Exploration Place on the bank of the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kansas Exploration Place in Wichita, Kansas is a fun, hands on science museum. Much of this river front museum is devoted to traveling exhibits, but there are many great permanent exhibits. One of my favorites is "Kansas in Miniature," a small scale recreation of early 1950s Kansas which includes many famous Kansas attractions and an "O" gauge miniature train. A large portion of the permanent exhibits area is devoted to "Where Kids Rule" with a three story castle and "Kansas Kids Connect" where young children can plant a garden, fix a tractor, climb through layers of earth to see how wheat grows and much more. "Creatorspace" is a family friendly maker space where you can tinker, build, and invent. "Big Mouth" explains the importance of oral health through a 7 foot replica of the human mouth full of fun facts. "The Tornado" lets you step inside an EF1 tornado simulator. "Design Build Fly" is a great place for all ages to learn about the aerospace design, engineering and manufacturing that make Wichita the Air Capital of the World. The 5100 square foot, permanent exhibit has 15 educational programs which teach the way airplanes are engineered, assembled and flown, by letting you handle actual aircraft parts and assemblies. You can design an aircraft, fly an unmanned aerial vehicle, test landing gear, and much more. The histories of Wichita aircraft manufacturers are told on a screen in a section of a Boeing 737. Exploration Place added a new Adventure Playscape on March 13, 2026 which takes it to a new level. If we didn't live so far away, I would get a family membership so we could take the grandchildren again and again. The new 6.5 acre Adventure Playscape outdoor play area is spectacular, with 10 Kansas themed play areas including a hillside water feature with many fun things to do. I think we could spend an hour just at the Junior League of Wichita Water Play Cascades. Many of the pumps and water wheels must be activated by children and adults working together to achieve their full effect. Food had been limited to Snack Lab with drinks and grab-and-go items, but Adventure Playscape includes a new Graze snack bar with freshly prepared flatbread pizzas, burgers, tots, ice cream from Salted Creamery and cold fountain drinks at what I think is reasonable prices. Save $2 off the admission by purchasing tickets online. Parking is free. While you are there, visit the adjacent Keeper of The Plains.
Exploration
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