Wichita, Kansas offers visitors a surprising variety of exciting attractions to explore. From world-class museums and cultural sites to interactive family fun, outdoor adventures and more, the city has something for everyone. As the largest city in the state, Wichita serves as an urban gateway to the Great Plains with Midwestern charm and hospitality.
| Attraction | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| Sedgwick County Zoo | A vast zoo featuring exotic and native animals in naturalistic settings. |
| Botanica, The Wichita Gardens | A botanical garden showcasing diverse plant species across themed areas. |
| Wichita Art Museum | The state’s oldest art museum with a wide range of collections. |
| Kansas Aviation Museum | Highlights Wichita’s aviation heritage with historic aircraft and exhibits. |
| Exploration Place | A science center offering interactive exhibits on various topics. |
| Great Plains Nature Center | Focuses on the ecosystems of the Great Plains with trails and exhibits. |
| Old Cowtown Museum | A living history museum depicting life in the 19th century. |
| Wichita Artisan Marketplace | A hub for local artists, offering workshops and unique finds. |
| Mid-America All-Indian Center | Celebrates Native American culture with events and educational programs. |
| Chisholm Creek Park | Offers outdoor recreation with trails, playgrounds, and a nature center. |
| MYM International Culture Center | Encourages multicultural understanding through interactive exhibits. |
| Kansas Sports Hall of Fame | Showcases the state’s sports legends and achievements. |
| The Donut Whole | A popular artisan donut shop known for its unique flavors. |
When compiling the top attractions in Wichita, the stunning Sedgwick County Zoo emerges at the top of the list. Along with the zoo, Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, offers a truly unique experience for nature lovers. Art connoisseurs will appreciate the Wichita Art Museum as well as the eclectic array of galleries and public art found across the city. Two fantastic museums covering aviation and space help visitors discover Wichita’s heritage as the Air Capital of the World.
Outdoor recreational opportunities also abound, from the fascinating underground world at the Great Plains Nature Center to the fascinating wildlife at Chisholm Creek Park. Families with kids won’t want to miss the exciting interactive exhibits at Exploration Place or the Old Cowtown Museum either. And of course, no trip to Wichita is complete without experiencing some of its world-class eateries, from cozy diners to chef-driven farm-to-table restaurants.
Keep reading to discover the top 12 attractions that visitors absolutely must experience when in Wichita.
Sedgwick County Zoo
Name and Location: Located in Wichita, Kansas, the Sedgwick County Zoo is one of the most popular family attractions in the region.
History and Significance: Since its opening in 1971, the zoo has grown to house thousands of animals, making it an important center for wildlife conservation and education.
What to Expect: Visitors can explore diverse habitats, including the African savannah and tropical rainforests, offering close encounters with exotic species.
Visitor Information: Open year-round, with varying hours by season. Admission fees apply, with discounts for children and seniors.
The Sedgwick County Zoo, located near the Arkansas River in historic Wichita, offers visitors the chance to safely view over 3,000 exotic, endangered and native animals in natural habitat surroundings. Spread across nearly 500 acres, it is considered one of the top zoos in the United States.
Popular exhibits include the Koch Orangutan & Chimpanzee Habitat, featuring Sumatran orangutans and chimpanzees in a lush forest environment, as well as Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley, home to African elephants and other wildlife. Predator Canyon showcases carnivores like Amur tigers and leopards in scenic habitats. The Downing Gorilla Forest and Reptile & Amphibian House are also favorites.
Recent additions like the Dinsmoor Farm featuring domestic breeds that children can help feed and brush have been a huge hit. Special events and keeper chats occur daily. This world-class zoo aims to inspire visitors to conserve wildlife while discovering nature up close.
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens
Name and Location: Situated in the heart of Wichita, Botanica features over 18 acres of stunning gardens.
History and Significance: Established in 1987, it serves as a horticultural haven with more than 4,000 species of plants.
