Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
about 1 month ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Kansas Greensburg The Big Well

The Big Well

The United States's largest hand-dug well is topped with a state-of-the-art museum.

Greensburg, Kansas

Added By
Dylan Thuras
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Big Well   The Big Well
The Big Well   The Big Well
The Big Well   The Big Well
The Big Well   The Big Well
Going down!   mitchell13r / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Kansans, it seems, have dug themselves into a hole, and they couldn't be happier about it.

Boasted as the world's largest hand-dug well, and known as "The Big Well," it was begun in 1887 with farmers, cowboys, and transients in crews of 10 to 15 working from sun-up till sun-down using only shovels, picks, a half barrel, pulley and rope to dig the well. Their pay was 50 cents to a dollar a day.

At 32 feet wide and 109 feet deep, it is indeed a very big well, though despite its claim the Big Well isn't quite the largest hand-dug in the world. The Pozzo di S. Patrizio or St. Patrick's Well, built in 1527 in Orvieto, Italy is, at 42 feet by 200 feet, larger. The Big Well is certainly the largest hand-dug well in the United States.

The residents of Greensburg have long been proud of their well, recently named one of the eight wonders of Kansas, but maintaining it hasn't always been easy going. The well was a popular stop from 1939 to the present, with millions buying the two-dollar ticket to take a journey down into the well and throwing a coin, shoe, or other lucky items into the bottom.  In 1956 the well celebrated its one-millionth visitor. In the 1990s the town hired divers to clean the bottom of the well and many things were found such as shoes, eyeglasses, chewing gum, and approximately $1,200 in coins. But around the same time, it seemed that the well's supply of tourists had dried up.

Even worse, in 2007 a tornado destroyed almost the entire town, including the Well's visitor center, leaving only a few buildings and, of course, the well itself. But what was initially a disaster became a chance for the citizens of Greensburg to put themselves and their well on the map. The town began rebuilding as the most "environmentally friendly little town" in America. Solar panels and wind turbines were installed and, with the help of the TV show Planet Green, which was about the town's recovery and conversion to green tech, the town began to receive attention and visitors, many of whom made a stop by the Big Well.

Greensburg decided that as well as renovating the town, it was time to renovate the Big Well and a $3 million museum was built in 2012. This new museum once again allows visitors to descend a spiral staircase into the Big Well and view exhibits that feature Greensburg’s history, the tornado, and the town’s rebuilding as a sustainable community.

Related Tags

Holes Museums Subterranean Subterranean Sites Wells

Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

Edited By

Martin, Blindcolour, EricGrundhauser, mitchell13r

  • Martin
  • Blindcolour
  • EricGrundhauser
  • mitchell13r

Published

May 20, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html
  • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027323116293074.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Well_%28Kansas%29
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2878
The Big Well
The Big Well
Greensburg, Kansas, 67054
United States
37.6034, -99.2945
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Sculptures of M.T. Liggett

Mullinville, Kansas

miles away

St. Jacob's Well

Ashland, Kansas

miles away

Jack Kilby Square

Great Bend, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kansas

Kansas

United States

Places 126
Stories 12

Nearby Places

The Sculptures of M.T. Liggett

Mullinville, Kansas

miles away

St. Jacob's Well

Ashland, Kansas

miles away

Jack Kilby Square

Great Bend, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kansas

Kansas

United States

Places 126
Stories 12

Related Stories and Lists

This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

30 of the World's Most Spectacular Spirals

List

By Kerry Wolfe

Related Places

  • Naples, Italy

    Stazione Neapolis

    A special area of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples is located inside a metro station.

  • Old driver’s uniform.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo del Metro (Metro Museum)

    This underground museum highlights the history of Mexico City's subway system.

  • Entrance to the museum.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Mina El Edén Rock and Mineral Museum

    The spectacular subterranean collection includes dazzling minerals, including a piece of "kryptonite."

  • The corridor that connects the two hallways.

    Madrid, Spain

    Carpetana Metro Station Museum

    Replicas of fossils unearthed during renovation work reveal how this area would have looked millions of years ago.

  • Interactive shipwreck exploration.

    Wrocław, Poland

    Hydropolis

    This oddly beautiful water cistern is a techno-temple to the wet stuff and a multimedia masterpiece.

  • View of one of the walkable tunnels.

    Brussels, Belgium

    Musée des Égouts Bruxelles (Brussels Sewer Museum)

    Head underground and take a tour of the city's working sewer system, and see the underground river Senne, which defined Brussels for centuries before being covered in the 19th century.

  • Mahila Baag Jhalra

    Jodhpur, India

    Mahila Baag Jhalra

    Hidden in the shadow of a rocky fortress is one concubine’s long-forgotten legacy.

  • Nemocón Salt Mine.

    Nemocón, Colombia

    Nemocón Salt Mine

    Colorful lights and mirror-like brine pools create trippy illusions within the historic mine.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.