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Looking for the best things to do in Wichita, Kansas? Kansas’s largest city has everything from museums and wildlife experiences to beautiful gardens, historic neighborhoods, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the state.
I grew up in south central Kansas, so I’ve spent a lot of time in Wichita over the years. I still return several times a year to visit family and friends, which means I’ve had plenty of opportunities to revisit longtime favorites and discover what’s new.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway, passing through on a Kansas road trip, or visiting for a special event, this guide covers some of the best things to see and do in Wichita. I include some of my personal favorites, free things to do in Wichita, and the best things to do with kids.
Wichita, Kansas at a Glance
Best for: Museums, zoo, aviation history, families, and a weekend getaway
How long to stay: 2–3 days
Getting around: A car is the easiest way to explore Wichita
Don’t miss: Sedgwick County Zoo, Keeper of the Plains, and Old Town
Best free attraction: Keeper of the Plains and the evening Ring of Fire
Best for families: Sedgwick County Zoo and Exploration Place
Best place to stay: Hotel at Old Town
20 Best Things to Do in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita has a good mix of well-known attractions and places that might surprise you. I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do in Wichita, whether you like wildlife, gardens, aviation history, or unique landmarks.
1. Visit the Sedgwick County Zoo
The Sedgwick County Zoo is one of Wichita’s top attractions and one I always recommend. I’ve been going here since I was little, even as a teen, and always find something new here. The zoo has been named one of the 10 Best Zoos in the U.S. by USA TODAY 10Best.
The Sedgwick County Zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals, with exhibits that take you through different regions of the world. A few highlights include the Tropics, Penguin Cove, and Tiger Trek.
But right now, I think the newly expanded elephant exhibit is worth the trip alone. In 2025, four African elephants were born at the zoo. It’s incredibly rare for a zoo to welcome four new baby elephants in one year.
Seeing the baby elephants together is definitely something special. I could have spent hours there just watching the elephants play and interact. The zookeepers were incredibly nice and chatted with us during feeding time. The expanded barn is finally finished and lets you visit the elephants even when it’s too cold for them to want to go outside.
💡Travel Tip: If you are visiting during the fall through early December, check out the Wild Light special event. The zoo is completely transformed after dark with thousands of lights and lighted sculptures. It’s one of my favorite events at the zoo.
2. See the Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains is Wichita’s most recognizable landmark and worth the stop to see it. The 44-foot steel sculpture by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin stands at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers meet.
You can walk across the pedestrian bridge to the Keeper Plaza for an up-close look at the sculpture and learn more about the Plains tribes through displays surrounding the area. The nearby Mid-America All-Indian Museum is also worth visiting if you want to learn more about Native American history and culture.
💡❄️Fun Fact: After a good snowfall, the hill by the Mid-America All-Indian Museum becomes one of the most popular sledding spots in the city. I remember sledding this hill as a kid, and it was a lot of fun!
While the Keeper is impressive any time of day, I recommend visiting in the evening for the Ring of Fire. Large fire pots surrounding the sculpture are lit after sunset for about 15 minutes. It’s one of the most memorable experiences in Wichita.
3. Get Up Close to the Animals at Tanganyika Wildlife Park
For a completely different animal experience, visit Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, part of the Wichita metro area. The park focuses on getting visitors closer to animals through interactive experiences you won’t typically find at a traditional zoo.
Depending on the experiences available during your visit, you may be able to feed giraffes and rhinos, interact with lemurs, take a picture with penguins, or meet a sloth! Some encounters are included with admission, and others require a special ticket for an added cost.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park is smaller than the Sedgwick County Zoo, but that is part of what makes it different. If you love animals, I think the two are different enough that both are worth adding to your Wichita itinerary.
4. Stroll Through Botanica Wichita
Botanica Wichita is a beautiful place to slow down and explore more than 20 themed gardens in the middle of the city. Highlights include the Shakespeare Garden, Butterfly Garden, Woodland Walking Path, and the newly opened Origami Garden. Botanica ranked in the top 10 of USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Botanical Gardens in 2026!
Be sure to check out the Khicha Family Carousel, a restored historic carousel that once operated at Wichita’s Joyland Amusement Park. The hand-carved horses have been beautifully restored, and you can even take a ride during your visit.
The gardens are open year-round and change through the seasons, so there is usually something different to see depending on when you visit.
💡Travel Tip: If you’re in Wichita during November or December, don’t miss Illuminations at Botanica. The gardens are transformed with thousands of lights and holiday displays. It’s one of Wichita’s Christmas traditions.
5. Explore Exploration Place
Located along the Arkansas River, Exploration Place is Wichita’s science and discovery center, with hands-on exhibits that are especially popular with kids and families. Exhibits cover everything from Kansas history, aviation, weather, science, and technology.
