Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Wichita, Kansas

25.09.2024 - 14:42 / matadornetwork.com

Wichita, the most populated city in Kansas, seems to be on the cusp of an Austin-like boom. Right now, it’s the final frontier of what you’d expect from a Midwest city, occupying that sweet spot between being affordable and traffic-free and still providing the sights and excitement of a booming city. That means now is the time to visit.

Plan to go in late spring or early summer if you want to catch Riverfest, Wichita’s longest running festival. Typically held during the first week in June, the free event is an extravaganza of music, food, and family fun. Early fall is another great time to go, especially if you want to add in a weekend road trip through southeast Kansas to experience small-town football traditions.

No matter the time of year you decide to visit, these are some of the best things to do in Wichita, plus where to eat and stay when you get there.

Photo: Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

The number one Wichita must-do is a visit to the Keeper of the Plains. The 44-foot statue by Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin stands above the point where the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers meet. During the day, the statue can be accessed from the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, but I’d recommend visiting in the evening.

On my first night in Wichita, I took the footbridge to the statue. After soaking in a bit of history from the plaza and getting up-close statue views, I walked back over the bridge and along the river until it was time for the Ring of Fire lighting. From the river, I watched the group of fire pits in front of the statue burn. The Ring of Fire lasts 15 minutes nightly, starting at 9 PM in spring and summer and 7 PM in fall and winter.

While exploring the next day, I kept my eyes peeled for Keepers on Parade, a project that commissions local artists to paint 10-foot replicas of the statue, which are then sprinkled all over the city. The Keeper of the Plains is open from 5 AM to midnight. Admission and parking (at Central Avenue and North Nims Avenue) is free.

Keeper of the Plains: 339 Veterans Pkwy, Wichita, KS 67203

Photo:
photojohn830/Shutterstock

Confession time: The only class I ever failed was a botany class. Plant identification was my downfall. I actually failed it twice. I’ve never kept a plant alive before or since, yet I loved the quiet hour I spent wandering around Botanica.

The garden’s lush and shady 18 acres were full of flowers I couldn’t identify but delighted in nonetheless. The children’s park features a yellow brick road under the rainbow, a sweet nod to Oz. Also in the park is a carousel that used to be part of Joyland, a Wichita amusement park that closed in 2004.

Botanica is open from 9 AM to 5 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it