Go Exploring in Wichita this Weekend at These 5 Destinations

Wichita has many kid-friendly educational and entertaining sites to have fun. Keep reading to learn more about a few of our favorite sites for children. more 1. Sedgwick County Zoo Get Wild in Wichita Sedgwick County Zoo is the seventh-largest zoo in Wichita. This 250-acre zoo has nearly 400 species and over 3000 animals preserved in natural habitat simulations. You can find them easily as they are all grouped geographically. Elephants The zoo has elephants from the Valley of Zambezi River. It is known to be the third-largest elephant habitat in the country. It encompasses an outdoor space spread over five acres. The elephants also enjoy an 18,000 square-foot indoor facility. The elephant pool holds 550,000 gallons, which makes it the largest elephant pool in the world. Experiences You will enjoy watching penguins, feeding the giraffes, and taking a tram and boat tour. Event Space Host your next meeting or event next to the exotic animals. There are eight meeting rooms, and the largest one can hold 350 people. Admission is free for children up to 2 years, while you have to pay $11.70 to $15.70 for others, depending on their age. 2. Exploration Place Exploration Place is the prime discovery and science center of Kansas. It stands on a 20-acre parcel in the scenic downtown Wichita Museums, parallel to the Arkansas River. Mosh Safdie, a world-renowned architect, designed the building and the adjacent park. The place has a free venue for a wetland habitat, picnic groves, Festival Plaza, adventure play yard, and a mini-golf course. Once inside, you can get a souvenir from the gift shop, grab a bite from a snack bar, enjoy some art at Theater and Planetarium Boeing Dome, visit the Creative Learning Studio – Kemper, and enjoy a dozen permanent exhibits. You can also view traveling exhibits that emphasize the presence and importance of science and math around us. You can visit Exploration Place from Monday to Saturday between 10 am to 5 pm and on Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Visiting hours are closed during Christmas, Thanksgiving, and some of the other holidays. Admission fees range from $5 to $13.5 for adults, $4 to $11 for senior citizens, and $3 to $8 for the youth. There is no fee for children below 3 years. 3. Old Cowtown Museum If you want to have some old-time fun, come to Old Cowtown Museum. The museum brings back the memories from 1865. Try iced sarsaparilla, listen to the blacksmith anvil ring, and duck in one of the doorways on hearing gunfire. You can visit the museum from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Admission fees start at $6 for kids 4-11, $7 for teens 12-17, $9 for grown-ups, and $8 for seniors 62 and older. Kids love to study while having fun, so Wichita is a place where you can take them for doing their homework or learning activities while they enjoy the atmosphere. Image via Pixabay by Free-Photos

When most people think about Wichita, Kansas, they probably don't think about all of the interesting historical activities and opportunities to learn more about history that the city has to offer. Most people probably don't realize just how much historical significance Wichita is associated with. The truth is that there's a lot of interesting history in the city, and there are venues that offer insights into the history of the world as a whole. Step back into history with these three Wichita experiences. Museum of World Treasures The Museum of World Treasures is unlike most other museums you've likely ever visited. While many museums focus on significant history for a local or regional area, the Museum of World Treasures is all about world history. You'll find exhibits from a wide range of topics, including: more Natural history Military history from multiple significant countries and wars American history World civilizations Whether you're interested in ancient fossils, the World Wars, the truth about the founding of the United States, or Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, there's something here that practically everybody will find interesting. The best part is that many of the exhibits at the Museum of World Treasures are free for viewing by the general public. Exploration Place Exploration Place is a one-stop shop for natural-history lovers and science fanatics alike. It's mainly geared toward children, but that doesn't mean adults can't enjoy their time here as well. In fact, if you're interested in getting in touch with your inner child while learning some things you never knew, this is the place for you. You'll likely be interested to learn that Kansas has pretty close ties to the history of archeology and that fossils from some of the most well-known dinosaurs in the world have been found very close by. Old Cow Town Museum One thing many people do likely think of when Kansas comes to mind is the Wild West era. Kansas was a pretty significant place during the frontier days, and the Old Cow Town Museum is a fun and educational tribute to the days when the area was originally occupied by early settlers and frontiersmen. Here, you'll be able to learn all about early-American settlements on the frontier by stepping back in time and experiencing the life firsthand. Go horseback riding, participate in a pie-eating contest, and learn about the struggles that early frontier settlers faced every day in ways you never thought possible. If you're a fan of the Wild West, the Old Cow Town Museum is one place you definitely don't want to miss out on. It's not free but, at a maximum of $9 per person, this is one trip that's more than affordable for the entire family. There's a lot more to see and do in Wichita than you probably realize. Check out these three fun and informative experiences as a great starting point, and then head out and forge your own trail. You'll be surprised at what you can see and learn along the way. Photo by Garett Gabriel | Licensed under cc BY-SA 2.0

Are you planning a party but have no idea what to do for the food? Just bring in a food truck! You'll provide your guests with quality, tasty food they'll love, and you can get back to hosting the party. Since there are so many delicious food truck options, we've compiled a shortlist of four of Wichita's best-rated trucks. more 1. Funky Monkey Munchies While some food trucks consistently use just one menu for the food they serve, Funky Monkey Munchies has a rotating menu. This means you could use Funky Monkey Munchies for several parties and enjoy a variety of delicious, organic-based food. This food truck takes a classic item and puts a tasty spin on it, like cherry cheesecake waffles, for example. A menu item you'll have to try is the jalapeno popper rolls. Dip these rolls in Funky Monkey Munchies's sweet chili sauce, and your taste buds will experience sweet and spicy all at once. 2. The Flying Stove The Flying Stove also changes up their menu to keep you coming back for more of their delicious food. The level of flavor they pack into each dish will leave you satisfied and wanting more at the same time. The menu generally consists of tacos, sandwiches, burgers, and fries, but with their own flair to each item. You can't go wrong with their bleu cheeseburger, kale grilled cheese sandwich, or truffle fries. If you want something delicious that's sure to please the whole crowd, bring in The Flying Stove. 3. LumpiaPalooza If you've never tried lumpia before, you definitely should. Lumpia is essentially the Filipino version of a spring roll, but LumpiaPalooza makes lumpia with quite a variety of ingredients. The owners of LumpiaPalooza first opened a restaurant in Wichita called the Parsnipity Cafe, which is now no longer open. The owners decided to stick with just the food truck, so if you want the best lumpia in town, order from LumpiaPalooza. You can order a classic lumpia with sweet and sour sauce or try something completely different, like a macaroni and cheese lumpia or even a cookie dough lumpia. 4. Noble House Hawaiian Plate If you want a more Hawaiian-themed menu, check out Noble House Hawaiian. While Noble House Hawaiian is a restaurant based in Wichita, you won't want to pass up the opportunity to bring a taste of Hawaii to your guests by bringing in their food truck or team of caterers. The menu consists of several plate lunch variations, so you can go classic or try something very different. For instance, you can order the Hulihuli Chicken, which consists of marinated and charbroiled chicken, or Lau Lau, which consists of a piece of pork and butterfish wrapped steamed in a taro leaf and tea leaf. Noble House Hawaiian also caters sushi. Take a load off your event planning. Bring in any one of these four food trucks, and your guests won't be able to stop talking about how good the food was for the rest of the day. Image via Pixabay by kendallpools