52 Things You Must Do To Be a True Wichitan

How Wichita Are You?

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There are certain things, tasks, foods, shows, experiences you must do to earn your stripes here in Wichita. There will be lots of eating, plenty of sightseeing and even some dancing. And after you try these 52 things, you’ll agree, there’s really no place like home.

FOR THE KIDS:

1) Explore at Exploration Place
(300 N. McLean Blvd., 316-263-3373)

Where better for youngsters to discover their city than Exploration Place? The museum lives up to its name by encouraging kids to explore the exhibits. They can learn first-hand about Wichita and its surroundings at “Exploring Our Only Home,” an exhibit that allows visitors to step inside a 20-foot tall tornado, marvel at a miniature version of the city during the 1950s and get up close with Kansas critters. Or they can test their flight skills in a Wright brother’s airplane simulation at the “Exploring Flight and Design” exhibit. While at Exploration Place, be sure to visit the new Science In Motion Center, where children can ride a carousel with a menagerie of animals from dolphins to lions and hold on tight while riding the Gyroextreme, a giant orb that spins riders into a dizzy dimension. Besides the impressive permanent displays, Exploration Place offers traveling exhibits from around the world. From September 22 to January 1, check out “Race: Are We So Different?,” an interactive display that teaches diversity and human anthropology. Before you leave, peer out the windows at the Kansas exhibit pavilion to see the Keeper of the Plains from a new perspective.

2) See the gorillas at Sedgwick County Zoo
(5555 Zoo Blvd., 316-660-WILD)

There’s so much to see at the Sedgwick County Zoo that it’s tough to pick just one exhibit. The Pride of the Plains, Cessna Penguin Cove and the jungle exhibit are all quite impressive. But the Downing Gorilla Forest, added in 2004, is a must-see at the zoo’s southeast edge. The entire 1.4-acre exhibit was built after Paula and Barry Downing’s vacation to Uganda, where they saw mountain gorillas in the wild. There’s everything from a park ranger cutout to a village facade. Eight male gorillas—four grown silverbacks and four playful juveniles—rotate among the indoor exhibit, an outdoor area and an area that’s off limits to visitors. Early mornings or late afternoons are the best times to see the apes when they’re most active.

3) Skate at the Wichita Ice Center
(505 W. Maple, 316-337-9199)

Hockey, figure or recreation—choose your skating style at the Wichita Ice Center, where you can get out on the ice year-round. During Super Saturdays on the first Saturday of each month, a professional coaching staff offers free skating lessons, and you can win prizes at games like ice bowling and a hockey puck shootout. Families of four or more can get out on the rink for just $25 during any public skate time.

4) Splash in the Old Town Square fountains

Spend a summer evening in the heart of Old Town, and you might hear squeals of delight from children splashing in Old Town Square’s fountains. The streams of water let both youngsters and the young at heart cool off during warm-weather days.

5) Catch a hot dog matinee at Crown Uptown’s Children’s Theatre
(3207 E. Douglas, 316-681-1566)

Dinner theatre usually revolves around the adults, but Crown Uptown offers something entirely different for the kiddies. At Children’s Theatre performances on Fridays and Saturdays at noon, everything is planned for children—from the kid-centric menu to the show. Kids can chow down on hot dogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, macaroni and cheese, applesauce and cookies while watching professionally produced shows. From November 24 to December 24, Crown Uptown hosts “The Year Santa Almost Forgot Christmas.” Then, there’s “Alice in Wonderland” from February 29 to April 5, and “Charlotte’s Web” from April 25 to May 24. Finally, Crown Uptown hosts “The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy” from June 27 to July 26. On Fridays and Saturdays during the school year, kids can enjoy a Q&A session with the actors after performances. Other days, performers sign autographs as guests file out. Tickets are $8.95 per person and include a kid’s buffet lunch.

