Wichita, KS Road Trips

Wichita is a city in the heart of the great plains in Central Kansas. The city is home to large aircraft manufacturers which make up a large portion of the local economy. In 2021, it had almost 400,000 residents.

1 Old Town. Downtown, just east of the central business district. This entertainment district is one of the must-see spots if you are travelling to the city. It boasts over 100 shops, restaurants, and bars, all within walking distance. 2 Museum of World Treasures, 835 East 1st St, ☏ +1 316 263-1311, toll-free: +1-888-700-1311. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Experience treasures from around the world and through the ages at one of Wichita's top-rated attractions. Find your inner explorer—there's something for all to learn from the past. 3 The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, ☏ +1 316 265-9314. This museum shows you the rich historical and cultural heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County Kansas. 4 Great Plains Transportation Museum, 700 E Douglas, ☏ +1 316 263-0944, [email protected]. Sa 9AM-4PM. Dedicated to recording and exhibiting the importance of railroad transportation in the human, agricultural, commercial and industrial heritage of Wichita, Kansas and the Great Plains. 4-12 $4, 13+ $7, 0-3 free. (updated Jan 2017) 5 Exploration Place (Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center), 300 N McLean Blvd, ☏ +1 316 660-0600, toll-free: +1-877-904-1444, [email protected]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. This modern museum sits on the Arkansas river, where it displays travelling exhibits. While several of the rooms in the museum are solely for kids, there is always something for the adults to do too. Adult $9.50, senior (65+) $8.00, child (3-11) $6.00. 6 The Keeper of the Plains. A beautiful 40 ft (12 m)-tall sculpture by Blackbear Bosin.

1 All Star Adventures. An amusement park. (updated Feb 2020) 2 Riverfest, 444 E William St. Held in late May or early June, Riverfest is Wichita's largest festival, with live music, food vendors and activities for all ages. (updated Sep 2017) 3 Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd, ☏ +1 316 660-WILD (9453), [email protected]. Mar 1 - Oct 31: 8:30AM-5PM; Nov 1 - Feb 28: 10AM-5PM. Opened in 1971, home to more than 3,000 animals of nearly 400 different species. 4 Starlite Drive-In, 3900 S Hydraulic Ave, ☏ +1 316 524-2424. The only drive-in theater in the Wichita area. The new digital projection is crystal clear, and audio is provided through your car's FM radio.This is one of the best deals around, most of the time the price is $12 per car regardless of however many people are in the car. There are two large screens and each plays 3 current box-office movies back-to-back. Even when the price is higher than $12 per car (varies depending on season) it is much more economical than a traditional theater, especially considering that outside food and drinks are permitted. (though there is a snack bar selling popcorn, drinks, funnel cakes and more.)There is an intermission between each movie that allows time for you to visit the snack bar and restroom, though be warned that the snack bar will close sometime after the third and final movie starts. (Restrooms will remain open)The Starlight Drive-In is generally closed in the winter, and opens again when weather permits. Call in advance for pricing, showtimes, and to verify that it is operating that night.

Nu-Way. Serving up tasty burgers and fresh curly fries since 4 Jul 1930. A Wichita staple. (updated Sep 2019) Il Vicino (two locations). Delicious pizza. (updated Sep 2019) 1 Bradley Fair, 2132 N Rock Rd, ☏ +1 316 636-2121. Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM. (updated Jan 2023) 2 College Hill, 4817 E Douglas Ave, ☏ +1 316 612-7085. Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM. (updated Jan 2023) Spangles. A local fast food hamburger chain, similar to Steak and Shake, which serves black Angus steak burgers and dairy-free soft-serve ice cream. (updated Sep 2019) Freddy's Frozen Custard (Freddy's) (6 locations). 10:30AM-10PM. Locally famous steakburgers, good shoestring fries, and delicious frozen custard makes Freddy's a good place to go. (updated Sep 2019) 3 Amidon, 2021 N Amidon Ave, ☏ +1 316 290-9901. (updated Jan 2023) 4 South Wichita, 3450 S Meridian Ave, ☏ +1 316 223-4322. (updated Jan 2023) 5 Ridge, 420 S Ridge Rd Ste 100, ☏ +1 316 260-2611. (updated Jan 2023) 6 Rock Road, 310 N Rock Rd, ☏ +1 316 691-9998. (updated Jan 2023) 7 West, 8621 W 21st N, ☏ +1 316 722-2299. (updated Jan 2023) 8 Plazzio, 11525 E 13th St N, ☏ +1 316 440-5678. (updated Jan 2023) 9 Redrock Canyon Grill, 1844 N Rock Road, ☏ +1 316 636-1844. M-Th 5-10PM, F 5-11PM, Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Delicious food and a fun atmosphere. (updated Sep 2019) 10 Yokohama Ramen Joint, 613 W Douglas Ave, ☏ +1 316 260-7031. M Tu Th-Sa 11AM-9PM, W Su closed. Small restaurant serving authentic ramen, yakisoba, and other East Asian staples.

