| Located on the Arkansas River, the Wichita | | | | learning how to make a monster, or climbing and |
| museum district is a large well-kept park region | | | | playing in an outdoor nature park. It also has an |
| having several family-friendly museums and | | | | educational fetch lab (with Ruff) and a |
| galleries for all ages and tastes. Since they are | | | | Cyberdome theater open on weekends. |
| within reasonable proximity of each other, they | | | | Admission (exhibits only): adults, $9.50; seniors, $8; |
| are easy to find and access with free parking. | | | | youth (4-11), $6. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. |
| This district is located a mile north of a main | | | | to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Additionally, it |
| east-west artery (Kellogg Avenue or Highway-54 | | | | has a cafe for so-called power lunches. |
| 400) on Seneca Street where it adjoins other | | | | Wichita Botanical Gardens. This compact |
| drives and boulevards on both sides of the river. | | | | well-arranged assortment of colorful trees, shrubs, |
| Most admissions to these attractions are less than | | | | plants, flowers, grasses fountains, and ponds (with |
| $10 with discounted rates for seniors and children. | | | | ducks) is mostly outside. A greenhouse holding |
| Young children get in free. Most are open the | | | | several warm-weather plants was also attached |
| year round, but close on major holidays. | | | | to the main building. The garden has several side |
| One thing standing-out at the north end of | | | | trails exhibiting specific plants and flowers. |
| Seneca Street, just east of and behind the | | | | The main building also has a conference/reception |
| Mid-America All Indian Center, is the raised | | | | room, and colorfully displayed art work throughout |
| 74-foot high Keeper of the Plains sculpture at the | | | | its interior. It is open year-around with certain |
| confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas | | | | bargain days, except on holidays. Admission: |
| Rivers. It stands next to a cable-suspended | | | | adults, $6.50; seniors, $5.50; children (5-21), $3. |
| walking bridge crossing over to the far shores of | | | | Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; |
| each river. This artistically structured bridge | | | | Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. For plant lovers, this place is a |
| features built-in bow-and-arrow designs. At | | | | bargain. |
| nighttime, both the sculpture and the bridge are lit | | | | Wichita Art Center. It holds marvelous displays of |
| up. | | | | big-name original paintings, sculptures, statues, |
| From this point, the following main museum | | | | jewelry, and glass-works with at least 16 |
| attractions are located nearby (west, north, and | | | | permanent collections (7000 works) and several |
| east). They all have gift shops and Internet | | | | traveling exhibits. One room is dedicated to the |
| websites. We visited three of them, and drove by | | | | western artist, Charles M Russell. We liked one |
| the other two. | | | | traveling exhibit well, Three Generations of |
| Mid-American All Indian Center. It offers museum | | | | Wyeths. Several colorful Chihuly glass works are |
| views of Indian and southwestern art, | | | | also shown both in the center and in the gift shop. |
| photography, clothing, sculptures, statues, | | | | Admission: adults, $7; seniors, $5; youth, $3; free |
| artifacts, relics, and an 1850's outdoor simulated | | | | admission on Saturday. Open Tuesday-Saturday, |
| village with huts and tepees. The fairly large | | | | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. It also |
| building has an open high-ceiling conference area | | | | has a lunch/brunch cafe. |
| for councils, meetings, powwows, dinners, | | | | Old Cowtown Museum (great for tours, too). This |
| receptions, and special events. Tribal flags hang | | | | Midwestern 1870's cattle town has wagon rides, |
| from the ceiling. | | | | old buildings, food and drink sampling, dining, living |
| The museum section itself consists of | | | | history re-enactments, and gunfire in the streets. |
| wall-mounted or encased exhibits that carry into | | | | Admission: adults, $7.75; seniors, $6.50; youth |
| connecting walkways. I particularly liked the black | | | | (12-17), $6, children (4-11), $5.50. Open |
| and white photographs of native American | | | | Wednesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; |
| families and the collection of different sized bows | | | | Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m. |
| and arrows. Apparently, the native tribesmen | | | | The district underwent a multimillion dollar |
| used different-sized ones both for war and | | | | improvement completed in 2007. Its museum |
| hunting game. Admission: adults, $7; seniors, $5; | | | | attractions show the American, Native American, |
| children (6-12), $3. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 | | | | adventurous, artistic, historical, scientific, natural, |
| a.m. to 4 p.m. Big Indian tacos are served at lunch | | | | cultural, fun-filled, and Midwestern lore in ways |
| time on Tuesday and Wednesday, and on certain | | | | that capture the imagination at reasonable prices. |
| Wednesday evenings; $6; fry bread, $3. | | | | When visited in combination with using the lodging |
| Exploration Place (for kids and grownups). In | | | | coupons found at welcome centers and large |
| addition to historic and scientific exhibits for | | | | convenience stops on the major highways, this |
| children, this place has interactive educational fun | | | | district offers quality budget-minded outings. |
| activities, like exploring a three-story castle, | | | | |