Wildlife at the Sedgwick County Zoo
The Sedgwick County Zoo is home to 3,000 individual animals from nearly 400 species. For those interested in wildlife, it is a clear highlight of the destination. The zoo offers several distinct experiences: the Martha C. Buford Safari Express train ride travels around the entire zoo, giraffes are fed at the Giraffe Feeding Station, and the Conservation Cruise is a boat ride. You can choose between a train ride, the feeding station and a tour on the water—three specific offerings, each with its own focus.
The Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita offers a different emphasis. Together with two other organizations, it aims to provide the public with opportunities for recreation, interpretation and environmental education. This shared mission brings together nature and learning, without attributing it solely to the Nature Center.
Parks with varied landscapes and trails
Lake Afton Park covers 720 acres. Northeast Sedgwick County Park has about 650 acres of grassland and wooded areas. Based on their stated areas, Lake Afton Park is the larger of the two; the description of Northeast Park already identifies two specific features of its landscape: grassland and woods. The parks can therefore be distinguished by their size and the surroundings described.
In Wichita, Pawnee Prairie Park offers walking trails and the Plumlee Trail for horseback riding. There are also compacted concrete paths leading toward Air Capital Park and Prairie Sunset Trail. An open meadow, surrounded by a split-rail fence, completes the park landscape. Hiking, horseback riding and the paths leading toward the two named destinations are different aspects to consider when choosing a nature experience.
Wichita’s history in its buildings and along the river
Wichita in Sedgwick County was a prominent cowtown in the 1870s and was once known as the “Air Capital of the World.” The city’s aviation history includes the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, founded by Clyde Cessna, Lloyd Stearman, Walter Beech and Olive Ann Mellor Beech. These milestones show how its historical significance as a cowtown was followed by a later designation connected to aviation.
Wichita’s former Administration Building became the Kansas Aviation Museum in 1991 and continues to operate as a visitor attraction. The building was nominated as an example of Art Deco architecture and for its contribution to the transportation history of the United States. Another perspective on architectural history can be found at the Henry J. Allen House: it is the only residence in Kansas designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wichita High School, meanwhile, was designed by William B. Ittner and built in 1910–1911 in the Collegiate Gothic style; the building is no longer used as a school.
Wichita’s former business district of Delano can also still be seen in one of its few surviving landmarks: the 800 West Douglas Historic District preserves part of this once-vibrant neighborhood. In the ballroom of the Broadview Hotel, mosaic murals by Indigenous American artist Blackbear Bosin depict events from regional history.
Experiences spanning art, science and the river
Wichita’s Keeper of the Plains stands at the confluence of the Big Arkansas River and the Little Arkansas River. The fire there burns for 15 minutes each evening; weather and safety conditions may interrupt the operation. If you plan your visit around the fire, check the city’s current notices in advance. The Wichita Art Museum offers guided or self-guided tours. If you plan to take a guided tour, it is a good idea to check the booking details in advance.
Exploration Place features permanent interactive science exhibits. Activities include riveting an airplane wing, flinging bison dung, viewing a miniature 1950s Kansas, commanding a medieval castle and sitting in a giant meadowlark nest. The examples range from hands-on tasks to staged glimpses of history and nature. Along with tours at the art museum and the history along the river, Wichita offers a range of points of interest—from architecture and art to science and aviation.
Discover more destinations: Wichita, Derby, Eastborough, Haysville, Park, Goddard, Peck, Lane County
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