4 Best Sights in Wichita, Kansas

More than 9 acres of perennials and woody plants are cultivated here, among dozens of fountains and pools. Twenty-five distinct gardens showcase a variety of themes, such as native wildflowers in the Cissy Wise Wildflower Meadow, 350 rose plants at the Jessie Wooldridge Brosius Rose Garden, and a living-herb wall at the Sally Stone Sensory Garden. A highlight is the 2,800-square-foot free-flight butterfly enclosure that is home to more than 5,000 butterflies in various stages of development; it is open from June to September only. The very interactive children's garden features a tree house to climb into and a pond to hop across.

Displaying artifacts from numerous tribes, including the Crow and the Sioux, this is among the country's best museums devoted to Native American culture. Artwork and other exhibited items trace back to early tribes but also cover contemporary lifestyles. A program of special exhibitions have included toys made by Native American through the 1960s and the history of moccasins. In Ceremonial Hall, hundreds of flags represent many of the country's 549 recognized tribes. An aboriginal encampment features walking paths and the sounds of water and wind.

In the heart of Wichita's museum district along the Arkansas River, this is a re-created 19th-century town, where historic reenactments include a trader's cabin staffed by buffalo hunters and cowboy stories at the Drovers Camp. There's a residential street where early settlers established homes such as the Marshall W. Murdock house, with its cast-iron fence and flower beds, which really bring this bygone era to life. On the 5-acre DeVore Farm, animals are milked and fed as they would have been on an 1880s farm.

The Wichita Center for the Arts forms the hub of the local arts community, with a gallery, a theater, and various activities. The permanent art collection contains works from regional and national artists, and recent temporary exhibitions have included watercolors by Kansas artists and pastel on paper. The center has a lively program of classes and workshops, from four-week and 12-week fine-arts classes—ranging from pottery to printmaking and photography—to one-day workshops on topics like jewelry making and painting (while sipping wine). Performances in the theater range from Pulitzer Prize-winning plays to original scripts from Kansas playwrights.