Things to do in Kansas
I have visited the Wichita area several times and enjoyed different activities during my time there. Here are some fun ideas for things to do in Kansas.
Right in Wichita is the Sedgwick County Zoo with giraffes, gorillas, stingrays and much more. The zoo is home to 3,000 animals and almost 400 different species.
Also in Wichita is Botanica, lovely gardens on 17 acres that are especially beautiful during the holiday season.
The gardens are decorated magnificently with Christmas lights for the annual Illuminations event, which has been named one of the nation’s top 10 “Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights.”
While in Wichita, check out Chicken N Pickle, a fun place to eat, ice skate, play games or play pickleball.
About 10 miles north of Wichita in Kechi, there is a cool glass art gallery called Karg Art.
They have lots of beautiful pieces to admire or purchase or you can blow your own glass ornaments. It’s a really neat and interactive experience for people of all ages.
A little less than an hour northwest of Wichita is Hutchinson, home to the Kansas State Fair each September.
Also in Hutchinson is Strataca, a salt museum 650 feet underground.
There are 150 miles of tunnels in the former salt mine. You can take a train ride through part of the mine to learn about the history and collect a souvenir piece of salt.
The old mines are also used as a storage facility because the constant climate is good for preservation.
Many records, valuable items and movie costumes and props are stored deep below the ground in Kansas.
While in Hutch, also check out the Cosmosphere, a space museum and planetarium that’s been around since 1962.
The Cosmosphere is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has flown spacecrafts among its items on display.
The museum has the biggest combined collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts anywhere in the world.
An hour and a half north of Wichita is Abilene, where you can visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home.
Also in Abilene is the famous Brookville Hotel, known for its fried-chicken dinners. It’s undergoing a remodel and change in ownership, so keep an eye out for when it will reopen.
What are your favorite things to do in Kansas?
