New play space in Wichita has a huge mascot

Looking for a new place for your kids or grandkids to play this winter?

Check out what’s probably the only playhouse in Wichita named after a dinosaur: Ivan’s Playhouse.

Ivan is of the most complete T.rex specimens ever uncovered. He has stood inside the front door of the Museum of World Treasures since 2007.

At 10 a.m. Friday, the museum will open a $33,000 play area named after him. The intent is for children to interact and become passionate about history. Tickets to the museum cost $9.95 for adults; $8.95 for seniors 65 and older; and $7.95 for children ages 4 to 12. It is free for children 3 and younger.

The exhibit on the museum’s third floor will feature a handicap accessible treehouse with secret passageways and compartments. There will be a theater stage with four backdrops at various moments in history, theater lights that children can control, a puppet theater and extensive costumes. Theater backdrops include an old West street scene, Roman, Medieval and Egyptian scenes.

There’s more. The Cargill Book Nook will be a space where children can grab a book and sit on a comfy chair. And then, there’s a Lego wall, a purple cuddly Triceratops named Tracy to climb, lounge areas for parents and grandchildren, plenty of new toys and free Wi-Fi.

Part of the new space will serve as a classroom.

“We have had this pool of money to build something like this for some time,” said Lon Smith, chief development officer at the museum.

Smith and his wife, Sherri, a commercial interior designer, created the design. The board approved it last summer. The Smiths have donated more than 250 hours to the exhibit.

“Sherri and I began in earnest building this out a month ago,” Smith said. “We worked every weekend, most nights. We wanted it done in a particular way. This is where we contribute our time. We give time and this has been a real labor of love for us.”

Smith said he did it as a tribute to Jon Kardatzke, the Wichita physician who started the museum in 2001. Kardatzke is now 79 years old. The museum attracts roughly 45,000 visitors a year.

“This is to honor him because Jon loved the kids,” Smith said. “He loved for the kids to have a fun educational experience. This is to honor his legacy, trying to honor what he loved about the museum and make a special place for people when they come here so they have a fun place to hang out.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 11:10 AM with the headline "New play space in Wichita has a huge mascot."