Explore Things to Do in South Central Kansas
South Central Kansas offers visitors incredible scenery, cultural attractions, exciting sporting action and inspiring wildlife. While there is no one way to see South Central Kansas, jumping on a motorcycle or into a car for a road trip is one of the best. The Prairie Trail Scenic Byway brings you to stunning scenery, as well as cultural, historical and archeological wonders. Likewise, a car trip along the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway will reveal wildflowers, wildlife, museums, and National Historic Sites.
Wichita, Kansas’ largest city, can be found here. The Wichita Art Museum, the Wichita Grand Opera, The WSU Shockers college basketball and baseball teams and the Sedgwick County Zoo all draw crowds, along with numerous other “must see” attractions.
Cosmosphere’s collection of Russian space artifacts and the T-Rex skeleton at Museum of World Treasures will both wow. And for the horticulturalist/botanist in your life, Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, and the Bartlett Arboretum will be trip highlights.
Guests can also trek through the trails of Cheney State Park, or go fishing, sailing and swimming in the Cheney Reservoir. And if annual events and festivals intrigue you, there are numerous ones, from film festivals to rodeos, which will grab your imagination.
Keeper of the Plains in Wichita, KS
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Top Things to Do
Experience the Vast Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Encompassing nearly 11,000 acres, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City, Kansas, reveals to visitors a vast space that houses bison and other wildlife, as well as acres of wildflowers and prairie grass. Patrons can hike through more than 40 miles of trails or explore historic homes, limestone barns, a schoolhouse, and other structures. Catch-and-release fishing is currently an option on the preserve, as are a number of kid-friendly activities.
Enjoy South Central Kansas’ Annual Events and Festivals
South Central Kansas hosts a plethora of exciting events and festivals. In Wichita, visitors can enjoy celebrations like the Wichita Riverfest, the Tallgrass Film Festival and Wichita Flight Festival. Music lovers won’t want to miss the Winfield’s Walnut Valley National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships or the Messiah Festival in Lindsborg. The Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina, The McPherson Scottish Festival, Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo, and Pretty Prairie Rodeo are also popular draws.
Discover College Sports in South Central Kansas
Fans gather in Wichita from all over South Central Kansas, as well as other parts of the state, to see the Wichita State University Shockers. Part of the Missouri Valley Conference, WSU is fiercely competitive with in-state rivals the Jayhawks and the Wildcats. The Shockers are known for their competitive men's and women's tennis teams, the College World Series hopeful baseball team, and the women's and men's basketball teams, which call Charles Koch Arena home.
