Kansas families can visit attractions for free with Sunflower Summer. What to know.

Billed by Kansas Tourism as a “get out of the house free card,” Sunflower Summer — the program that has given thousands of Kansas families free access to attractions across the state during summer break since 2021 — is finally kicking off this month.

More than 230 attractions statewide — ranging from museums, galleries, zoos and state parks to theater productions — are participating in this year’s Sunflower Summer, which has a shorter season this year. The program kicks off on July 12 and runs through Aug. 3.

To take advantage of the free admissions, Kansas families simply download the Sunflower Summer mobile app, available through Apple and Google Play stores, create an account and claim free attraction tickets for Kansas students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Once the ticket is scanned at the attraction, it can’t be used again. Some participating attractions already offer free admission.

Several of Kansas’ most visited attractions are participating, including the Sedgwick County Zoo, which has a trio of new baby elephants; Botanica, which has a special summertime outdoor glass-and-steel sculpture exhibition; the Kansas Cosmosphere and Strataca in Hutchinson; the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene; and two museums dedicated to aviator Amelia Earhart in Atchison.

There are some limited-time opportunities, as well, including tickets for the July 13 Wichita Wind Surge baseball game against the San Antonio Missions and tickets for this month’s performances of “The Music Man” in Kansas’ longest-running outdoor theater located in Lindsborg.

Program changes and impact

This year’s shorter Sunflower Summer run is due to funding cuts by the Kansas Legislature. Last year, the Kansas Department of Commerce and its Kansas Tourism program spent $6 million on the program. Advocates, like Exploration Place CEO and president Adam Smith and officials from other attractions, were hoping for similar funding this year.

The Legislature, however, provided $3 million.

Another program change directed by the Legislature: Only one adult admission per attraction will be covered. In the past, the program covered two adult admissions at each attraction.

Still, program officials think this year’s shorter season will drive similar participation and economic impact numbers as last year’s successful run. In 2024, 154,000 Kansas families used the Sunflower Summer mobile app to redeem nearly 500,000 admission tickets. The redemption rate was 55% more than in 2023.

“We attribute the dramatic increase to expanded marketing and word-of-mouth marketing,” according to an emailed response from Patrick Lowry, director of marketing and communications for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “The residents who use Sunflower Summer love it, and they shared it with their friends and family.”

The program, which won a national tourism award in April for best local impact, has been an economic success, as well.

“For every $1 invested in the 2024 summer program, Sunflower Summer generated $4.64 in non-reimbursed visitor spending. Including the tax revenue it received back as a result of the program, the state of Kansas drove $6.09 in business sales for every $1 it invested into the Sunflower Summer program,” Lowry said.

Exploration Place’s Smith said the program’s success isn’t just about economics, but about providing community engagement and educational equity.

“Sunflower Summer is an absolute big needle mover on that,” Smith said. “It’s important financially but it’s also important as a societal thing, to get people out into the communities, learning and seeing.”

In 2024, 55,000 of the science museum’s 400,000 visitors used the Sunflower Summer program to gain entry, he said.

“This is the most impactful program I have seen in my life,” said Smith, who has worked in museums in Scotland and the U.S. since 1996.

The Kansas Department of Education created the Sunflower Summer program in 2021, using $1.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for its first year, to provide a free education option during the summer. The program continued to expand and became part of the Kansas Department of Commerce when the Kansas Legislature started funding the program in fiscal year 2024.

Planning tips

Here are some tips to get the most out of this year’s Sunflower Summer.

• If you need to buy tickets for other adults or out-of-state visitors, check if other discounts are available such as senior citizen discounts, military and veteran discounts, or discounts for belonging to AAA or AARP.

• Several attractions participate in the national Blue Star Museum program, which offers free admission to active duty military and their families, including those in the National Guard and Reserve, from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day. More than 20 Kansas attractions participate in the Museums 4 All program, which provides free or reduced admission to families receiving food assistance; visitors need to present their assistance card and a photo ID.

• Use the map of participating attractions found on the Sunflower Summer website (sunflowersummer.org) to help plan and visit multiple attractions if you’re going on an out-of-town trip. The website also has extensive information for frequently asked questions.

• If you’re going to be traveling on Kansas toll roads, consider getting a KTAG (DriveKS.com) to save 50% on tolls. The Kansas Turnpike uses a cashless system so if you don’t have a KTAG, you’ll be billed based on your license plate information.

Wichita attractions you can get in for free this summer

Here’s a list of Wichita attractions participating in this year’s Sunflower Summer. Some of them offer free entry all year:

• Botanica Wichita, 701 Amidon; Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
• CityArts, 334 N. Mead; Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
• Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd.; Open daily at 10 a.m. with extended hours until 9 p.m.

  from July 12-Aug. 3

  during Sunflower Summer. Regular closing hours vary from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 East 29th St. North; Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday.
• Kansas Aviation Museum, 3350 George Washington Blvd.; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed Thursday.
• Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, 700 Nims; Open every day 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Mark Arts, 1307 N. Rock Road; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
• Mid-America All-Indian Museum, 650 N. Seneca; Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.
• Museum of World Treasures, 835 E. First St.; Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday
• Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 Museum Blvd.; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd.; Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
• The Kansas African American Museum, 601 N. Water; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
• Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 Fairmount; Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
• Wichita Art Museum, 1400 Museum Blvd.; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
• Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main St.; Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and closed Monday.

Contributing: Lindsay Smith of The Eagle

This story was originally published July 5, 2025 at 5:37 AM.