One of the newest additions is the large outdoor Adventure Playscape, which overlooks the river and gives kids more room to explore. Inside, you’ll also find a dome theater with a huge screen showing educational films and special presentations.
Exploration Place is a great option if you are traveling with kids, but adults will find plenty to enjoy as well. It’s an easy attraction to combine with the Keeper of the Plains because the two are located near each other.
6. Step Back in Time at Old Cowtown Museum
Get a glimpse of Wichita’s early days at Old Cowtown Museum. This museum is more like a small town street that recreates life in the city in the 1800s. More than 50 historic and recreated buildings make up the grounds and include homes, shops, a school, saloon, and blacksmith shop.
I remember visiting Cowtown on a field trip in high school, and one of the most fun parts was dressing up and taking an old-time photo. It’s one of those classic Wichita experiences that has stuck with me over the years.
7. Spend Some Time in Wichita’s Old Town
Old Town has grown into one of Wichita’s top destinations. The historic brick warehouses have been restored and now house bars, shops, and restaurants. It’s definitely worth setting time aside to explore, grab a bite to eat, or shop at local vendors.
On weekends, check out the Old Town Farm & Art Market, where you can shop from local growers, makers, artists, and food vendors. Old Town is one of the best areas for Wichita dining and nightlife.
Several of the next attractions on this list are located in or around Old Town, so it’s easy to combine them and spend a good portion of your day exploring this part of Wichita.
🅿️Travel Tip: Many of Old Town’s parking garages offer free parking. However, paid parking has increased in parts of Old Town and around INTRUST Bank Arena, so be sure to pay attention to posted parking signs.
8. Visit the Museum of World Treasures
Located in Old Town, the Museum of World Treasures is one of Wichita’s most unique museums. Its collections span thousands of years of history, with everything from dinosaur fossils and Egyptian mummies to military history and American history.
I actually didn’t visit the museum until this year, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. One of the museum’s most recognizable residents is Ivan the T. Rex, whose skeleton greets visitors in the fossil gallery. They also had a fun scavenger hunt to help keep the kids engaged throughout the museum.
9. Stock up at the Nifty Nut House
For a uniquely Wichita stop, head to the Nifty Nut House, just a few blocks from Old Town. This Wichita institution has been around since 1937 and is now a third-generation family business.
Part of the fun is simply walking around and taking in the huge selection of nuts, chocolates, candies, dried fruit, and snacks. You’ll find plenty of old-fashioned candy you probably haven’t seen in years.
The Nifty Nut House is more than a candy store. It’s one of those longtime Wichita places that has become a destination in its own right.
10. Browse the Spice Merchant
Another longtime Wichita favorite is The Spice Merchant, a locally owned shop that has been a part of the city since 1980. It’s housed in a historic building and packed with coffees, teas, spices, kitchen items, gifts, and plenty of other things you didn’t know you needed. Part of the fun is simply wandering through the store.
The Spice Merchant is also one of Wichita’s best-known coffee destinations.
11. Grab a Donut and Visit an Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain at Two Wichita Classics
While you are out exploring the Old Town area, make time for two longtime Wichita favorites: The Donut Whole and Old Mill Tasty Shop.
The Donut Whole is hard to miss with its giant rooster out front and its funky, colorful atmosphere inside. It really feels like a fun hidden gem. The donuts are made from scratch and come in plenty of creative flavors.
For an even bigger step back in time, visit Old Mill Tasty Shop, a Wichita institution that has been serving customers since 1932. The old-fashioned soda fountain serves classic diner food, shakes, malts, and fountain drinks and still feels like a piece of Wichita history.
Both places have become part of Wichita’s personality and are worth experiencing while you are in the area.
12. Discover Wichita’s Aviation History
Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World, so learning a little about the city’s aviation history belongs on any Wichita itinerary. One of my favorite places to do that is the Kansas Aviation Museum.
The museum is located inside Wichita’s former municipal airport terminal, a beautiful Art Deco-style building. Inside, exhibits tell the story of Wichita’s role in aviation. Outside you can explore historic aircraft and even climb aboard some of them (weather permitting). Be sure to head up to the old control tower before you leave.
Aviation enthusiasts may also want to visit the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education & Visitors Center. Here you can see Doc, one of the only two B-29 Superfortress bombers still flying today. I haven’t visited yet, but it’s on my list for a future Wichita trip.
👉Be sure to check the schedule before going because Doc flies to air shows mid-March to mid-November.
13. See the Original Pizza Hut
Did you know Pizza Hut was started in Wichita? Brothers Dan and Frank Carney opened the first Pizza Hut in 1958 after borrowing $600 from their mom to start the business.
Today, the original tiny Pizza Hut sits on the Wichita State University campus and has been turned into a small museum. Inside, you can see memorabilia and learn how a Wichita pizza restaurant grew into a worldwide brand.
