed. Today little remains to build toward
the future. But Geneseo had that secret…
If anything could draw attention to the fading little town on the
Kansas plains it was the collection no one wanted to talk about. It all
began with Dr.. E. D. Janzen, a man with a passion for learning. He had
graduated from the Moody Bible Institute, learned ventriloquism and
brail, and obtained degrees in Chiropractic, Naturopathy, Swedish
massage, and auctioneering. Janzen loved his hometown and took up the
task of chronicling its history. He collected thousands of photographs
from local family albums and turned them into slides for programs at
churches, clubs, and schools.
But it was his passion for one special collection that branded Doc Janzen
as a crackpot. The nearly forgotten 1950’s – 70’s UFO cultural
collection procured in an uncertain era of atomic bombs and rumors of
secretive government knowledge of flying saucers was languishing on
the walls and shelves of this little-known museum in small town Kansas.
July 6, 2024 the third annual Kansas UFO Day celebrates flying
saucers, aliens, and all things outer space at the Geneseo City Museum.
The Roswell Compass adds an air of mystery. Spend a moment of
wonder contemplating the origin of the 1947 era flying saucer compass
etched into the concrete outside the museum.
Additionally, the legendary images of Gort and Klaatu from the
1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still are coming to Dimension G.
Gort will be installed on the grounds at a full height of eight feet
accompanied by Klaatu.
With a 40% contribution from An Attraction Development
Grant from the Tourism Division of the Kansas Department of
Commerce the museum directors have moved forward to bring Gort &
Klaatu to the UFO Capital of Kansas. The Kansas motto “To the Stars,”
takes on a new dimension within Dimension G in the middle of Kansas.
Join in the fun at Geneseo, Kansas for Kansas UFO Day, July 6,
2024.
Geneseo City Museum contacts:
Facebook @ Geneseo City Museum
Website @ geneseomuseum.com
Email @ [email protected]
Phone @ 785-531-2058
