Trail Days Cafe & Museum is located in the West part of Council Grove on Hwy 56. It is housed in an old stone home built in 1861. The Santa Fe Trail went right in front of the house.
An Indian pictograph was uncovered under layers of paint on the original back door area. The pictograph dates back to 1862 and is a memorial to a warrior who died in battle.
The food served in this stone house is historic as well as the suroundings. You will find American Indian food such as Elk and Buffalo first on the menu. Next comes Old World food, such as Italian, French, English, Scotch-Irish, Swedish, and German. Third, because settlers came from back East, we have Early American food such as Ham and Beans, Brisket, Salmon Patties, etc. Fourth we have 20th Century food which covers the American Farm meal such as fried chicken and meatloaf, as well as Town square sanwiches. The towns in the midwest were built around the Courthouse square. The final items on the menu are vegetarian to recognize the vegetarian colony that came to Kansas in the 1800's to settle.
The labor at the cafe is done by a volunteer couple who, dressed in period costume, love to share historic stories and information.
The owner is a non-profit organization, called Historic Preservation Corp. The stone home that houses the Trail Days Cafe & Museum is referred to as the Terwilliger Home and sits on grounds that has historically been called Maple Camp, so named for all the Maple trees on the grounds. Only one of the original Maple trees remains.
The buildings on the Maple Camp complex are: a 1902 Country school, an 1858 log house inside a barn, a 1943 cabin which housed WWII personnel, a 1930 tourist cabin, a 1947 grocery store being converted to an Arts and History Center and the 1861 stone home, referred to as the Terwilliger Home, which houses the Trail Days Cafe & Museum.
A unique five sensory experience with the past is offered here where you can see, smell, touch, hear and acually taste history.
It is easy to fall in love with history here where it smells, tastes, looks, sounds and feels so good.
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