Fun Things To Do Alone In Wichita

If business or pleasure travel brings you to the city of Wichita, Kansas without a partner, don't despair. The city of over 300,000 residents offers many opportunities that you can enjoy alone. Nature lovers can enjoy a solitary stroll through Botanica, the Wichita Gardens at 701 Amidon. The 9 and a half acre site is the setting for theme gardens that include butterfly, rose, wildflower, sensory, Shakespearean, and more. Enjoy the woodland walk or woodland glade. Learn as you relax in the teaching garden. If you prefer animals to plants, a visit to the Sedgewick County Zoo is in order. Located on Zoo Boulevard just off I-235, the Wichita zoo has more than two thousand species on almost 250 acres. Habitat areas include a desert, aquatic, the Jungle (complete with heat and humidity), an African veldt, and a Pampas-Outback area that re-creates parts of Australia and South America. Visit the North American prairie area for the look and feel of the area's original state. Enjoy the antics of the animals in the Koch Orangutan and Chimpanzee Habitat.

Art affectinados will find a large collection at the Edwin U. Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus. Over 7,000 works of art are displayed at this museum and include a mosaic by Joan Miro. Sixty-five modern sculptures are found throughout the campus and these include works by Rodin. At the Indian Center Museum at 650 North Seneca Street, view displays that highlight North American Indian heritage, tradition, and culture. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, try the American Indian foods served in their Mid-American All-Indian Center on site. Take time to view the recreated village that showcases daily life of several tribes. Exhibits include a Wichita grass lodge and a Sioux tee pee. If flight appeals to your imagination, the Kansas Aviation Museum on George Washington Boulevard will delight your senses. Airplanes, engines, and models fill this museum and you'll be greeted on arrival by a mural of Lucky Lindbergh's famous flight.

History buffs will enjoy the Old Cow Town Museum in Wichita's Sim Park. More than forty buildings from 1865-1880 are restored in this town that celebrates the city's rich heritage. The city's first residential structure can be seen along with a stocked general store, drug store, one room schoolhouse, saloon, depot, and more. Living history interpreters offer demonstrations of old time crafts including blacksmithing. A working farm is part of the museum and features Texas Longhorn Cattle. Guided tours are available or you can explore on your own. If you find you're seeking more insight into the past, visit the Witchita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum on Main Street. Housed in the restored 1890's vintage former City Hall, you'll learn about local history. Collections of note include pattern pressed glass, children's toys, fashions, and a recreated 1910 drugstore. Sailors or would-be boaters might enjoy a stop at the Wichita Boathouse and Information Center along the banks of the Arkansas River. Visitors can pick up information about local attractions and view an America's Cup class yacht, the "Jayhawk". Historical exhibits include ship's figureheads dating to the 1800's and handmade ship's models.

Feeling lucky? Then a trip to the Wichita Greyhound Park might be in order. See - and bet if you like - the dogs race Wednesdays through Sunday year round at the park north of the city. Shoppers will find every comfort and convenience at two major malls - Town Square East and Town Square West. In the original downtown business district many novel and unique shops now operate as well.

Explore Wichita's cowtown past and enjoy its' vibrant present when you visit this major city on the Kansas prairies.