What to Expect: Themed gardens, including a Shakespearean garden and a children’s garden, offer immersive experiences for all ages.
Visitor Information: Open throughout the year with seasonal events like illuminations during the holiday season. Admission fees vary.
Sprawling across 30 lush acres adjacent to the Arkansas River, Botanica delights visitors with nearly 20 diverse themed gardens showcasing an astonishing array of plants from across the globe. As the largest botanical garden in the state of Kansas, it serves as an oasis of beauty within the city of Wichita.
From vibrant tropical blossoms to cacti and succulents, water garden lilies to an English flower garden, grassland prairie, and even useful herb and vegetable areas, the diversity is stunning. Many of the gardens offer fun interactive elements for kids like musical instruments, climbing structures and water features as well. Themed annual flower shows are favorites for locals and tourists alike.
The Downing Children’s Garden allows kids to get hands-on experience planting and tending their own garden plots during the summer months. Botanica also hosts events, classes, camps and programs year-round for gardeners of all ages and skill levels seeking inspiration or education. As a living classroom for environmental conservation, this gorgeous green space educates and delights.
Wichita Art Museum
Name and Location: Located in Wichita, Kansas, this museum boasts an extensive collection of American art.
History and Significance: Founded in 1915, it’s the largest art museum in the state, home to works from prominent artists.
What to Expect: Exhibitions range from contemporary art to historical pieces, including works by Mary Cassatt and Winslow Homer.
Visitor Information: Open to visitors with free admission on Saturdays. Special exhibitions may require a fee.
As the oldest art museum in the state of Kansas, the Wichita Art Museum contains an impressive permanent collection spanning from early Renaissance pieces to cutting-edge contemporary works. Artists like Mary Cassatt, Dale Chihuly, Sol LeWitt and Henry Moore are represented. Greatest strengths lie in American watercolors, German Expressionism, modern sculptures and photographs.
Two adjacent museum buildings, the original 1935 Art Deco facility and a more contemporary expansion space added in 2004, provide a total of over 14,000 square feet to showcase Midwestern artists and traveling exhibitions alongside the permanent collection. Interactive kid-friendly galleries allow children to experience art hands-on through play and creation of their own masterpieces.
Along with art appreciation opportunities within the museum itself, the campus also includes an Art Garden with sculptures set amid flowerbeds, water features and pathways. Music performances, lectures, classes and other cultural events share the museum’s vibrant offerings with the community throughout the year as well.
Kansas Aviation Museum
Name and Location: Situated in Wichita, this museum is dedicated to preserving Kansas’s aviation heritage.
History and Significance: Housed in the original Wichita Municipal Airport terminal built in 1935, it showcases the evolution of aviation.
What to Expect: Aircraft displays, interactive exhibits, and a vast collection of aviation artifacts offer an in-depth look into the industry’s history.
Visitor Information: Open with an admission fee. Hours vary by season, with special events and programs available.
Given Wichita’s heritage as the Air Capital of the World, it is only fitting that it would be home to an awe-inspiring aviation museum. The Kansas Aviation Museum, located adjacent to Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport, is dedicated to preserving that rich history of flight within the state and beyond.
Spread across over 90,000 square feet, historic aircraft hangars display vintage planes, artifacts and exhibits relaying the nostalgic early days of flying. Visitors can climb aboard bombers from WWII, see a replica of the Wright Brothers’ workshop, sit in the cockpit of KC-135 refuelers and commercial airliners, learn about Kansas aviators like Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman and test simulators.
Rotating displays from private collections and new museum acquisitions ensure return visits offer fresh perspectives. An active restoration hangar lets visitors witness specialists resurrecting historic planes like the iconic Beech Starship. The Kansas Aviation Museum celebrates flight past and present through unforgettable interactive encounters sure to inspire any aviation enthusiast.
Exploration Place
Name and Location: This science and discovery center is located along the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kansas.
