Ensor Park & Museum Events
The museum is open to the public from 1-5 PM every Saturday and Sunday in May, June, September, and October. For group tours outside the regular hours, please submit a request via the online Contact Form.
2024
Saturday, May 4 – Opening day of the spring tour season!
Saturday, May 11. 1PM – 7 PM. Ensorfest ’24
Saturday, October 12 – Johnson County Radio Amateurs Club Ensor Auction 2024
Raffle – Auction – Campfire – Trunk Sale – Cookout
Activities start on Friday night with Trunk sale, meeting and cookout followed by Auction on Saturday morning. This is a fundraising event where 1/2 of proceeds go to support Ensor and the other half the club. More information here: www.w0erh.org
Check back for updated details on more great 2024 Ensor Park and Museum Events.
Past events
2023
January 28. Kansas Day Special Event.
Special amateur radio operating event to commemorate the 162nd anniversary of the admission of Kansas, the 34th State of the United States.
June 3. 82nd anniversary of the ceremony to present the 1940 William S. Paley Amateur Radio Award to Marshall Ensor
Special amateur radio operating event to commemorate the achievement of Marshall, who was presented the 1940 William S. Paley Amateur Radio Award at a gala luncheon in NYC on June 2, 1941. W9BSP will operate from one or more stations on the museum grounds from 10 AM to 3 PM. One of them will operate from the Radio Room of the Ensor farmhouse, within arm’s reach of Marshall’s kilowatt transmitter. Frequencies 14.250 14.055 10.115 7.250. QSL to ATTN: The Olathe Ensor Foundation, ℅ Marty Peters, 1637 E Sunvale Dr, Olathe, KS 66062. See QRZ page of W9BSP.
Trunk sale of amateur radio gear starts in the museum parking lot at 9AM. A training class in basic antenna theory and construction techniques will start at 11 AM.
June 24-25. ARRL Field Day
Amateur radio operators belonging to SFTARC will use KSØKS to make contact with other “hams” around the world in this 24-hour event starting at 1 PM CDT. One station using W9UA will be available for visitors to “get on the air.”
Saturday, August 12th. Ensorfest 23, Celebrating 100 years of amateur radio on the Ensor Farm
Festival at the Ensor Park and Museum to commemorate the centennial of Marshall Ensor’s amateur radio station 9BSP. 16:30-20:30 CDT.
On-site radio operations using callsigns W9BSP and W9UA; Bluegrass music provided by the Pheasant Pluckers; Tractor and farm implement display; first-responder vehicles; disaster emergency communications vehicle; Ford Model A cars; Simulated high school wood shop; disc golf (disks provided by Maverick Disk Golf); food truck (Smokey Hill BBQ); fun with Morse code; Ensor history lecture; log sawing to make “tree cookies;” corn shelling; quilt display; corn hole. Much more.
Saturday, October 28, JCRAC Ensor Auction
The annual JCRAC Ensor Auction starts at 11:00 am.
2022
June 4, 81st anniversary of Marshall Ensor and the 1940 Paley Amateur Radio Award
Special Event to recognize the achievement of Marshall, who was presented the 1940 Paley Amateur Radio Award at a gala luncheon in NYC on June 2, 1941.
May 14. Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Junior Ranger Day
June 25-26, ARRL Field Day
Amateur radio operators will make contact with other “hams” around the world in this 24-hour event starting at 1 PM CDT. One station will be available for visitors to “get on the air.”
September 10, Loretta Ensor Special Operating Event
The Santa Fe Trail ARC will conduct the Loretta Ensor Memorial operating event at the Ensor Park and Museum, Olathe, KS, on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 10 AM til 3 PM CDT. This event commemorates Loretta’s death on September 7, 1991, 31 years ago. OMs and YLs are invited to come out to the museum and make contacts with other hams around the country (and maybe even DX) from the famous radio room in the Ensor Farmhouse, the site from which originated the “Radio by Radio” transmissions and from which Marshall and Loretta Ensor made many historic and momentous radio contacts.
The Ensor Museum will be open to the public for tours from 1 PM to 5 PM. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the museum while you operate (a control operator will be present so an amateur radio license is not required). Tours are offered free of charge, but donations are always appreciated and help to support the preservation of the museum.The Ensor Park and Museum is located at 18995 W 183rd St, Olathe, KS, 66062. It is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday, 1-5PM,
October 29, JCRAC Ensor Auction
Lots of ham radio gear will be auctioned off. The festivities include a Raffle and a Food Truck. Don’t forget to tour the Ensor Museum while you are there.