Walking through the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

See the city. Be the city. It’s a goal I want to continue well into 2019. I’ve lived in Wichita for well over three decades and there are so many places I have yet to see. For years I’ve heard of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum but had never stepped foot inside. In terms of value compared to other museums, this one was excellent at $5. I’m sure many people have been in the same position as me so if you’ve never gone, let me take you through a visual tour of what you can expect to see.

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204 S Main St
Wichita, KS 67202
316-265-9314

Tuesday – Friday: 11am – 4pm
Saturday – Sunday: 1pm – 5pm
Closed on Monday

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As noted earlier, admission is very affordable: $5.00 for Adults, $2.00 for Children (Ages 6-12), Under Age 6 are Free.

For those unfamiliar with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, they have a simple mission:

The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum’s mission is to educate the community and its visitors about local history by collecting, preserving, and interpreting materials reflecting the heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County.

I’m all about seeing the history of the city I call home. So I hope you enjoy this visual look at our city and county’s historical museum. Here’s the layout of the museum. It was very simplistic.

So let’s walk through it. One of the first exhibits I saw was Furnishing for the Victorian Age. It was filled with furniture that was completely different from what I was used to growing up in.

There was an exhibit about communication and here’s something most kids may be confused as to what it does. Pretty sure my parents have a rotary dial phone at their house still.

The Jones Six Automobile. The car was lifted by crane and installed on the museum’s top floor in 1979. After all these years, the exhibit smelled like a body shop still. I was curious if they were using a Bath and Body Works candle called “Automobile repair shop”.

Many of you are probably pretty familiar with this. This display should also be named, “Flags people didn’t know existed six to seven years ago.”

Something I learned on my visit. One of Wichita’s slogans used to be “Watch Wichita Win”.

There was an exhibit dedicated to the history of sports in Wichita. I swear I know a guy who still uses a set of golf clubs like this.

There was an exhibit dedicated to what a Wichita cottage looked like. There were even a set of stairs leading to god knows what. I’ve seen enough horror movies to avoid walking up them.

There was also a small little toy exhibit. I feel bad for whichever parent wasted their money on shuttlecocks attached to binoculars.

And someone who needs no introduction.

Seeing the U.S.S. Wichita made me think of one of my favorite movie quotes: “What is this? A center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can’t even fit inside the building?”

The Mayor’s Office…..a lifesize replica

One of the last exhibits I saw was back when the state funded schools much better than they do now. How many of you were old enough to remember these desks?

There was much more there that didn’t make the cut for the blog. In total I spent a little over an hour there. I’ll note that while its four floors, it’s not as interactive or in depth as some of the other museums I’ve been to. Still for $5, it was a worthwhile visit and a great way to spend an hour or two. I enjoyed my time and wouldn’t mind going back again.

Have you gone? What do you think? Feel free to post in the comments your thoughts!