History and Significance: Opened in 2000, it focuses on interactive exhibits in science, technology, engineering, and math.
What to Expect: Features include a planetarium, Kansas in Miniature display, and hands-on exhibits for all ages.
Visitor Information: Admission charges apply, with membership options available for frequent visitors. Open year-round with varying hours.
Exploration Place science center stimulates curious minds of all ages through hundreds of fun, interactive exhibits and experiences relating to science, technology and engineering concepts. Eight themed areas fill a spacious two-story facility right downtown overlooking the lovely Arkansas River.
From preschool-aged children to teens and adults, visitors of all ages and abilities find inspiring hands-on encounters tailored for their interests and learning levels. Experiment with principles of physics in Fab Lab using magnets, circuits, gears and more to construct imaginative creations. Splash and play with principles of erosion, buoyancy and fluids at Explorefloor. See yourself in infrared or manipulate gravity to try astronaut training challenges.
Special traveling exhibitions ensure new adventures with every visit. Themed activities, live science shows and explosions of the Tesla Theater showcase the excitement of science daily as well. Affordable pricing and great location make Exploration Place one of the most visited attractions in Wichita appealing to all.
Great Plains Nature Center
Name and Location: Nestled in northeast Wichita, this center offers an escape into nature and wildlife of the Great Plains.
History and Significance: Established to provide environmental education and promote wildlife conservation.
What to Expect: Walking trails, a large aquarium, and interactive exhibits highlight the flora and fauna of the region.
Visitor Information: Free admission, making it an accessible option for families. Open daily, except for major holidays.
Though located right in the heart of Wichita within the scenic Chisholm Creek Park, a visit to the Great Plains Nature Center immerses you in the beautiful and fascinating world beneath the prairie. The interpretive center showcases native plants, wildlife, insects and ecosystems you might discover across 60,000 miles of vast Great Plains grasslands stretching across the American heartland from Canada to Mexico.
Interactive exhibits and wildlife viewing areas allow visitors to come face-to-face safely with turtles, snakes, fish and prairie animals in their natural habitats. Walking trails wind through diverse natural areas recreating habitats from wetlands to forests, prairies and rivers. Naturalists offer guided trail hikes, classroom lectures and hands-on educational programs year-round.
The HCP Prairie Cave recreates the experience of descending into a limestone cavern beneath the prairie while beautifully sculptedbronze wildlife dot the grounds. The Great Plains Nature Center reconnects urban dwellers with the diverse ecosystems existing beyond the city skyline.
Old Cowtown Museum
Name and Location: This open-air museum in Wichita transports visitors back to the 19th-century American Midwest.
History and Significance: Recreates a period town with historic buildings, offering insights into life in the 1860s to 1880s.
What to Expect: Live reenactments, working blacksmiths, and period-authentic activities provide an immersive experience.
Visitor Information: Ticket purchase required, with discounts for children and seniors. Seasonal hours apply, with special events year-round.
The Old Cowtown Museum transports visitors straight back into the Wild West days of Wichita’s past circa 1865 to 1880s era. Located adjacent to the Arkansas River where early cowtowns first sprang up, the open-air living history museum occupies several acres dotted with dozens of fascinating heritage buildings relevant to frontier life.
Thatched roofs of an Osage Indian encampment display tools and cultural artifacts preserving Native American lifeways. Clapboard farmhouses, a schoolhouse, bank, churches, shops and jails paint a vivid portrait of hardy pioneer settlers. Hop aboard a horse-drawn trolley for tours of the rambling grounds.
Throughout the day, costume interpreters populate businesses and homes bringing impressive authenticity through historical reenactments of blacksmithing, woodworking, cow milking, printing presses and more lost arts. Living history events like shootouts, cattle drives and summer bonfires utilize recreationists skilled at staying true to accurate dialect. From spring through fall, Old Cowtown Museum transports across over 150 years into Wichita’s Wild West heritage.
