In La Crosse, Kansas, a museum devoted to barbed wire explores how this simple fencing material reshaped the American prairie, influencing settlement, land use, and rural life across the United States. Established in 1970 and later expanded with a new building and research facilities, it houses more than 2,400 varieties of barbed wire, about 500 tool types, dioramas, memorabilia, an archive, a theatre, and a hall of fame. It also serves as headquarters for the Antique Barbed Wire Society and includes the Larry Greer Research Center, with publications and a complete collection of barbed wire patents and related items.