6) Explore the galaxy at the Kansas Cosmosphere’s Justice Planetarium
(1100 N. Plum, 800-397-0330)

It may not be within the Wichita city limits, but the Cosmosphere is out of this world. Take a short drive to Hutchinson to see the largest collection of space science artifacts outside the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. While you’re there, don’t miss the Justice Planetarium, the dome-shaped virtual viewing center that seats more than 100 people. Shaped like a small IMAX screen with a rotating ball that projects stars onto the walls, the planetarium shows half-hour presentations like “Night Sky Live,” a show that teaches the audience about the heavens. Take a seat in the last three rows for the best view.


EVENTS:

7) Drive through College Hill during the holidays
The holidays certainly bring out the playful side of people. That’s apparent from the displays in College Hill during October and December. Cars line up to drive through the homey neighborhood during Halloween to gape at gobs of over-the-top holiday displays like goblins and fake spiders. Then, during the winter, the neighbors join forces again to create a canopy of stringed lights that crisscross several College Hill streets and transform the area into a winter wonderland.

8) See the fireworks during Riverfest
(Downtown, 316-267-2817)

Wichita’s biggest festival always ends with a bang. Riverfest’s grand finale on the final night has more than 20 minutes of fireworks that typically attract more than 100,000 people. You can watch the sparkling spectacle from the banks of the Arkansas River or stick around Kennedy Plaza to hear Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture during the Twilight Pops Concert.

9) Hit the hotspots on Final Friday
(507 E. Douglas, 316-264-6005)

Artsy hipsters and, shall we say, seasoned collectors collide. It’s an unusual mix, but Final Friday attracts all types of art lovers during the last Friday of each month. The gallery has been a popular tradition for the past decade, but the crowds really boomed in 2005, when the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation added a trolley to the mix. Now visitors can ride or walk to the 20 participating galleries, including Fiber Studio and Gallery XII. The cultural hotspots arrange their own shows and host live music, food and art demonstrations. The events are perfect for art newcomers to foster an appreciation for local creativity. It’s also a great time to buy original artwork since artists are often willing to wheel and deal.

10) Sit in the grass at a Shockers baseball game
(4100 E. 21st St. N, 316-978-3636)

The best seat in the house at Eck Stadium is also the cheapest. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and sit on the hill behind the outfield. The grassy knoll, christened “Coleman Hill” after Coleman Company, is equipped with two pavilions, hardwood decks and terraces that serve as ideal places for friends and families to watch games. The $7.8 million Eck Stadium is among the best collegiate baseball venues in the nation, and the Shockers are every bit as impressive as the stadium.

11) Stake your claim for a concert at Bradley Fair
(Bradley Fair Plaza, 2000 N. Rock Rd., 316-292-3950)

If you drive by Bradley Fair before work on a Thursday morning in the summer, you might see a host of lawn chairs lined up next to the upscale shopping center’s fountain. That’s because Bradley Fair’s summer concert series has quickly grown into a must-hit jazz event, with hundreds in attendance—many of whom reserve their spots on the mornings of the event. The concerts, which feature talented musicians from around the country, are held on Thursday evenings in June and July.

12) Look to the skies at McConnell Open House
(2801 S. Rock, 316-759-6100)

The Air Capital of the World lives up to its name each July during the McConnell Open House, held at McConnell Air Force Base. Visitors enjoy breathtaking aerial stunts, vintage war birds and souvenirs of all sorts. This year’s festival hosted the likes of the Blue Angels and the U.S. Army parachute team, the Golden Knights. The best part of all: it’s free!

13) Score a ticket to Zoobilee
(5555 Zoo Blvd., 316-660-WILD)

The zoo’s biggest fundraiser of the year sells out nearly every year and for a good reason: What other nonprofit event offers a chance to party with a 400-pound lion and a 16-foot giraffe? The Sedgwick County Zoo’s must-hit fundraiser happens after business hours, when 6,000 people gather for a night of food, drinks, live music and the chance to adopt some of the zoo’s critters. The night begins at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight. For details about this year’s Zoobilee, check out pg. 25.