Four picture-perfect selfie spots in Wichita

Scenic landscapes are surely not that hard to find in Kansas, right?

I mean, sunsets around here are pretty special.

But finding that picture-perfect spot that truly encapsulates a place can often be a bit of a challenge.

In preparation for summer, I’ve compiled a list of four picture-perfect spots in Wichita to take portraits or even selfies.

▪ Wichita mural at College Hill Deli

This mural, painted on the side of the popular eatery College Hill Deli, has been a hip spot at which to take pictures since it was painted last October. I even wrote about this very phenomenon in January. The mural, painted by local artists Josh Tripoli and Rebekah Lewis – known collectively as Lupoli – is a colorful wall that tells the story of Wichita through symbols, from the buffalo of the state’s early days to aviation and modern identifiers such as ICT and 316, the city’s airline designation and area code, respectively. And if you get hungry from all that intensive selfie-taking, College Hill Deli is just around the corner.

▪ Old Town parking garage rooftop

You might want to be a little careful with this one, because obviously heights are involved. But I’ve seen many super-cool photos taken during the golden hour on the rooftop of the Old Town parking garage on Mosley between First and Second streets. You can get a bit of downtown in your pictures from this angle, or if you move your picture-taking activities to the Old Town parking garage next to the Warren, you’ll get great views of Old Town Square, which can be a neat backdrop at night.

▪ Oak Park bridge

This is a time-tested spot where even yours truly took a good senior photo back in the day. For those who don’t know, it’s a stone bridge that’s tucked away in Riverside’s Oak Park, overlooking a pond. Surrounding the pond – and filling Oak Park – are acres of trees, making it one of the best nature walks the city has to offer. And around the pond, most of the trees are tagged with little carvings – some not so family-friendly – that give the place an eclectic feel. To access the bridge, you’ll want to drive north on Oak Park Drive off of 11th Street, and keep an eye out on the east side of the road. Be careful of disc-golfers while you’re out, however.

▪ Brick wall by Douglas and Rock Island

No Wichita photo-spot story would be complete without listing this location, on the west side of Rock Island, south of Douglas and north of Waterman. When The Eagle was at 825 E. Douglas, we would often see people posing for photos in front of this wall, and sometimes if we were looking for an outdoor portrait, we would use it ourselves. It’s an old brick wall that provides an urban aesthetic while still employing some greenery beneath. The old railroad tracks are also close by – just be careful up there, as the police will often bust trespassers in the area.

This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Four picture-perfect selfie spots in Wichita."