💡Fun Fact: I remember eating at a Pizza Hut in Barcelona, Spain, when visiting friends there as a teenager! It truly is a worldwide brand.
It won’t take long to visit, but it’s a fun and quirky piece of Wichita. You can officially say you’ve been to the original Pizza Hut.
14. Tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House
Architecture fans won’t want to miss the Frank Lloyd Wright Allen House, designed by the famous architect for Wichita newspaper publisher Henry Allen and his wife Elsie. Completed in 1918, the home is considered one of Wright’s significant Prairie-style designs.
The best way to experience the house is on a guided tour, which takes you inside to see the architecture, original furnishings, art glass, and many of Wright’s other signature details. Tours are offered at scheduled times and space is limited, so make reservations in advance.
15. Visit the Wichita Art Museum
The Wichita Art Museum is home to an impressive collection of American art. The museum’s colorful glass installation in the Great Hall is worth seeing on its own and one of the pieces I always remember about this museum.
Best of all, general admission is free, making it one of the best free things to do in Wichita. Some special exhibitions or events may have an additional fee.
The museum is located along the Arkansas River in Wichita’s Museums on the River district, close to Botanica, Old Cowtown, and Exploration Place. It’s easy to combine several attractions into one outing in this area.
16. Visit the Mid-America All-Indian Museum
Located near the Keeper of the Plains, the Mid-America All-Indian Museum is a great place to learn more about the history, culture, and art of American Indians.
The museum is also home to a collection of work by Blackbear Bosin, the Kiowa-Comanche artist who designed the Keeper of the Plains. Visiting the museum adds more meaning to seeing the Keeper and helps tell the story behind one of Wichita’s most recognizable landmarks.
17. Walk or Bike Along the Arkansas River
Another free thing to do in Wichita is to spend some time walking or biking along the Arkansas River. Paved paths follow the river through the city and connect several downtown attractions, parks, and pedestrian bridges.
The area around the Keeper of the Plains is especially scenic, with great views of the sculpture, river, and downtown Wichita skyline.
18. Find Wichita’s Murals and Sculptures
Wichita has an impressive number of murals and public art scattered throughout downtown and neighborhoods around the city. Colorful murals celebrate everything from Wichita history and pride to Kansas culture. They are fun photo stops as you explore.
Also keep an eye out for Wichita’s many bronze sculptures, especially along Douglas Avenue and around downtown. They are tucked along sidewalks, benches, and street corners.
Best of all, exploring Wichita’s murals and sculptures is a fun and completely free way to discover parts of the city you might otherwise drive right past.
💡Bonus Tip: See if you can find the Wichita Troll! This quirky sculpture is hidden beneath a grate near the Arkansas River and is very easy to miss if you don’t know where to look! The hunt is part of the fun!
19. Explore the Historic Delano District
Just across the Arkansas River from downtown, the Delano District is one of Wichita’s most historic neighborhoods. Once a rowdy stop along the Chisholm Trail, today Delano is filled with locally owned shops, restaurants, breweries, and businesses along Douglas Avenue.
One of my favorite stops is Hatman Jack’s, a Wichita hat shop that has been fitting and shaping hats for decades. Whether you are actually shopping for a hat or just curious, it’s one of those unique local businesses that you won’t find anywhere else.
20. Learn Wichita’s Story at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum in downtown Wichita is a great place to learn more about Wichita itself. This museum is housed in the city’s beautiful former City Hall, built in the late 1800s and worth seeing even before you step inside.
Exhibits explore Wichita and Sedgwick County history, from the city’s early days to the people, businesses, and events that helped shape Wichita into what it is today.
It’s a good stop for anyone interested in local history, and its downtown location makes it easy to combine with other attractions on the list.
Best Free Things to Do in Wichita
You don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy Wichita. Several of the city’s attractions and experiences are completely free.
Some of the best free things to do in Wichita include:
- See the Keeper of the Plains and the Ring of Fire
- Walk or bike along the Arkansas River
- Explore Wichita’s murals and sculptures
- Find the hidden Wichita Troll
- Visit the Wichita Art Museum
- See the original Pizza Hut at Wichita State University
These are just a few easy ways to experience Wichita without spending a dime.
Best Things to Do in Wichita With Kids and Families
Wichita has plenty of attractions that work well for families, offering everything from animals to hands-on science to gardens and living history.
Some of the best things to do with kids and families in Wichita include:
- See the animals (and baby elephants!) at the Sedgwick County Zoo
- Get up close to animals at Tanganyika Wildlife Park
- Explore the hands-on exhibits at Exploration Place
- Ride the carousel and explore the Children’s Garden at Botanica
- Step back in time at Old Cowtown Museum
- See dinosaurs and mummies at the Museum of World Treasures
These are some of the best Wichita attractions for keeping both kids and adults entertained.
