On a budget? Here are some free things to do this Memorial Day weekend in Wichita
Enjoying this holiday weekend doesn’t have to cost a lot for families in the Wichita area. In fact, a new summer program offers free admission to more than 70 attractions across Kansas.
Save this list of free places and activities; the fun begins this Memorial Day weekend.
If you see something missing from this list, please email Nicole Klevanskaya at nklevanskaya@wichitaeagle.com.
Kansas State Department of Education Sunflower Summer program
Sunflower Summer provides Kansas students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade and their parents or legal guardians with one free ticket to each one of its over 70 participating Kansas attractions, museums, zoos and more. Tickets can be accessed on the Sunflower Summer app, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
The program will run starting on Memorial Day weekend from May 28 to Aug. 14. Here is a list of all of the locations participating in the program in both Wichita and Derby, along with their hours on Memorial Day and Memorial Day weekend. For a full list and for more information on the program, visit sunflowersummer.org.
Wichita Art Museum: The museum will be open Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 29 from 12-5 p.m. It will be closed Monday, May 30 during Memorial Day.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum: The museum will be open Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and closed on Memorial Day.
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens: Botanica will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., open Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and open on Memorial Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exploration Place: Exploration Place will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Field Station: Dinosaurs: The trails will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 12-6 p.m. and Monday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Jurassic Golf will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 12-9 p.m. and Memorial Day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Kansas Aviation Museum: The museum will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 12-5 p.m. and closed on Memorial Day.
Sedgwick County Zoo: The zoo will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mid-America All-Indian Museum: The museum will be closed Saturday, Sunday and on Memorial Day.
Old Cowtown Museum: The museum will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. It will be closed on Memorial Day.
Cowley Lake Waterfall: The waterfall will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Great Plains Nature Center: The exhibits will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and closed both on Sunday and Memorial Day. Trails open from sunrise to sunset.
Kansas Wildlife Exhibit: Feedings for the mammals, reptiles and birds on display happen every day at 12:00 p.m.
According to a news release, the Exploration Place has multiple opportunities that Kansas families can visit and explore with Sunflower Summer, including permanent exhibits, live science shows and unlimited dome theater movies.
One of these opportunities includes a new exhibition called “Dogs! A Science Tail,” a hands-on exhibition about the “dynamic nature of the bond between humans and dogs,” according to the release. In addition, the museum will show the IMAX movie “Superpower Dogs” inside its dome about “some of the world’s most amazing dogs.”
Blue Star Museums
Through the Blue Star Museums program, the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families will receive free admission to these Wichita-based museums and organizations:
Botanica: Open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., open Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and open on Memorial Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exploration Place: Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wichita Art Museum: Open Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 29 from 12-5 p.m. and closed on Monday, May 30 during Memorial Day.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum: Open Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and closed on Monday during Memorial Day.
The program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families in cooperation with the Department of Defense and American museums.
For a full list of participating museums in all states, visit the online Blue Star Museum Map.
Services to honor veterans in Wichita area
Multiple organizations in and around the Wichita area will host events on Memorial Day and throughout Memorial Day weekend to honor those who have given their lives for our country.
The Kansas National Guard will support Memorial Day Programs on Friday at 11 a.m. at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita and on Memorial Day at El Paso Cemetery in Derby at 9 a.m. Veterans Memorial Park, local cemeteries and IAMAW District Lodge #70 in partnership with the United Way of the Plains will also provide services.
For a full list, visit our full event coverage.
Free bus and paratransit services in Wichita
This weekend and through Aug. 31, anyone 18 or younger can ride Wichita transit buses and paratransit vans for free, according to a city news release.
To use this free service, riders will need to provide a 2021-22 student ID, which anyone can get for free at the Downtown Wichita Transit Center at 214 S. Topeka from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here’s more information on this program.
Visit O.J. Watson Park
O.J. Watson Park, which is one of the largest parks in the city of Wichita park system, will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Memorial Day, according to a city release. The park includes a 40-acre lake for fishing.
Although a fee is charged for participation in some of the activities and rides at the park, admission to the park itself is free.
Fireworks are not permitted at the park, the city said. A map of the park is available on the city of Wichita’s website.
Walk around and explore the Wichita trails
Wichita is home to several trails. You will not need to pay admission to walk around on the trails. Here are a few to get you started:
Visit Wichita State University’s Ulrich Museum of Art:
The museum will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Sunday and Memorial Day.
Visit Wichita Veterans’ Memorial Park
Veterans’ Memorial Park in Wichita pays homage to the men and women who have fought and died in various wars throughout history through a trail, statues, sculptures and more, according to Visit Wichita’s official website.
In addition, the park will host a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day at the Flag Pavilion.
Kids Bowl Free program
Kids can bowl free this Memorial Day weekend through the Kids Bowl Free program. Through the program, registered kids will receive two free games of bowling every day of the program. The last day of the program will be Friday, Aug. 19, according to Stars and Strikes.
These Wichita bowling alleys are participating in the program:.
Seneca Bowl, 1909 S. Seneca. — The bowling center will be open from 12 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Saturday and from 12-10 p.m. on Sunday. On Memorial Day, the bowling alley will be closed. To register your kids for this location through the Kids Bowl Free program, click here.
The Alley Indoor Entertainment, 11413 E. 13th St. — The bowling center will be open from 11-1 a.m. on Saturday and from 12-11 p.m. on Sunday. On Memorial Day, it will be open from 12-11 p.m. To register your kids for this location, click here.
West Acres Bowl, 749 N. Ridge Road — The bowling center will be open from 9-1:30 a.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. On Memorial Day, it will be open from 1-11 p.m. To register your kids for this location, click here.
At West Acres Bowl, admission for veterans will be free on Memorial Day. For everyone else, admission will be $2.
For more on the Kids Bowl Free program and to find other locations, visit the program website.