International Forest of Friendship offers year-round aviation history in Atchison

The International Forest of Friendship sits on a slope above Lake Warnock with granite plaques underfoot, a bronze Amelia Earhart watching from above and trees tied to all 50 states and more than 35 countries and territories. Built as a 1976 bicentennial gift, it is both a memorial and a place to walk, read and linger. For anyone visiting Atchison with family, it is one of the city’s most unusual public landmarks.

What the Forest is, and why it stands out

The International Forest of Friendship is a “living, growing memorial” to the world history of aviation and aerospace. It was established in 1976 by the City of Atchison, The Ninety-Nines, and the Kansas State University Kansas Forest Service, and the original path, Memory Lane, was designated the first National Recreation Trail in Kansas that same year.

The pathways are five feet wide, wheelchair friendly and fitted with granite plaques in the walkways, so the site works as a slow stroll rather than a quick pass-through. More than 1,500 honorees in aviation and aerospace are recognized on those plaques.

What to look for on a first visit

Start with Memory Lane, the spine of the whole site. The plaques embedded along it are the best way to read the Forest as a story rather than a scenic stop.

The life-size bronze statue of Amelia Earhart gazes over the Forest, and the placement reinforces Atchison’s long-running connection to Earhart’s legacy.

The Moon Tree is an American sycamore grown from a seed carried to the Moon on Apollo 14 by astronaut Stuart Roosa. The tree honors the 17 astronauts who died in America’s pioneering space program through 2001, and a separate monument near it was dedicated in 2003 to the seven astronauts lost aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.

The site also carries the personal imprint of its founders. Joe Carrigan and Fay Gillis Wells co-chaired the Forest from its inception until their deaths. A gazebo was dedicated to Fay Wells in 1991, and a pond and waterfall honor Joe Carrigan.

How to move through it without missing the details

The Forest works best when you treat it like a self-guided walk rather than a drive-by attraction. Read the plaques along Memory Lane, pause at the Earhart statue and spend time with the Moon Tree and nearby monument. Then look for the smaller elements that often get skipped on a first visit: the pond, the waterfall, the gazebo and the spread of trees tied to honorees across the globe.

• Use the interactive map to match tree names, origins and locations.
• Bring children to the field-trip and activity areas, which are part of the site’s programming.
• Pay attention to the plaques as you walk, since the honoree names are part of the experience, not an add-on.

What is happening now

The Forest’s 2026 celebration is set for Sept. 11-12, 2026, with the 50th anniversary theme tied to “World Friendship Through Flight.” New honorees are inducted each September, and the sponsor page sets July 1, 2026, as the application and payment deadline for this year’s honorees.

Each honoree costs $450 by check or mail, or $470 through PayPal, and that payment covers the stone, engraving, placement and forest maintenance. Honorees are women and men who have contributed to aviation or aerospace, and they do not have to be pilots.

Why it still functions as a public place

The Forest’s Friends membership program charges annual dues of $50 and helps maintain and replace trees, along with the pond and walkways. The Forest also accepts reservations for weddings, birthday parties and family reunions, with a $50 deposit to hold the date.