Wichita

Introduction

Wichita sits in south-central Kansas along the Arkansas River, and it serves as the seat of Sedgwick County. It is the largest city in the state, and the surrounding metropolitan area extends well beyond the city limits.

Before you go

Wichita sits in the heart of the Great Plains in Central Kansas, a city whose economy is shaped in large part by major aircraft manufacturers. Plan your trip with that setting in mind: you are heading into the plains of central Kansas rather than a coastal or mountainous destination.

Getting there

Getting around

Wichita is, by and large, a driving town. Its streets follow a fairly easy-to-navigate grid, traffic tends to be lighter than in most larger cities, and parking is almost always free and plentiful — even downtown. If you didn't drive to Wichita, you'll likely want to rent a car when you arrive: points of interest are spread far enough apart that a rental quickly becomes cost-effective compared with piecing together other modes. A car also opens up excursions beyond the city — no trip to Wichita is complete without a drive through the nearby Flint Hills, and that's only possible in a car (preferably a convertible).

Public transit won't get you far. City bus service is the only form of public transit serving Wichita; it may cover areas near some sights you'd want to see, but not nearly all of them, routes are long, and the wait for the next bus can stretch to an hour. There is no local rail, metro or tram network, and Amtrak does not serve the city directly with passenger trains, though a shuttle connects the Wichita Transit Center with Newton for the Southwest Chief and with Oklahoma City for the Heartland Flyer. Taxis are hailable only at the airport — they don't even queue at downtown hotels, and you can't find any at the bus station — so ride-hailing through Uber and Lyft is the more dependable option. Walking is not a realistic way to cover the city as a whole; expect to walk within a district or from a parking spot to your destination, not between major sights.

Where to stay

Wichita's lodging is spread between the downtown core and the outlying commercial districts, so your choice depends on whether you want to be near the city center or closer to the highway. Downtown you'll find the Drury Plaza Broadview on West Douglas Avenue, the Hyatt Regency on West Waterman Street, and the Ambassador Hotel Wichita, part of the Autograph Collection, on South Broadway Street. Also downtown is the Hotel At Old Town on East 1st Street North.

• Drury Plaza Broadview — 400 W Douglas Ave
• Hotel At Old Town — 830 E 1st St N
• Hyatt Regency — 400 W Waterman St
• Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection — 104 S Broadway St
• Wichita Marriott — 9100 Corporate Hills Dr
• Scotsman Inn Wichita — 5922 W Kellogg, reached from the Dugan Rd exit

If you'd rather stay outside the center, the Wichita Marriott sits on Corporate Hills Drive, and the Scotsman Inn Wichita is on West Kellogg, just off the Dugan Road exit — convenient if you're arriving by car and want easy highway access.

Food & drink

Wichita's food scene leans toward burgers, and a few local names anchor it. Nu-Way has been serving burgers and fresh curly fries since the 1930s and is considered a Wichita staple. Spangles is a local fast food hamburger chain, similar to Steak and Shake, serving black Angus steak burgers and dairy-free soft-serve ice cream. Freddy's Frozen Custard is locally famous for steakburgers, shoestring fries, and frozen custard, with several locations around the city. For a gourmet take, Dempsey's Burger Pub serves wagyu burgers and others. Pizza lovers can head to Il Vicino, which has two locations, and Redrock Canyon Grill offers delicious food in a fun atmosphere. Yokohama Ramen Joint is a small restaurant serving authentic ramen, yakisoba, and other East Asian staples.

For nightlife, Old Town is the district to know. The Brickyard, Emerson Biggins Old Town, Barleycorn's, and Club Rain all sit within a few blocks of East Douglas and Rock Island Road, giving you a compact cluster of bars and clubs to explore in an evening.

What to see and do

Start downtown in Old Town, the entertainment district just east of the central business district, where shops, restaurants and bars sit within walking distance of one another. From there, the city's museums cover very different ground: the Museum of World Treasures displays objects from around the world and across the ages, the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum traces the heritage of the city and county, and the Great Plains Transportation Museum examines the role of railroads in the region's human, agricultural, commercial and industrial life. Exploration Place, a modern science and discovery center on the Arkansas River, hosts travelling exhibits and keeps adults as well as children occupied. Nearby, reachable by a bridge from the Exploration Place parking lot, stands the Keeper of the Plains, a tall sculpture by Blackbear Bosin. The Wichita Art Museum shows three centuries of art along with glass pieces by Dale Chihuly and travelling exhibitions, while the Mid-America All-Indian Center and the Old Cowtown Museum round out the options.

For live entertainment, the Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center offers a varied program in its circular main building, and the INTRUST Bank Arena downtown hosts the Wichita Thunder hockey team, basketball games and Shockers basketball. Wichita State University's teams compete on campus and around the city, with men's basketball the main draw at Charles Koch Arena and the arena downtown; other venues include Eck Stadium for baseball and Cessna Stadium for track and field and high school football. The Wichita Turbo Tubs play Minor League Baseball at Riverfront Stadium. Families can head to All Star Adventures, an amusement park, or the Sedgwick County Zoo, home to thousands of animals across hundreds of species. The Starlite Drive-In, the area's only drive-in theater, shows current films back-to-back on two large screens with audio through your car radio, and generally closes in winter. Regal Warren West Theater has a large digital IMAX screen. Two annual events are worth timing a trip around: Riverfest in late May or early June, the city's largest festival, with live music, food vendors and activities for all ages, and Woofstock in early October, a fundraiser held by the Kansas Humane Society inside Sedgwick County Park.

Three days in Wichita

Day one: Arrive at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, known as ICT, served by Alaska Airlines from Seattle, Allegiant from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix, American from Chicago O'Hare, Dallas Fort Worth and Phoenix, Delta from Atlanta and Minneapolis St. Paul, Southwest from Chicago Midway, Dallas Love and Phoenix, and United from Denver and Houston. Greyhound and Beeline Express also bring you into the city. Settle in, then take an easy first look at Wichita and the Arkansas River, which runs through Sedgwick County and gives the city its setting on the Great Plains.

Day two: Plan a full day around central Wichita. Use the Arkansas River as your anchor and walk its banks, then explore the surrounding streets at your own pace. The weather across Kansas can swing from warm and humid in summer to bitterly cold in winter, so build in time to pause indoors when you need to. In the evening, choose a neighbourhood for dinner and let the city's laid-back pace set the tone.

Day three: By now you have a feel for Wichita and its place in Kansas. If you are driving, Interstates and the Kansas Turnpike make it straightforward to continue toward Kansas City or Oklahoma City. If you are flying out, head back to ICT for your departure. Either way, use the morning to revisit whatever part of the city or the Arkansas River you enjoyed most before you leave.