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Fun Things to do in Wichita
Kansas
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city guide
In addition to being an ideal destination for vacations and events - from reunions to conventions - Wichita, KS, is a great place to live. The five-county metro area is home to nearly 650,000 people, with about 390,000 residing in Wichita city limits.
Best time to go
The best time to visit Wichita is during the fall as the weather around that time is pleasant and ideal for tourists. The summers in Wichita are too hot and winters are too cold. So, fall provides a middle ground and sees numerous tourists traveling to the city.
Fun city facts and activities
- Wichita began life as a cowtown (a time and style of life that can still be explored today thanks to the living Cowtown Museum) but has grown to be the largest city in the state of Kansas as well as the self-proclaimed Air Capital of the World. This claim is not made lightly with more than half of the worlds aircraft being built here thanks to the presence of some of the aviation worlds major players.
Whilst the rest of the state of Kansas should take precedent during a visit to the area, there is still plenty to warrant spending a couple of days in Wichita including some great museums and park spaces as well as the vibrant Oldtown area.
Neighborhoods to explore
- Crown Heights
Rockhurst
College Hill
Riverside
Restaurants
Food Specialties
- Just as the state of Kansas offers visitors more to see than fields of sunflowers, its largest city, Wichita, offers foodies more to eat than steak and barbecue.
Wichita Offbeat activities
Free or cheap things to do
1. Take a tour of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
2. Visit the Wichita Art Museum
3. Visit the Great Plains Nature Center
4. Check out the Wichita Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
5. Take a riverboat ride on the Arkansas River
6. Attend a show at the Orpheum Theatre
7. Take the family to Exploration Place
8. Go rock climbing at the Wichita Rock Gym
9. Try your hand at Disc Golf
10. Go Bowling at Northrock Lanes
Fun things to do in with kids
Free or cheap things to do
1. Sedgwick County Zoo
Founded in 1971, Sedgwick County Zoo houses more than 3,000 animals of almost 400 species in its 247-acre terrain.
2. Botanica: The Wichita Gardens
Opened to the public in May 1987, Botanica Wichita Gardens boasts over 4,000 native and foreign plant species sprawling all over its 18-acre gardens.
3. The Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot, 5-ton Cor-Ten steel sculpture of an Indian Chief located at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers.
4. Exploration Place
Exploration Place opened on April 1, 2000 and is located at the heart of downtown Wichita, along the scenic Arkansas River.
5. Museum of World Treasures
In 2001, Dr. John and Lorna Kardatske founded the nonprofit organization and since then has been a place for discovery and fascination for guests from all over the region.
6. Nifty Nut House
Established in 1937, Nifty Nut House prides itself with quality products offering different kinds of nuts, gum, chocolate, and candy.
7. Old Cowtown Museum
Old Cowtown Museum is a 23-acre open-air museum recreating Wichita and Sedgwick Country from 1865 to 1880.
8. Field Station: Dinosaurs
Located in Derby, KS, Field Station: Dinosaurs is a unique theme park filled with over 40 life-sized, moving, and realistic dinosaurs.
9. Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Opened on August 2, 2008, Tanganyika Wildlife Park boasts over 40 exhibits featuring 10 interactive stations, more than 400 animals, and 37 fruitful breeding programs.
10. CityArts
Established in 1955, Wichitas CityArts features 4 galleries inside a 3-story building filled with art works such as pottery, photographs, drawings, paintings, and a lot more.
City data and FAQ
What is Wichita most know for?
First, it was the place to drive your herds of cattle, on the way to final consumers. That was in the mid 19th century. More recently, it is a center for aircraft manufacture. It is also the largest city in Kansas. There are universities, museums, and cultural centers. There is a chance your favorite fast food place began in Wichita.
Sarah LeBelle - Lives in The United States of America
Wichita was, and still is, known for aircraft manufacturing. For years Wichita was home to Boeing, Cessna, Beech, and Gates Learjet. Wichita was referred to as the air capital of the world. Celebrity pilots such as John Travolta and Harrison Ford are sometimes spotted in Wichita to service their aircraft. Wichita was also the original birthplace of Pizza Hut and was its international headquarters until PepsiCo moved it to Dallas in the 1990s I think.
Linda Hemmem - M.A. in History, Wichita State University