1 The Brickyard, 129 N Rock Island Rd, ☏ +1 316 263-4044. 2 Emerson Biggins Old Town, 808 E. Douglas, ☏ +1 316 303-9800. 3 Barleycorn's, 608 E. Douglas, ☏ +1 316 613-3773, [email protected]. 4 Club Rain, 518 E Douglas, ☏ +1 316 261-9000, [email protected].

1 Drury Plaza Broadview, 400 W Douglas Ave, ☏ +1 316 262-5000. (updated Feb 2016) 2 Hotel At Old Town, 830 E 1st St N, ☏ +1 316 267-4800. (updated Feb 2016) 3 Hyatt Regency, 400 W Waterman St, ☏ +1 316 293-1234, fax: +1 316 293-1200. (updated Feb 2016) 4 Scotsman Inn Wichita, 5922 W Kellogg (Exit on Dugan Rd), toll-free: +1-888-306-6721. Check-in: 1PM-midnight, check-out: 11AM. (updated Feb 2016) 5 Wichita Marriott, 9100 Corporate Hills Dr, ☏ +1 316 651-0333, toll-free: +1-800-610-0673. (updated Feb 2016) 6 Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection, 104 S Broadway St, ☏ +1 316 239-7100. (updated Jul 2025)

Wichita is at the junction of Interstates 135 and 35 (Kansas Turnpike) and approximately 3 hours' drive from Kansas City or Oklahoma City. It's 1½ hours from I-70. 1 Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT IATA) (5 mi (8.0 km) west of the city's center). Serves 9 carriers providing service from 11 cities across the country, most of which are major hubs with connecting service to points around the world. Alaska Airlines. Service from Seattle. Allegiant Air. Service from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. American Airlines. Service from Chicago-O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth. Delta Air Lines. Service from Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul Southwest Airlines Service from Chicago-Midway, Dallas-Love, and Las Vegas. United Airlines. Service from Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, and Houston. 2 Greyhound, 312 South Broadway (bus stop) (at the bus terminal in downtown Wichita), ☏ +1 316 265-7711. (updated Jan 2023) Beeline Express, 312 South Broadway, ☏ +1 316 201-6700. (updated Jan 2023) 3 Los Paisanos, 2210 North Somerset St (bus stop), ☏ +1 316 831-0817. This company travels to the south of the USA and Mexico. Buses to Kansas City can be found. (updated Jan 2023) While Amtrak doesn't serve the city directly with any passenger trains, there is a shuttle service to the Wichita Transit Center at 214 S Topeka St from Newton for the Southwest Chief and also from Oklahoma City for the Heartland Flyer.

City Bus. As the only form of public transit serving the city, bus service may cover the areas near some sights you'd want to see, but not nearly all. Routes are long and the wait for the next bus can stretch to an hour. In general, this is not a good way to get around. Taxi Hailable only at the airport, they don't even queue at downtown hotels. Points of interest are far enough apart that a rental car quickly becomes cost-effective. Unlike other cities of its size, you can't even find any at the bus station. Rental car If you didn't drive to Wichita, you'll likely want to rent a car when you arrive. Navigating Wichita Wichita is almost exclusively a driving town. Even so, traffic is generally lighter than most larger cities, and parking is almost always free and plentiful, even downtown. Wichita's streets are laid out in a fairly easy-to-navigate grid system. Ridesharing Uber and Lyft both operate ridesharing services in the city. No trip to Wichita is complete without an excursion through the nearby Flint Hills, and that's only possible in a car (preferably a convertible).