Wichita Artisan Marketplace
Name and Location: A hub for local artisans and crafters, located in the vibrant heart of Wichita.
History and Significance: Supports local economy by providing a platform for artisans to showcase and sell their work.
What to Expect: A diverse range of products, from handmade jewelry to local foods and artworks, reflecting the creativity of the community.
Visitor Information: Open on specific days and times, usually on weekends. Free entry, with items available for purchase.
Located within the 110-year-old Union Station complex downtown, the Wichita Artisan Marketplace celebrates local creators with unique boutiques, galleries, studios and interactive spaces. Open year-round, it provides opportunities for visitors and locals alike to meet and support over a hundred area artists while also enjoying chef-driven cuisine at Fork & Field Kitchen or a cocktail from Union Station Bar.
Explore paintings, pottery, sculpture, textile arts, jewelry and photography crafted by talented regional artists. Watch live glass blowing, painting or pottery wheel demonstrations. Create your own artwork alongside the pros with instructional workshops or kids’ art classes teachlng jewelry-making, clay modeling, painting and more. Enjoy literary readings or afternoon concerts from local musicians as well.
The lively communal atmosphere re-envisions what arts districts can be, while offering genuinely one-of-a-kind artistic creations that speak directly to Wichita’s vibrant spirit. Meet the makers during regular weekend events or simply stop by any time inspiration strikes.
Mid-America All-Indian Center
Name and Location: This cultural center in Wichita celebrates the heritage and arts of Native American peoples.
History and Significance: Features exhibits and programs dedicated to preserving and presenting Indigenous cultures.
What to Expect: Artifacts, art exhibits, and educational programs offer insights into the rich history and traditions of Native American communities.
Visitor Information: Admission fee required, with special events and workshops throughout the year. Open daily except for major holidays.
As home to the annual inter-tribal powwow gathering called The Gathering of Nations each September, Wichita embraces its rich Native cultural diversity. Mid-America All-Indian Center exists as an urban hub serving the American Indian community while also sharing aspects of their many rich tribal heritages and traditions with non-native visitors through cultural events and educational programming.
See beadwork, pottery and textiles created by Indigenous artisans in the Native Art Market. Experience song or dance demonstrations as well as artwork displays relevant to customs like powwow regalia within rotating gallery exhibits emphasizing Plains Indian artists. The center also houses one of the country’s biggest lending libraries specializing in Native American literature from folklore to history across innumerable tribal nations.
Ongoing heritage workshops highlight tribal life-ways ranging from cultivation of traditional medicinal or food plants to hide tanning, fire building, cooking, language and more. The Mid-America All Indian Center in Wichita stands as a gateway welcoming all to expand their awareness of America’s first people.
Chisholm Creek Park
Name and Location: A natural oasis in Wichita, offering a peaceful retreat with its extensive trails and wildlife.
History and Significance: Plays a vital role in local conservation efforts and provides a habitat for various species.
What to Expect: Miles of trails for hiking, bird watching, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Kansas landscape.
Visitor Information: Open to the public with no admission fee. Activities vary by season, with picnic areas available.
Offering over 400 acres packed with fun amenities and recreational opportunities, Chisholm Creek Park delights outdoors enthusiasts of all ages close to the heart of Wichita along the namesake waterway. Paved walking paths wind for miles beneath lush mature tree canopy dotted with unique playgrounds, fishing ponds, basketball courts, sand volleyball and disc golf across numerous zones tailored for family experiences.
The expansive Great Plains Nature Center serves as an anchor to the park with its indoor wildlife exhibits and interpretive trails through protected tallgrass prairie habitat where deer, turtles and birds abound. Adventure seekers will love navigating the tree-level elevated challenges of the Creek Climb Adventure Course. Other park highlights include an off-leash dog park, 18-hole championship golf course and shimmering fountain splash area that doubles as an ice rink in winter. Rent a bike, kayak or swan boat to best explore plentiful active recreation possibilities.
