Smith Center Hotels: Where to Stay in Kansas
Hotels in Smith Center, KS with sourced addresses and phones. See motels, a Victorian bed and breakfast, RV parks and backup hotels in Phillipsburg.
Sammie O
Smith Center is a small Kansas town on US Route 36, and the lodging list is short. You can book a motel, a Victorian bed and breakfast, an RV site, or a hunting lodge. Several older listings point to places we could not find, so we dropped them. This guide covers the hotels in Smith Center, KS and the motels we could confirm, flags the gaps, and shows where to look when every room in town is full. Addresses and phone numbers come from the Smith Center city tourism site and from booking sites. Rates change daily, so we do not quote them.
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Hotels in Smith Center, KS: Where to Stay Now
Table of Contents
Buckshot Inn
Buckshot Inn stands at 117 West Highway 36, Smith Center, KS 66967. Call 785-282-6644. The city tourism site lists the property as a motel with bunkhouses and gives the website buckshotinn.com.
We could not open the property website, so we cannot confirm room types, amenities, or check-in times. The old version of this guide said the inn offers free Wi-Fi and clean rooms. We found no source for those details, so ask when you call.
Pick Buckshot Inn if you want a motel on the main highway or a bunkhouse for a group. Ask how many beds each bunkhouse holds, and ask about parking, pets, and payment methods.
US Center Motel and Long Term Stay Apartments
This property sits at 116 East Highway 36, right next to Buckshot Inn. Hotels.com lists check-in from 3:00 PM and check-out at 11:00 AM. Guests must be 18 or older to check in.
The listing names free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, cable TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, daily housekeeping, and a 24-hour front desk. Pets stay for a nightly fee, and service animals are exempt. The listing shows eight room types, from single beds to suites for up to seven guests. Hotels.com also notes Wagner Park is a short walk away.
Only one booking site gave us these details, so treat them as unconfirmed. The listing shows no phone number. The same listing says the property has no on-site parking, so ask about parking before you drive in. A museum postcard shows a motel with this name at the junction of US 36 and US 281 in earlier decades, so the business has a long history in town.
Choose this property if you want a longer stay. The apartment option and the kitchen-style extras suit workers, hunters, and families on the road for several days.
Prairie Winds Motel and Apartments
The address 740 East Highway 36 appears under two names. The city lodging page lists Home On The Range Lodging with a motel and apartments. The city dining and lodging page lists Prairie Winds Motel and Apartments at the same address. Both pages give the phone number 785-282-6608.
A rebrand could explain the change, but we could not confirm one. Do not confuse this property with the Home on the Range RV Park in Athol. The city site states the two are not affiliated.
We found no official amenity list. Call 785-282-6608, ask for the current name, and confirm room types, rates, and pet rules before you pay.
Ingleboro Mansion Bed and Breakfast
Ingleboro Mansion Bed and Breakfast stands at 319 North Main Street in Smith Center. The old version of this guide placed the mansion in Osborne. Both city lodging pages list the address in Smith Center, so we corrected the location. The phone number is 910-233-3930.
The city site describes Victorian style comfort, a hospitality lounge, and suites with one to three bedrooms. The suites have private baths. The listing also names wireless internet, a kitchen, and laundry facilities.
Both pages come from the same city tourism source, so confirm details by phone. Ask about breakfast service, check-in times, and the suite layouts. Pick the mansion if you want a historic setting, extra space, and a kitchen.
Guesthouses, Airbnb Rentals, and Hunting Lodges
The city site lists several rentals in place of a chain hotel. The Westside Guesthouse at 319 West New York Street offers a two bedroom, two bathroom furnished home. Call 785-282-1283. HBIC at 115 West Francis Street lists Airbnb properties. Call 785-250-7071.
Country hunting lodges serve seasonal visitors. Country Lodgings LLC at 4062 O Road offers year-round hunting and fishing stays. The city dining and lodging page lists 785-389-6281 for the business. Deer Creek Hunt Club at 18022 M Road offers lodging and controlled hunts. Call 602-499-1177. Walnut Creek Lodge at 14042 40 Road offers a fully equipped house for hunting and community events. Skyline Property at 2041 N Road is listed as a country hunting lodge. Call 785-282-6790.
