Exploration Place is a fun science center on the river in Wichita, Kan. We had a whirlwind visit to Wichita this spring, and since we were traveling with two kids, it made sense to plan a stop there.
How could we skip a three-story castle, an aviation room and the only place I’ve ever visited that had a dedicated game for poop (more on that in a second)?
Disclosure: My family received complimentary passes to the science center so I can tell you about it. Our whole weekend was hosted by Visit Wichita. Visit the Visit Wichita website to get some great ideas for a trip (or keep reading to find out more about the cool things we did there!).
What’s at Exploration Place
This science center is going to appeal more to grade schoolers and older kids (and adults), than really little ones, though there was plenty to do for my 5-year-old. There’s even a dedicated space for preschoolers.
There is a mix of permanent exhibits and traveling exhibits. We were there when the temporary exhibits involved dinosaurs in one space and Vietnam in another. One of the current traveling exhibits is called Hall of Heroes and a new one coming up in 2018 is called The Science of Saving.
The whole museum/science center is geared toward youth, but adults are not discouraged from trying things out too.
There are 13 permanent exhibits at Exploration Place! Some of the ones we found particularly memorable include Creator Space and Exploring Flight & Design. I particularly liked playing with a plane propeller, making a shimmering design in on a wall of shiny discs in the flight exhibit. My son liked the flight Wright Brothers’ flight simulator. I didn’t get a good shot of it (it’s not what’s pictured below).
The Explore Kansas room is newly renovated and such a neat space to visit. We liked playing with the fossil scanner.
Nearby, you’ll find that poop game I mentioned. You have to guess which animal pooped what. It’s gross.
Kids love it.
I can’t think of a room kids won’t like there. My daughter spent more than half our time playing in the castle space called Where Kids Rule. It’s an impressive and immersive space, and I don’t blame her for wanting to stay there. It’s a permanent exhibit, so you will get to check it out if you plan on visiting!
My son enjoyed building in the KEVA wooden plank space and stepping into a tornado in the new Explore Kansas exhibit.
I also recommend checking out the miniature train room – it’s crazy huge.
Timing your visit
– Check out the schedule of traveling exhibits to see what will be open when you visit.
– You can easily spend a couple hours here. I’d expect to spend about two hours here if you didn’t allow your child to linger in a spot for too long (good luck with that).
We were a little rushed trying to see it all before my kids got tired for a nap. We had to skip the mini golf area, which is included with admission.
If you go
Exploration Place
Where: 300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, Kan.
Cost: $9;50, adults; $8, seniors; $6, youth (3-11), and FREE for children younger than 2. You can pay a little bit more to “Do It All.”
Hours: Until Labor Day 2017: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays in the winter), and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Check the times if you plan on visiting after Labor Day. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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Want to start planning a Great Wichita Weekend?
Start with My Wichita Bucket List to get some inspiration, then dive into these for more fun ideas:
The Great Wichita Weekend recap
A Kid-Favorite Destination: Bonanica Wichita
Hampton Inn & Suites – A Wichita Hotel For Families
Exploring Tangyika Wildlife Park
For even more ideas for family fun in Wichita, check out my Pinterest Board.
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