Bethany is the seat of Harrison County, in northwestern Missouri, known for being the heart of the Midwest, nestled in rolling hills. Major employers include Harrison County Community Hospital, Crestview, and Gumdrop Books, a distributor of educational materials. Students attend the South Harrison R2 School District. City residents celebrate their heritage, especially the fact that early 20th Century Pittsburgh Pirate, Babe Adams, was from Bethany. Local Girl Scouts raised money to create a patriotic mural of the baseball star. Summer's Babe Adams Festival celebrates his legacy. Apart from visiting the mural or having a picnic in Roleke Memorial Park, another fun place to visit is Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie, where birders enjoy watching the spring display of prairie chickens.