We did not verify any of these rentals beyond the city listings. Call first, because rental homes and lodges often book by the week or by the group.
RV Parks and Campgrounds Near Smith Center
Leisure Living RV Park and Campground sits at 920 North Main Street. The city site lists 12 full hookup sites with 20, 30, and 40 amp service. The park also lists tent sites, mobile home sites, and rates from overnight to long term. The park stays open year-round. Call 785-787-3561 or 785-787-2037.
Sunset Campgrounds sits at 623 White Rock Road in Smith Center. The city site lists the phone as 785-282-0926 on one page and gives no phone on the other. We found no list of sites or fees, so call before you plan around the park.
Home on the Range RV Park and Campsite sits at 103 Pine Street in Athol, Kansas. The city site lists 16 full service spaces with 20, 30, and 50 amp service, water, dump stations, pull through sites, and tent sites. The park stays open year-round. Call 785-620-7771.
Where Else to Stay: Hotels Near Smith Center
If every room in Smith Center is full, you must drive to another town. The listing site Hotel Guides says no hotels sit inside Smith Center and names nearby options. This claim conflicts with the city site, so we show both views and trust the city listings for local motels.
Rodeway Inn and Suites Phillipsburg stands at 130 US 36 East in Phillipsburg, Kansas. Hotel Guides lists the distance as 28 miles and notes free breakfast, an elevator, and pet-friendly rooms. The old version of this guide also named an indoor pool, microwaves, and fridges. We could not reconfirm those extras, so ask the hotel.
Econo Lodge Phillipsburg stands at 320 West State Street. Hotel Guides lists the distance as 29 miles, 32 rooms across two floors, and free breakfast. The listing says dogs up to 50 pounds are allowed.
Drop Tyne Lodge stands at 104 16th Avenue in Franklin, Nebraska. Hotel Guides lists the distance as 24 miles, 15 single-story rooms, a smoke-free policy, and pet-friendly rooms. We found one source, so confirm by phone.
Check a map for current driving times and road conditions, especially in winter. We did not verify drive times ourselves.
Smith Center Hotels Near Home on the Range Cabin
The Home on the Range Cabin is the best-known attraction near Smith Center. Dr. Brewster Higley built the log cabin in 1875 beside Beaver Creek. He wrote the poem Home on the Range in 1872 while he lived in a dugout on the same land. Dan Kelley later set the poem to music, and the song became the Kansas state song. The National Register of Historic Places listed the cabin on 26 March 1973. The Peoples Heartland Foundation owns the site, and a 2013 restoration returned the cabin to its 1870s look.
Kansas Public Radio reports the cabin sits about 20 miles outside Smith Center and opens to visitors daily from sunrise to sunset. Check with the foundation before you go, because hours and access can change.
Smith Center is the nearest town with beds and meals. A stay at any motel on Highway 36 puts you on the road to the cabin, so book a room in town and drive out for the day.
Things to Do While You Stay in Smith Center
Kansas Public Radio describes Smith Center as a town near the geographic center of the contiguous United States. The town has about 1,600 residents. Wikipedia reports a 2020 population of 1,571 and places the town at the junction of US Routes 281 and 36. The same source puts Smith Center about 77 miles north of Russell and Interstate 70.
The city site lists several places to eat. Options include Casey’s General Store, Gene’s Heartland Foods Deli, Jiffy Burger, Las Canteras Mexican Restaurant, Pete’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, and Cross-Eyed Cricket Coffee. The site says Pete’s serves barbecue and smoked prime rib on Friday and Saturday. Confirm hours by phone before you go.
The old version of this guide also named the Harlan County Dam Playhouse and Glen Elder State Park. We did not verify either place for this update, so we left both out. Check a current Kansas tourism source before you plan a trip around them.