MYM International Culture Center
Name and Location: Promotes cultural diversity and understanding through educational programs in Wichita.
History and Significance: A venue for cultural exchange, hosting events that celebrate international traditions and customs.
What to Expect: Cultural exhibitions, language classes, and international events that foster global awareness and community engagement.
Visitor Information: Event schedules vary, with some requiring registration or tickets. Open to the public for specific events and programs.
Discover diverse global communities thriving within the Wichita area under one vibrant umbrella at the Mid-America Youth Museum’s International Culture Center. Interactive exhibits and programming aim to expand children’s multicultural literacy across the planet through hands-on encounters with authentic artifacts, foods, clothing, language and traditions unique to myriad world regions. Kids can explore recreated dwellings ranging from a Middle Eastern bedouin tent to Asian pagoda, African mud hut or Irish stone cottage.
Experiential workshops allow opportunities to practice Arabic calligraphy, participate in a Brazilian carnival parade, Italian grape stomp or Russian tea party. Authentic international festivals occur regularly bringing Embassy representatives, native musicians, dancers, chefs and more to share glimpses into their home cultures. The MYM International Culture Center sparks curiosity for cultures worldwide among kids of all backgrounds right in the heartland.
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
Name and Location: Celebrates Kansas’s sports history and honors athletes and sports figures from the state, located in Wichita.
History and Significance: Showcases achievements in sports, with exhibits on famous athletes and significant moments in Kansas sports.
What to Expect: Memorabilia, interactive exhibits, and stories of sports heroes inspire visitors of all ages.
Visitor Information: Admission fees and hours vary. Special events and induction ceremonies are held annually.
As a state passionate about sports from high school teams through to elite professional athletes, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame fittingly captures stellar achievements across decades of memorable moments in an interactive museum experience downtown. Through videos, iconic memorabilia and exhibits intermingling KS heritage and national sporting narratives, visitors glimpse nostalgic games reliving some of the state’s proudest athletic accomplishments.
See the gloves worn by boxing legend “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom, 1975 Indy 500 trophy belonging to Buddy Rice, a jersey signed by all the 1978 world champion Royals, James Naismith’s typewritten rules creating basketball or 1960 Olympic gold shoes of Wilt Chamberlain. Touchscreens let visitors reenact plays alongside greats like Gale Sayers pulling off a miracle touchdown or dive across homeplate alongside the KC Monarchs’ Ernie Banks. From past to present superstars across every sport, the KS Hall of Fame is sure to inspire future athletes.
The Donut Whole
Name and Location: A beloved local bakery and café in Wichita, known for its eclectic variety of gourmet donuts.
History and Significance: Has become a cultural landmark, offering unique flavors and a vibrant atmosphere.
What to Expect: Beyond donuts, the venue hosts live music and art shows, creating a hub for community gathering.
Visitor Information: Open daily with varying hours. A must-visit for those seeking a taste of local cuisine and culture.
No trip to Wichita is complete without stopping for sweet indulgence at The Donut Whole, a family-owned artisan donut shop earning national acclaim on Food Network and Travel Channel must-eat destination lists. Far surpassing run-of-the-mill donut chains, each satisfyingly decadent pastry here bursts with creative flavors from savory Rosemary Sea Salt and Sriracha Chicken Sausage to sweet Nutella, Cookies & Cream or Maple Bacon specimens rolled in crispy rice treats then topped with mini donuts.
Alongside favorite coffees, wholesome breakfast sandwiches served on house-baked maple oat bread or chili cheese donut burgers make the shop a neighborhood nexus morning through evenings. Kids adore designing their own crazy donut combinations. Cheerful hip interiors splash bold Donut Whole logos across upcycled furniture and local art reflecting the family’s creative passion for delighting every customer with quirky concoctions granting euphoric comfort.