What We Saw in Wichita

Exploration Place has so many highlights that it would take pages to describe them all. A must is the Simulation Center where the seats take you on the ride of your life. And the Cyberdome Theater can't be missed either.

Quick Tips:

Old Cowtown requires at least half a day to do it justice.

Best Way To Get Around:

Orders were placed at the counter and food picked up there. The menu was rather limited, but the food was good quality and tasty. Service was prompt considering that when we arrived so did a dozen other people and only one employee was behind the counter.

I enjoyed a chicken salad sandwich that was amply supplied with chicken salad, lettuce and tomatoes. My husband had a chili dog and says that it was merely adequate. Basically, the cafe was convenient for where we were at the time and served our needs well.

We spent about three hours walking through the town and viewing the sights there.

One tip to keep in mind -- you can reduce the price you pay to get in by going to www.old-cowtown.org and printing the coupon for $2.00 off each admission. Presenting this printout allowed my husband and I to enter for $5.00 each, a significant savings.

There are absolutely so many things to do and see at Exploration Place that an entire day is needed. Sadly, we didn't know this beforehand and only allowed an afternoon.

There are two theater type shows that are a must see and do if you don't mind paying the full package price. Nothing at Exploration Place is just seeing, as is the usual case in museums. Here you touch, you experiment, you become involved with the displays and theater shows. It's a great place for both kids and adults. And if you have kids, you don't have to worry about them being bored. There will be so much for them to do that they will not want to leave and will beg to come back for more. Various areas of Exploration exist, such as Kids Explore, Exploring Human Life, Exploring Our World, and Exploring Flight and Design. Each area has its own dedicated arena. Look further into this journal and you'll discover some of what's offered.

Next you enter a small theater with hydraulic seats and surround sound. The seats were designed more like what you might find in the space shuttle than what you are used to in a theater. As the action begins on the 17' x 25' screen, your seat moves in synchronization with the screen action. It was more like an amusement park ride than a theater show. This part of the program also lasted about 5 minutes, which seemed much too short a time. It was certainly a different kind of experience.

There are warnings about not going into the Simulation Center if you have back problems, are pregnant, etc. My advice is to heed the warnings. The seats often moved in a jerky fashion and the ride was anything but smooth. Also, no photos are allowed inside the Simulation Center.

The theater seats have a computer keypad on the armrest, which you get to utilize during the first half of the program. It was rather interesting to join a team of other visitors via your keypad and go to work destroying bacteria in the body and landing a spaceship as well as other activities.

The second half of the program consisted of a trip through outerspace. Many images from the Hubble Telescope were used.

The whole experience was rather awesome and extremely unique.

We really enjoyed the ride as it allowed us to discover some of the many other things to do and see in Wichita, and as a result we've planned to get back to Wichita in the near future to catch all the sights we didn't have time to see that day. One of the first places we discovered was Botanica, just a few blocks from Old Cowtown. Another fascination you can find in Wichita is sidewalk art in the downtown area. These are bronze statues set into the sidewalk. On one corner was a bronze fox -- what a neat way to dress up a city. The tram drove past several parks and then through the Old Market District and past Exploration Place, where we saw the magnificent statue of the Wichita Indian, before making it's way back to our point of departure. If you are unfamiliar with Wichita and where things are located, this is a great way to discover places you are sure to want to go.

Two staged battles take place during each exhibit. The first involves a bunch of cowpokes who fail to check their guns in at the marshall's office. After they shoot up some poor drunk's hat for a while, the marshall and deputies arrive and escort them off to the Marshall's office to surrender their guns.

The second battle is the classic shoot out, one-on-one. Two men in black face each other on main street and only one survives. The mortician is quick to run in when the fighting is over to measure the 'dead' cowboy for his coffin.

A toy store for kids is right off the Kids Explore area. We didn't linger here, but it looked as if there were some great things to be had at this store.

This display kept us fascinated for quite some time. There was so much to look at -- a carnival with rides that spun and whirred; a backyard with a child swinging on a swing; two railroad lines complete with trains; a town; rural areas; landmarks, and much, much more. It all appeared so realistic.

As we moved around the display, time cycled between day and night. Quite a fascination.

There is actually a huge chunk of shale in the center of the room constructed into a pit where kids and adults alike can try their hand at fossil hunting. This is something everyone should try.

Take a few minutes to get off your feet and sit in front of a live weather studio. Tiered benches are available here to facilitate explorers.

There are flight simulators for you to test your hand as a pilot, as well as many, many other adventures to explore.

The General Merchandise Store was stocked with period merchandise and the store keeper, a woman in period dress, was very knowledgeable about 1860 era general stores. Not only were there shelves stocked with 1860 era merchandise, but there were also products for sale, such as authentic lye soap, that were made at Cowtown. Quite an interesting store with much to look at.

The Arkansas Valley Bank was also quite interesting. On one of the counters was a display of currency used during the period.

In the Marshall's Office, one of Wichita's laws was quite obvious. It was unlawful to carry a concealed weapon in the town and all guns were supposed to be checked into the Marshall's office. Sure enough, on the wall was a rack for guns and each gun slot was numbered to identify the owner. Also in the Marshall's office was a marvelous, freestanding cast iron stove.

One or the more interesting things on display were the handbills posted on walls all over town. It was fun to stop and read the advertisements from merchants tooting their wares.

The Episcopal Church was also very austere and plain. Picturing it next to churches of today brings out a stark contrast in either belief systems or the availability of wealth.