Where to Eat and Drink in Wichita
Wichita has plenty of chain restaurants, but there are also some longtime local favorites that are worth seeking out. You may not find all of these on every Wichita restaurant list, but they are places locals have been enjoying for years and a few of my personal favorites.
- Classic Wichita: Try a crumbly burger and root beer at NuWay, or head to Jimmie’s Diner for an old-school diner complete with jukeboxes at your seat. I still visit Jimmie’s several times a year!
- Italian: I love Marchello’s, a small, family-owned Italian restaurant in south Wichita.
- Mediterranean: N&J Cafe is another longtime local favorite of mine, serving Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes.
- Breakfast & Brunch: Doo-Dah Diner is a Wichita favorite for a hearty breakfast, while HomeGrown is another popular brunch spot.
💡Fun Fact: Harrison Ford has been known to eat at both Doo-Dah Diner and HomeGrown during his visits to Wichita. Yes, I’m talking about Han Solo! He visits Wichita for aviation-related trips.
Where to Stay in Wichita
Unless you’re visiting Wichita for a specific event or want to be within walking distance of Old Town, you don’t necessarily need to stay downtown. Wichita is fairly easy to get around by car, and staying a little farther from downtown can sometimes save you money.
- Downtown/Old Town: A good choice for first-time visitors who want to be close to nightlife, restaurants, and several attractions. Consider the Hotel at Old Town.
- East Wichita: The Rock Road and Greenwich areas have plenty of shopping, hotels, and restaurants. The Hampton Inn Northeast is a convenient option on the east side.
- West Wichita: West Wichita has lots of familiar hotel chains with easy access to restaurants and shopping. A great option is the DoubleTree by Hilton Wichita Airport.
Unless location is important for something specific you have planned, any of these areas can work well for a Wichita visit. Compare prices before booking because you may be able to save a little money by staying outside of downtown, especially during big events.
Tips for Visiting Wichita
A little planning can help you make the most of your time in Wichita. Here are a few things to know before you go:
- Plan on 2–3 days: A weekend gives you enough time to see several of Wichita’s top attractions without feeling rushed. Add another day if you want to visit both the Sedgwick County Zoo and Tanganyika Wildlife Park or spend more time exploring museums.
- Spring and fall are great times to visit: Kansas summers can be hot and winters can be cold, so spring and fall usually offer more comfortable weather for outdoor activities. That said, Wichita has plenty of indoor attractions, so you can visit year-round.
- You’ll probably want a car: Wichita is spread out, and having a car makes getting between attractions much easier. Fortunately, most places are only a relatively short drive from one another.
- Parking is generally easy: Compared with many larger cities, parking in Wichita is usually pretty painless. Many attractions have their own parking lots, and you can find street and public parking downtown.
- Group nearby attractions together: Save time by planning your day geographically. Botanica, Old Cowtown Museum, and the Wichita Art Museum are close together, while the Keeper of the Plains, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Exploration Place, and Arkansas River paths can easily be combined.
- Check attraction hours before you go: Some museums and attractions are closed certain days or have seasonal hours, so double-check schedules before finalizing your itinerary.
FAQ
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Wichita.
Is Wichita worth visiting?
Yes! Wichita has plenty to fill a weekend, with wildlife experiences, museums, aviation history, local restaurants, and unique attractions throughout the city. I’ve spent a lot of time in Wichita over the years and still return several times a year. Even now, I continue to discover new places and things to do.
What is Wichita best known for?
Wichita is probably best known as the Air Capital of the World because of its long history of aircraft manufacturing. It is also known for the Keeper of the Plains, its Old West and cattle-driving history, and being the birthplace of Pizza Hut.
What is there to do in downtown Wichita?
Downtown Wichita and the surrounding area have plenty to explore, including Old Town, the Keeper of the Plains, Exploration Place, Museum of World Treasures, Arkansas River paths, public art, shops, restaurants, and nightlife. Many of these attractions are close enough that you can combine several into one day.
Final Thoughts
Having grown up in south central Kansas, Wichita has always been a familiar place to me. I still return several times a year to visit family and friends, and even after all this time, I continue to find new places to explore.
Right now, I’m especially loving the baby elephants at the Sedgwick County Zoo! From the Keeper of the Plains and Old Town to longtime local restaurants and a wide variety of museums, Wichita has plenty to see and do. It’s a city where longtime favorites mix with new attractions, giving me something different to discover almost every time I visit.
I hope you find this guide to the best things to do in Wichita KS helpful when planning your trip. As always, feel free to email me at julie@travelandtinsel.com if you have any questions or need help planning your visit. I’m always happy to help! And if you’ve already been to Wichita, I’d love to know your favorite place in the city.
