Biggest city in Kansas is an underrated gem
By Steve Graham
24 in 24 series
Here are some great ways to spend 24 hours any time in 2024. Check back for more suggested quick trips in Colorado and neighboring states, or sign up for our newsletter to never miss a story. You can also email me with destination ideas.
In this third installment of our “24 in 24” series, I am going to cheat a bit. It will take more than 24 hours to see all the sights of Wichita. But that’s OK, it’s also farther from home than our other recommended spots. Wichita is about seven hours from either Colorado Springs or Denver, but it’s worth the drive, in my book.
On a recent trip to Wichita, the art scene really struck me as underrated. We also saw great museums and had good craft food and drinks. And I found a new favorite hotel.
Wichita’s art scene
Blackbear Bosin’s iconic “Keeper of the Plains” turns 50 this year. The 44-foot tall steel sculpture depicts a Native American chief. Check it out at night. During the fall and winter, an impressive ring of fire illuminates the statue from 7 to 7:15 p.m. We felt like it was a private show for us when we saw the flames, as no other tourists or locals were around.
Blackbear Bosin’s Keeper of the Plains sculpture is a 50-year-old Wichita landmark / Photo by Kelly Ross
The “Keeper” stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers, a sacred place for Native Americans. Behind the statue is the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, which showcases Native American art, culture and history.
Bosin also created other works that are literally hidden around the city. His 1,500-square-foot mural depicting the history of Western colonization sits behind curtains in the ballroom of a downtown hotel. Another sculpture is in the Farm Credit Bank building in downtown Wichita. Both murals are open by appointment only.
Of course, Bosin is not the only artist from Wichita. In addition to the Wichita Art Museum, the downtown area is littered with bronze sculptures, a quirky Gallery Alley and numerous murals. My personal favorite is “Shakespeare” by Jordan Tarrant, which displays 99 words and phrases coined by the Bard of Avon.
There also is a thriving performing arts scene in Wichita, including ballet and opera companies, a symphony orchestra and several theaters.
More sightseeing
Across the Big Arkansas from the “Keeper” is the Exploration Place, a science education center that could have entertained my kids for the whole day (but we were trying to pack too much into 24 hours!). It is charmingly Wichita-focused, with permanent exhibits about local aviation, architecture and history (including pre-history, dinosaur fans).
Blackbear Bosin also created epic murals in some iconic Wichita buildings. / Photo by Steve Graham
The middle of the building is an arcade-style health exhibit. Between the skee-ball, giant Operation game, whack-a-mole and VR rides, I have never had so much fun learning about human physiology.
To learn about other species, visit the acclaimed Sedgwick County Zoo or the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, a zoo and animal safari where visitors can hand-feed lemurs, meet otters and see a new baby hippo.
To fly higher, the Kansas Aviation Museum and several smaller landmarks celebrate the city’s designation as “The Air Capital of the World.” The city produces 35 percent of all general aviation planes built in the U.S.
The aviation museum offers plenty of exhibits and hands-on education, and is worth visiting just for the architecture. It is housed in Wichita’s original airport terminal, a beautiful terrazzo-floored building where Fred Astaire danced. At the time, Wichita was one of the busiest airline hubs in the nation.
Across town, there is also a hangar housing one of two working B-29s in the world.
Wichita also offers the Kansas African American Museum, the quirky Museum of World Treasures and the Old Cowtown Museum, a historic recreation of a Midwestern cattle town.
“99 Words & Phrases Coined by Shakespeare” is one of many hidden art gems in downtown Wichita / Photo by Steve Graham
Where to eat and drink
As expected in the heartland, there is plenty of classic American fare on Wichita’s dining scene.
The Old Mill Tasty Shop is a classic marble-countered soda fountain and sandwich shop that has been open since 1932. For a more upscale classic Midwestern option, the award-winning steakhouse Scotch & Sirloin has been serving hand-selected premium beef since 1968.
The Pumphouse is my favorite restaurant in Old Town Wichita. The former service station really leans into the automotive motif, and serves good local Kansas beers on tap alongside a broad bar menu of sports bar staples. I recommend the pesto chicken panini.
Wichita has at least nine breweries, including Wichita Brewing Company, which has two taproom and pizzeria locations. One of the area’s best beers is Walnut River’s Warbeard Irish Red, brewed northeast of Wichita in El Dorado but widely distributed throughout town.
Where to stay
While local, independent and quirky hotels are typically my first choice, it’s hard to beat the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview. It’s in a beautiful riverfront building that opened as a hotel in 1922 (and is home to the aforementioned Bosin mural).
From the central location, it is a quick walk up the riverside to several museums and other attractions, and a short walk through downtown Wichita to Old Town, with plenty of bars and restaurants on its brick streets.
For an elegant option near those hotspots, The Hotel at Old Town is in the old Kleen Kutter warehouse, built in 1906, and it has vintage furnishings and a new jazz bar in the lobby. Tucked into a historic neighborhood on the other side of the river, the Delano Bed & Breakfast is full of antiques, fine art and classic Mission-style furniture.
For families, one more hotel is worth a mention, even if it’s technically outside of Wichita. The Hampton Inn Goddard has all the standard amenities of the chain, but is adjacent to the Genesis Sports Complex with a large health club and an indoor waterpark. The health club and waterpark are free for hotel guests.
When to go
My family enjoyed walking around Wichita and enjoying (mostly indoor) activities and sites in Wichita on the shortest day of the year. But there are seasonal events and festivals throughout the year. Find a list here.
As Wichita Mayor Lily Wu told me in an email interview, for Wichita locals, “there really is no place like home.”