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 used to have two fairly interesting dining options, but WaterWay Café and Egert Dining Room are no longer open. They do have a Snack Bar across Kansas in Miniature that offers light snacks and drinks for sale. You may wish to bring your own food to enjoy in the wooded outdoor "Picnic Grove." Parking is free. While you are there, visit the adjacent Keeper of The Plains.
Exploration
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to do in Wichita
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