The Listings We Dropped
The old guide named Shady Grove Cabins Motel. We found no listing for this property in the city lodging pages or on booking sites. Do not plan a stay there until you find a working phone number.
The old guide also named Home On The Range Lodging as a separate property with potential amenities. The city site confirms a property at 740 East Highway 36 under the first name and as Prairie Winds Motel and Apartments. We removed the guessed amenities.
The old guide listed Ingleboro Mansion in Osborne. The city site places the property in Smith Center. We fixed the location.
How to Choose a Smith Center Hotel or Motel
Highway travelers do best at Buckshot Inn or US Center Motel. Both sit on Highway 36 and make a simple overnight stop.
Long stays and work trips point to US Center Motel, Prairie Winds Motel, or a furnished rental such as the Westside Guesthouse. Each lists apartments or full homes.
Couples and anyone who wants a historic setting should call Ingleboro Mansion. The suites have private baths and a kitchen.
Hunters should start with the lodges and guesthouses on the city list. Ask each host about group size, meals, and seasonal dates.
RV and tent travelers should call Leisure Living or Home on the Range RV Park. Both list full hookups and year-round operation.
Before you pay, confirm the property name on the building, the cancellation policy, parking, and front desk hours for late arrivals. Ask for the total with taxes and fees. Prices shift by date, so compare the total on two booking sites and by phone.
What We Checked and What We Could Not
We took the property names, addresses, phone numbers, and camping details from the Smith Center city tourism pages. We took the US Center Motel details from Hotels.com and a Fort Hays State University postcard record. We took the nearby hotels from Hotel Guides. We took the cabin history from Wikipedia and Kansas Public Radio.
We could not confirm current rates, room counts, amenities at Buckshot Inn, the owner behind the Prairie Winds name, or the parking claim at US Center Motel. Phone numbers and policies change. Confirm each detail with the property before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hotels are in Smith Center, KS?
The city site lists two motels on Highway 36, Buckshot Inn and Prairie Winds Motel and Apartments. Booking sites also list US Center Motel and Long Term Stay Apartments. Ingleboro Mansion offers a bed and breakfast stay. Rentals, lodges, and RV parks add more choices.
Where is the best place to stay in Smith Center, Kansas?
The answer depends on your trip. Buckshot Inn and US Center Motel suit highway stops. Ingleboro Mansion suits a historic stay. The Westside Guesthouse suits groups. Call first, because we could not confirm amenities at every property.
Is Ingleboro Mansion in Smith Center?
Yes. The city tourism site lists the address as 319 North Main Street in Smith Center. An older version of this guide placed the property in Osborne, and we corrected the error.
Are there RV parks near Smith Center?
Yes. Leisure Living RV Park and Campground in Smith Center lists 12 full hookup sites. Home on the Range RV Park in Athol lists 16 full service spaces. Sunset Campgrounds also serves the area. Call each park to confirm sites and fees.
Where can I stay if Smith Center is full?
Phillipsburg, Kansas has Rodeway Inn and Suites and Econo Lodge. Franklin, Nebraska has Drop Tyne Lodge. Hotel Guides lists distances of 24 to 29 miles, so check a map for current drive times.
How far is the Home on the Range Cabin from Smith Center?
Kansas Public Radio places the cabin about 20 miles outside town. The cabin opens daily from sunrise to sunset. Confirm access with the Peoples Heartland Foundation before you drive out.
Conclusion
Smith Center offers a short but real lodging list. Buckshot Inn, US Center Motel, and Prairie Winds Motel cover the highway stops. Ingleboro Mansion adds a historic bed and breakfast. Rentals, lodges, and RV parks fill the gaps. Call ahead, confirm the current property name and policies, and use Phillipsburg as a backup when the town is full.
Not the right town? See every Kansas guide.
Sammie O publishes Germ Trips, a travel guide covering hotels, restaurants, airport transfers and chauffeur services. The guides aim for practical detail and a clear recommendation rather than an undifferentiated list. Where a town has no good option, the guides say so and point to the nearest one that does. Guides are AI drafted. A small number have been checked against official listings, and those say so on the page.
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