Hands-on Science Fun for the Whole Family

Design Build Fly

Soar into this award-winning exhibit that reveals what happens behind the scenes in Wichita’s aircraft plants. Design an airplane seat. Test landing gear. Rivet a wing. Pretend to be a superstar in a luxury jet.

Explore Kansas

Step into a slice of life showcasing our sunflower state. Drive a combine, and step into an EF1 tornado. Measure speed, humidity, and storm direction in our storm chaser vehicle. In the aquifer, determine your personal water use and learn ideas for steps to conserve water.

Where Kids Rule

Calling all kings and queens! We hereby request your presence at our three-story castle. Ride a trusty steed, build a bridge across a treacherous moat and catch a fish for dinner. Explore simple machines as they were used during medieval times. Use a pully to lift buckets of grain, use a wheel and axle to transport your harvest and use a lever to launch a catapult across the kingdom.

Kansas Kids Connect

We’re planting the seeds of STEM in young children’s minds as they discover the world around them — from the country to city living. Plant a garden, fix a tractor, run through golden waves of wheat. Create your own town, go to a farmer’s market and more. For the security and safety of our young visitors, this exhibit is for ages five years and younger who are accompanied by an adult.

TeamLab

Designed to spark imagination and teamwork, this dynamic space offers hands-on experiences that blend play and innovation. TeamLab was born from an idea to expand collaborative play.

Interactive elements inspire creativity and teamwork with exciting new activities:

• Earthquake Table for KEVA blocks
• MagnaTiles
• Domino Effect Table with Giant Dominoes
• Everbrite
• Giant Pin Wall
• Magnet Table
• Wooden Block Table

Sensory Garden

Experience a Sensory Garden that engages your sight, smell, touch and hearing. With over 50 plant varieties, interactive musical instruments, outdoor seating and a water vortex, this space is one for your family to enjoy a break from the busy museum crowds. The Sensory Garden is located on the terrace across from Keva and near Explore Kansas.

The Magic Carpet

Experience the intriguing Magic Carpet exhibit, where you’ll discover a fresh perspective from underfoot. This unique installation showcases a customized carpet with informative panels inspired by satellite imagery. Covering a 26.2-mile stretch of the Arkansas River, equivalent to a marathon’s distance, the carpet spans the 135-foot walkway connecting the museum’s entrance and exhibition sections.

Gaze down upon a representation that extends from Derby to Maize and Valley Center, capturing the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in inky black tones. Look out for Century II’s distinct circular rooftop in a gentle light blue shade. You’ll also spot building shapes and structures, including the Keeper of the Plains statue at the river junction, depicted in a softer color.

Enrich your understanding with 14 informative panels, shedding light on topics ranging from Derby’s past name (El Paso) to the area’s ecosystems and significant landmarks. Join us in exploring the Magic Carpet exhibit, a journey that unveils the beauty and stories of the Arkansas River’s surroundings.

Kansas in Miniature

Experience this intricate, animated display of 1950s Kansas, a period of optimism and innovation as Kansans looked to the future. Enjoy more than 51 animations, 125 buildings, 200 period vehicles, 1,000 people and more than 3,000 trees, shrubs and other plantings.

Sun, Earth, Universe

Three, two, one…blast off! Connect with current NASA science research and take off on a journey to investigate the universe. Build a model spacecraft for your own mission to space.

Making a Landmark

Our breathtaking building is unlike any other in the city, state and beyond. It’s a seminal work of world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. Delve into how our museum came into being – from the land’s rich history to the groundbreaking geometric toroid shape that the building’s architecture is based upon, as well as the museum’s challenging and innovative construction.

Would you like to learn more about how this remarkable building came to be? Once in a Lifetime, an original documentary created for Exploration Place’s 25th anniversary, captures the bold vision, challenges and community spirit behind its construction. Through rare archival footage and firsthand interviews, the film reveals how a dream on the banks of the Arkansas River became one of Wichita’s most iconic structures.

Additional reference: The Construction of Exploration Place by the Wichita Eagle

Mickey Shannon’s Kansas Is Beautiful

Located in WaterWay Hall

Born and raised in Kansas, Mickey Shannon is a self-taught landscape photographer specializing in large-format, museum-quality fine art photography prints. With roots in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and South Dakota, Shannon has explored this underrated region of North America as a photographer and nature lover.

Shannon began selling prints of his work online in 2010. His business steadily grew as he traveled both near and far. In 2017, Shannon was awarded the Kansas Finest award by Kansas Tourism for his dedication to showcasing our beautiful state through photography. His most recent project is a high-end coffee table photography book of Kansas images titled Kansas is Beautiful, released in spring 2023.

Lotus Flowers

Artist – Tina Murano; Wichita KS
Title – Lotus Flowers
Year Created: 2003
Stainless Steel

On loan from the City of Wichita Public Art Collection