Wichita

Wichita is over a century old. During that time, the city’s been a hub for cattle, and then, the aviation industry. Today the city welcomes day visitors and has a great selection of restaurants, museums and other attractions. Check out our guide below to learn more.

Your Wichita Day Stay Guide

• Food – There are plenty of top-notch restaurants in Wichita, with a range of cuisine available to try. Mort’s Cigar and Martini Bar offers drinks and tobacco, accompanied by regular live musical performances, with family-run Bite Me BBQ cooking up barbecue delights. Steak and seafood can be enjoyed at AVI Seabar & Chophouse, while beer enthusiasts wanting to check out a brewery should give Central Standard Brewing a look.
• Botanica – Nature lovers may want to spend some time at Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. The lush botanical gardens host events, have a butterfly house, and have areas specially for children.
• Museums – Ever wondered what life was like in the 1880s? The Old Cowtown Museum is a recreation of that era, and is home to farm animals and a document archive. Wichita Art Museum displays thousands of works from artists past and present, and has a hands-on area for children. Meanwhile, the Mid-America All-Indian Center exhibits tribal artifacts and Native American culture.
• Zoo – If you fancy a walk on the wild side, Sedgwick County Zoo has a large range of exotic animals, including tigers, gorillas, giraffes, orangutans, elephants, and more.

Six Fun Wichita Facts

1. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas.
2. The city began as a trading post in the 1860s and quickly became a city in 1870.
3. Because so much cattle traffic came its way, heading there from Texas, it had the nickname ‘Cowtown.’
4. The area is thought to have been inhabited for thousands of years, and was inhabited by the Wichita people (also known as Quivira) when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.
5. The famous lawman Wyatt Earp served in a number of places, and one of them was Wichita.
6. Wichita is nicknamed the ‘Air Capital of the World’ due to the major role aviation has played in the city for nearly 100 years. Aviation remains the city’s largest sector today.