This is something I learned about this year after posting about Exploration Place. A program through the Kansas State Department of Education called the Sunflower Summer is designed to provide a wide variety of ways for families to get out, explore something new, and enjoy time together.
By downloading the Sunflower Summer app, available on iPhone and Android, Kansas residents with students enrolled in Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, are eligible to access 1 free ticket per child to the 90 attractions, museums, zoos, and more. Up to two adults may access those attractions with their child. For what it’s worth, anyone, from anywhere, can download the app and track their Kansas summer travel fun, but are not eligible for free admission to ticketed venues.
The program runs from May 28 through August 14.
One big caveat that parents will want to take note of is that your family is allotted one free visit to each of the participating attractions per year. Your Sunflower Summer “Passport” (in the app) will be stamped, and the ticket will no longer be accessible.
Here’s a glimpse of what attractions come with the program:
Art & Theater
- Red Barn Studio Museum
- Theatre In The Park
- Wichita Art Museum
- Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
Attractions & Landmarks
- Botanica, The Wichita Gardens
- Boot Hill Museum, Inc.
- Cosmosphere
- Curious Minds Discovery Zone
- Evel Knievel Museum
- Exploration Place
- Field Station: Dinosaurs
- Flint Hills Discovery Center
- Kansas Aviation Museum
- Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
- Kansas Learning Center for Health
- Lee Richardson Zoo
- Mid-America Air Museum
- Oz Museum
- Rolling Hills Zoo
- Sedgwick County Zoo
- Sternberg Museum of Natural History
- The Big Well Museum
- The Topeka Zoo
- Wright Park Zoo
Libraries
- Great Bend Public Library
- Marysville Public Library
- Mulvane Public Library
- Russell Public Library
- Wellington Public Library
History
- Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum
- Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
- Constitution Hall State Historic Site
- Eisenhower Presidential Library
- El Quartelejo Museum & Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection
- Fick Fossil & History Museum
- Fort Hays State Historic Site
- Fort Larned National Historic Site
- Grinter Place State Historic Site
- Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site
- Johnson County Museum
- Kansas Museum of History
- Kansas State Capitol
- Kiowa County Historical Museum & Soda Fountain
- Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum
- Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
- Mid-America All-Indian Museum
- Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
- Miners Hall Museum
- Nicodemus National Historic Site
- Old Cowtown Museum
- Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site
- Pony Express Barn & Museum
- Prairie Museum of Art & History
- Red Rocks State Historic Site
- Ritchie House
- S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden
- Tri-State Antique Engines & Thresher Association
Nature Areas
- Cedar Bluff State Park
- Cheney State Park
- Clinton State Park – OK Kids
- Cowley Lake Waterfall
- Crawford State Park
- Cross Timbers State Park
- El Dorado State Park
- Elk City State Park
- Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center
- Fall River State Park
- Flint Hill Trails State Park
- Glen Elder State Park
- Great Plains Nature Center
- Hillsdale State Park
- Kansas Wetlands Education Center
- Kanopolis State Park
- Kansas Wildlife Exhibit
- Lake Scott State Park
- Lehigh Portland Trails
- Little Jerusalem State Park
- Lovewell State Park
- Meade State Park
- Milford State Park
- Monument Rocks Natural Area
- Perry State Park
- Pomona State Park
- Prairie Dog State Park
- Prairie Spirit Trail
- Sand Hills State Park
- Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
- Tuttle Creek State Park
- Webster State Park
- Wyandotte County Lake Park
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