12 ways to celebrate Wichita’s 150th birthday
It’s not the sesquicentennial celebration many people and organizations envisioned, but even a global pandemic can’t stop the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County from turning 150 years old.
Tuesday, July 21 is the city’s official birthday while the county first elected officials earlier in 1870. There is one toned-down event that survived restrictions on gatherings intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 along with several date-specific activities still on the calendar to celebrate the 150th. There also are other ways to commemorate the milestone when and how you’re comfortable.
Here are 15 ideas for building your own sesquicentennial staycation.
Attend the birthday party at Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum.
Prepackaged ice cream sandwiches will replace a slice of cake and a scoop of ice cream at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum’s annual birthday party for the city. But they’ll still offer free admission from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25 if you bring a birthday card (one card covers your group). Enter at Heritage Park on the east side of the museum building, 204 S. Main St., which is Wichita’s original City Hall. They’ll have free refreshments and will monitor how many are inside the museum at once.
All four floors of the museum’s exhibits covering life in the area over the past 150 years are open, plus a temporary exhibition on pedal cars that opened in June with 45 cars built from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Note: If you visit any other day, it’s recommended that you call ahead for a reservation to ensure you get in without a wait.
See Wichita’s oldest remaining structure in person or virtually.
Among the more than 50 historic and recreated buildings at Old Cowtown Museum is the 1868 Munger House, considered to be the first substantial structure in Wichita. The living history museum canceled its 150th events but you can still visit Tuesday through Sunday or take a virtual tour via the free Pocket Sights app.
Admission is free on Sundays and regular admission ranges $6 to $9 depending on age. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; the museum is also opening one hour early for vulnerable guests.
Visit the Kansas Aviation Museum for $1.50.
One of the city’s coolest historic buildings has been home to the Kansas Aviation Museum since 1991. Explore the art-deco details of the city’s original Wichita Municipal Airport Terminal Building at 3350 George Washington Blvd. near McConnell Air Force Base while learning about the development of aviation in the state. The museum is offering $1.50 admission July 22-26. The museum is open noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday when entry is reserved for guests age 55 and older as well as other considered to be in the high-risk category for COVID-19. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Explore another history museum or two.
While the historical museum is throwing the lone remaining birthday event, its director Eric Cale encourages Wichitans to consider visiting the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and Wichita’s other history-focused museums while capacity is limited and sanitizing protocols are vigilant.
“Wichita is a great museum town and on most days, these museums are low traffic areas,” Cale said. “It’s a nice way to get out and still play it safe. The experience you’ll have on the day of your choice is a little more immersive and gives you time to take in what you want to see and to reflect on what the past 150 years have meant.”
In addition to those mentioned above, The Kansas African American Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday with admission from $3 to $6; visit tkaamuseum.org for virtual exhibitions and special events. The Mid-American All-Indian Museum charges $3 to $7 with hours Tuesday through Saturday; see current exhibits and events at theindiancenter.org.
See the city’s history from outside, or at home.
If you’re not yet ready to go inside a museum, take a tour of Wichita’s oldest neighborhoods on the free app Pocket Sights. You can follow along while walking the route or view photos and listen to audio on your mobile phone. The Wichita Public Library and Bike Walk Wichita teamed up to create three history walks in 2017, each covering about 1 mile: Wild West Delano, Historic Downtown and East Douglas Heritage. More details and links to the app are at wichitalibrary.org/historywalk.
Eat a sunflower cupcake at Milkfloat.
Milkfloat, the scratch dessert bakery in Delano, is planning to offer special edition sunflower birthday cupcakes on Tuesday for $4.50 each. Watch their social media for the mouthwatering photos.
Make your own Wichita-themed dessert.
Cake Stuff, a store in West Wichita, is offering a Zoom workshop to make Happy Birthday ICT cookies at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Think flags and skylines while you learn decorating skills using royal icing. Sign up by Saturday to give the team time to prepare the supply kit you’ll pick up the day of the event. Cost is $45 including all supplies. Space is limited; register by calling 316-773-0510.
View the Keeper 150 project.
Thirteen new Keepers on Parade are being installed around Wichita in August. These are 10-foot-tall fiberglass replicas of Blackbear Bosin’s 44-foot-tall iconic Keeper of the Plains sculpture that have been painted and embellished by artists, each asked to incorporate 150 in some way.
Your best opportunity to view the additions is by watching the documentary that chronicles the Keeper 150 project funded by community alliance Together Wichita. Thursday was the premiere of “Keeper 150: A Wichita Sesquicentennial Celebration” on KPTS – Channel 8. It will repeat at 8 p.m. July 23, 9 p.m. July 30 and 7 p.m. Aug. 6. You’ll find an updated map at togetherwichita.com/keepers-on-parade once they are sited.
Enter to win a chance to light the Keeper of the Plains.
The city of Wichita is sponsoring a contest to find the most spirited Wichitan. The winner will get a prize package that includes the opportunity to light the fire pots at the Keeper of the Plains. To enter, submit a photo showing how much you love Wichita. Come up with a creative way to show your city spirit, maybe sporting your favorite ICT or flag apparel or posing at your favorite Wichita landmark. There’s also a category for Wichita’s Proudest Pet. The deadline is July 26 and winners will be announced on July 30. Submission details are at wichita.gov/ictspirit.
Score birthday discounts.
Boats & Bikes, which operates on the west bank of the Arkansas River at the River Vista Apartments, is offering half-priced one-hour rentals on Tuesday for pedal boats, scooters or Trikkes (three-wheeled standup-up rides). That makes the cost $15 per boat and $10 for the wheels. They are open 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Botanica is celebrating the 150th with buy-one-get-one admission on Mondays in July, when the gardens are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular priced tickets are $6 to $9 depending on age.
The Sedgwick County Zoo’s Twilight Tuesdays run the month of July, with $3 per person admission and extended hours of 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The number of guests is still limited so members and non-members must reserve timed entry tickets in advance at scz.org.
Eat a Wichita-inspired brunch.
Two Olives is serving a Wichita-themed birthday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 19. The restaurant plans a wide range of local favorites, from breakfast bierocks to beef from Kansas’ Creekstone Farms. They will also debut their Mimosa Flights, in honor of the city’s self-proclaimed Air Capital of the World status. Cost is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for ages 5-12. Children under 5 eat free. Reserve a table by calling 316-681-1100 or at twooliveswichita.com.
Visit Visit Wichita.
You may have noticed billboards around town proclaiming “Guess what’s not canceled? Wichita’s birthday.” and “Show birthday love. Support local.” Those and similar messages are part of social media campaign from Visit Wichita, which markets the community as a tourism and event destination.
The promotions are driving people to VisitWichita.com/150, where there are more than 150 ideas for discovering the area through attractions, shops and restaurants.