"The Big Well is a large historic water well in Greensburg, Kansas, United States. Visitors entered the well for a small fee, descending an illuminated stairway to the bottom of the well.

"It began construction in 1887 at a cost of $45,000 to provide water for the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroads and finished construction in 1888. It served as the municipal water supply until 1932. It was designated a National Museum in 1972; in 1973 it was awarded an American Water Landmark by the American Water Works Association. Under the name of "Greensburg Well," it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1972. In 2008, the well was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

"It is billed as the world's largest hand-dug well, at 109 feet (33 m) deep and 32 feet (9.8 m) in diameter." (Wikipedia)

"For over 50 years the "World's Largest Hand-Dug Well" was just a big, rock-lined hole in the ground, 32 feet wide and 109 feet deep. It was dug in 1887-88 by men using picks, shovels, a pulley and rope, and half a barrel to haul up the dirt. A staircase and lighting were added in 1916, but it wasn't until 1939 that the Well was opened to tourists, who would pay for the adventure of walking down to its dank bottom," the Roadside America says.

"Ten years after The Big Well opened to the public, the World's Largest Pallasite Meteorite -- discovered by a local farmer with a giant home-built metal detector -- was added to the Well's above-ground gift shop as a bonus attraction.

"Despite the Big Well Museum's new slick and serious veneer, the main attraction remains the odd thrill of walking down into The Big Well. Its interior is cool and humid; its bottom disappears into the local aquifer. Tiny balconies at various points along the spiral staircase allow visitors to lean in and look straight down without risking a fall -- although any dropped smartphones or cameras are goners."

"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," the Atlas Obscura says.

"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."

"The Big Well is one of The 8 Wonders of Kansas because the construction of it was an engineering marvel in its day and it is the world's largest hand-dug well!" the Kansas Sampler Foundation says.

"On August 9, 1887 Jack Wheeler led his crew in an architectural adventure as the first shovel dug into what would become a 32-feet wide, 109-feet deep well with two feet thick native stone walls. Taking almost two years, the well was hand-dug, cribbed, cased and stoned with rock from the Medicine River and sand from the Cowskin Creek. Stone masons of Herculean talent constructed what many have called "a pioneer engineering marvel."

"Although the well was built for city water it was also built alongside the Kingman, Pratt, & Western rail line, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe, which ran a freight line from Wichita to the Mullinville turnaround until 1893. A large amount of water was needed for the steam locomotives. The Big Well supplied Greensburg with water until 1932 when another well was dug nearby."

"Two of the world's largest things under one roof: the world's largest hand-dug well and the World's Largest Pallasite Meteorite.

"Completed in 1886 as the town's original water supply, The Big Well is 109 ft. deep and 32 ft. in diameter. Visitors can go down in the well and view exhibits about the history of Greensburg, the 2007 tornado, and the sustainability of Greensburg as is it to date," the Kansas Tourism says.

"The well is truly a feat of engineering, finished in 1888 and used as the town's original water supply. It measures 109 feet deep and 32 feet wide, which is a lot of work to be done by hand back then. Back in 1887 when it was started, the well cost $45,000 but today that would roughly equal $1.2 million," the Only In Your State says.

"If you stand at the bottom looking up, you can almost imagine just how much work had to be done to carry and install thousands of pounds of stone to build it. They have a chunk on display that weighs over 90 lbs, but is smaller than the ones used in the well. Wow!

"This beautiful museum is well known as one of the 8 wonders of Kansas, and is truly a sight you should see for yourself. Plus, there's much more to see in Greensburg to make a whole day's trip out of your visit."

"We were pleasantly surprised. The big well was very interesting but that was only part of the stop. We saw the big meteorite that was there too. Staff was great to talk to and very informative."

"Superb small town museum. The museum details the history of the well and why it was built. There are stairs that spiral down the perimeter of the well so you can descend down to a platform. Interesting and unique. The world’s deepest hand dug well!"

"The Big Well is more than just a big well. The museum documents the history of the town, the well and the recovery from the devastating 2007 tornado. The story of that recovery is a lesson in resilience."

"Much more interesting than I thought it would be. The well and building is quite impressive."

"The big well is worth a stop just to see the size that was done by hand. People were tougher back then."

"The well which is 109' deep and 32' in diameter is located in a very nice facility. A spiral staircase makes for an easy access to the bottom of the well. It is quite amazing when you consider it was dug by hand in 1887. It is well worth a visit."

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