Bonner Springs has all its marbles

People who have lived in the area a number of years are probably familiar with Bonner Springs, that same burb we passed through two weeks ago, going north on K-7 en route to Fort Leavenworth.

Bonner Springs, 8 miles north of Olathe, has become synonymous with events like the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, concerts at Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone, and places like Camp Naish and the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame.

But what many people might not know, even the old-timers, is that Bonner Springs is home to one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas in Commerce, an honor sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

Before you lose all your marbles trying to figure out what it is, all you need to do is think about marbles, because the wonder is The Moon Marble Company, located at 600 Front St. To get there, take K-32 west off K-7, and look for the wacky sign on your left.

Moon Marble is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Demonstration hours start "around" 10:30 a.m. and end by 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The owners recommend people show up at least one-half hour before 4 p.m. to see a demonstration.

Bus tours and large groups need to call ahead, 441-1432.

Go to www.moonmarble.com to get more information.

First-time visitors to Moon Marble probably will be shocked to find out that, although a person can buy just about any kind of marble imaginable, the only marbles made there are during the demonstrations by owner and artisan Bruce Breslow.

"We don't mass produce marbles here," he said. "We don't have the manpower or the space."

Then why own a marble company?

Breslow said he had a love for marbles from childhood - the Bumble-Bees, Cub Scouts and Puries, to name a few. He had made wooden toys and game boards for years, but finding the kind of marbles he remembered was difficult until he found a company in North Carolina that makes marbles.

That led to the opening of Moon Marble in 1997, where the mass-produced, machine-made marbles can be purchased. They come in a variety of colors, designs and sizes, ranging from Pee-Wees to Shooters to Boulders to the 50mm Toebreakers.

Breslow enjoys demonstrating how marbles used to be made, especially in front of school groups and older adults who are young at heart and remember the fun they had playing marbles. After the demonstration, youngsters get a "tube" of marbles, an "ugly Buck" for one free marble from the special box, then are taken into another room where they can "knuckle down" and learn to play a game of marbles.

People buy the marbles to collect and sometimes to play with, Breslow said.

The store also has traditional toys and games, antique marble toys, posters, various other games and gifts as well as the "largest pair of underwear in the world" hanging on a clothesline.

Where did the name come from?

"When I was a kid we had marbles called Moonies," Breslow said. "We weren't sure how people would react if we called it Moonies; we were afraid they might think of something else, so we paired it down to Moon. And it stuck."

But parents, be forewarned: Not only will your kids want to buy things, so will you.

Time for lunch? Head east on Highway 32, nearly two miles past the K-7 interchange and look on the north side for the Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que sign at 11610 Kaw Drive; phone 422-4210.

Make sure you and the little ones are hungry, especially if anyone orders the "Destroyer," the mega sandwich piled with three meats of your choice.

Appetizers range from jalapeno poppers and deep fried okra to corn nuggets, horseradish pickle chips and breaded mushrooms. Dinners range from ribs and burnt ends to Hannah's Heavenly Chicken Fingers.

Try to save room for dessert.

Once you've been, you will want to go back again and again to sample all Papa Bob's fare.

Now, if you've never been to the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame, it can be tricky to find.

Get back on K-7 and head north. Once you past the I-70 exit, take the next right, which is Riverview Avenue. There is no sign and the road looks old and as if it leads to nowhere, but in less than a mile, you will see Hall of Fame Drive. Turn left and you will see the Ag Hall of Fame on the left. It is worth the effort to find it.

The museum's exhibits span more than 100 years of the farming industry and community. Featured attractions include a large collection of machinery and implements, an early 1900s rural community, a ride on a miniature narrow-gauge train on Sundays and during special events, and the National Poultry Museum, which opened just last month.

Special events this year include Tractor Daze on July 11.

On the second Saturday of the month, youngsters can listen to "Farm Tales" from 10 a.m. to noon.

Go to www.aghalloffame.com.

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