Hi - we are THINKING of making a trip to Wichita right after Xmas in order to meet up with some friends from Colo (we are from Illinois). Never been here before, and in doing some quick research, I%26#39;m wondering if the Old Town area is a good place to land - we would be two families with 3 teenagers. Is it safe in that area? stuff to do? walk around to restaurants, etc??? I see that the World Treasures Museum may be located near the Old Town area, and it looks quite interesting....any thoughts? Thanks!
Wichita after Christmas
any thoughts? .... well .... my first thought, honestly, was that I would meet your friends in Kansas City. The Museum of World Treasures is, apparently, located right in the middle of Old Town ... until reading your post and googling the name, I%26#39;d never heard of it. Maybe they just don%26#39;t advertise much, or I don%26#39;t get out enough, but I%26#39;ve spent a lot of time in Wichita, even on the fringes of Old Town -- which never really struck me as a place to take my kids, but more as a grown-up place with lots of bars --- and I%26#39;ve never seen the Treasures ... maybe it%26#39;s great .... I guess it depends on what your teenagers like to do, but mine would be driving me nuts within about 3 hours in Old Town Wichita.
As far as safety, I think it%26#39;s a fairly safe area, and it%26#39;s a toursim center so it gets policed pretty well. May not be the best place for kids if they are up late ... like when the bars closed and send their crowds into the streets, but, otherwise, it%26#39;s like any other downtown mid-American city ... you just have to use a little bit of sense and not court trouble. If you roam a way east and/or north from Old Town, the same is not true at all, and it is NOT safe for locals or tourists.
The Sedgwick County Zoo is very nice, and we visit it often on the northwest side of town. Since your visit is right after Christmas, though, the weather would be a real question mark. You might get lucky and hit a nice day or two, or it could be 5-below the whole time you%26#39;re there ... which is sort of true of walking around Old Town too.
Unless your research leads you to something you find thrilling in Wichita, I really think you might be happier in the Kansas City area, which has a wealth of museums and teen-friendlier attractions, including more indoor things, if the weather goes bad on you.
Another thought is that if you are going to end up in Wichita, you may want to take a run up to Hutchinson, to the Kansas Cosmosphere, especially if any of the kids are into space-related things. It has great, authentic artifacts and displays, an IMAX, etc., and is well worth the visit. If you%26#39;re teens are young teens, they might also like the water-park hotel in Hutchinson, which I think is called the Grand Prairie. It might be geared for a little younger kids, but there is an indoor pool, a water slide, and a big hot tub for the older folks. We%26#39;ve stayed there several times, and our kids up through about 13 and 14 have really liked it. If your teens are older, frankly it might be hard to guess what would float their boat!
Wichita after Christmas
Thank you very much for answering - yea, I realize that Wichita MIGHT NOT be the most exciting place - but, we met these same friends in Kansas City a couple of years ago when they lived in Denver, and their trip was quite a bit longer than ours.....so, we thought we%26#39;d try to find a place mid-way that was more equidistant, you know?
Actually, when I mentioned Wichita to my 15 year old, I got the wide-eyed answer of ';Wichita??!!'; So, yes, it might be a bit of sell, to say the least. But, the 8 of us can always have fun together, but it would be really nice to have SOMETHING to do.
We had a ball in Kansas City, believe it or not...we stayed at Country Club Plaza, shopped, ate, etc....fun. But, thank you a lot for your comments, cause that%26#39;s what I wanted - the REAL truth from people who know Wichita.....
Hi, You did not say how long you will be here but you should be able to find enough to keep you busy for a few days. Concerning safety in the Old Town area,about the only time there is ever any trouble is around 2:00 A.M. when the bars close and the local brain trusts hit the streets. The police patrol the area regularly and safety is not really a concern. Some of the areas to the north and south are not really unsafe but there would be no reason to be there, They are either older residential or warehouse business areas.
I can highly recommend the Kansas Cosmosphere and also the Kansas Salt Museum ( you can do a google search and find info on them)in Hutchinson which is about one hours drive northwest of Wichita. The salt museum is located 650 feet underground in an old salt mine. Because it is impervious to outside weather changes and has a very low humidity many of the old Hollywood movies from the 1920%26#39;s-50%26#39;s are stored there.
There are two new hotels in the Old Town area. The Hotel at Old Town and a Courtyard by Marriott. There is a Hyatt and a Radisson about three blocks away. The Museum of World Treasures is directly across the street from the Hotel at Old Town as is the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
There are many bars,restaurants,antique stores and the small
boutique type shops that women seem to like all within a 3-4 block area. As for keeping teenagers occupied I can not be of much help.There is a multiplex theater in the area.
If you need any more info you can e-mail me directly and I will be more than glad to try and help.
Pat
NotDave,
You don%26#39;t get out enough:-) The Museum of World Treasures should be added to your list. The museum has memorabilia from athletes, actors, presidents and public figures going back several hundred years. In some cases it is just an autograph or a document that the person had written, but there are often more interesting artifacts. For example the scalp of Custer%26#39;s nephew (taken at the Little Big Horn).
There are dinosaurs, and mummies.
If the bond money comes through, the museum may move to Olathe in a couple of years to start a new museum, along with portions of the collections of the KU museums.
jedwards, if NOtDave talks you into staying in Hutchinson, look at the Grand Prairie Hotel. The teens will be happy with the hotel%26#39;s indoor water park.
Thanks very much for all of your replies. Actually, our teens would probably be very happy at museums, theaters, etc...we just don%26#39;t want to go to some place really ';lame,'; you know? Hence, the questions......I think the World Treasures Museum sounds cool, and they probably would like it too. We would only be there at most 2 nights.
If Old Town is a bit sketchy for staying, what other areas are good? Near restaurants, shops, etc....yes, we moms (and at least one teen) wouldn%26#39;t mind window shopping some! Thanks!
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt; ... For example the scalp of Custer%26#39;s nephew (taken at the Little Big Horn). %26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
For real? I%26#39;m there!
Actually, I%26#39;m bound to be in Wichita this Fall, and I%26#39;ll just have to take a look at the Treasures. If it%26#39;s that cool a place, why in the world would Wichita let it leave for Johnson County?
btw, jedwardsillinois, you can check with the experts on here, or on the hotel websites, but I don%26#39;t think either Old Town hotel has a pool if that%26#39;s an issue with the kids ... it would be with ours, and with their parents when we are looking for a little peace! The Hyatt has a pool, but I%26#39;ve never been in it. If you can get a good price, it%26#39;s a pretty nice stay, but the rack rates are kinda steep.
Hope you have a good time, as it IS possible in Wichita. There are some other things, which I%26#39;m sure your research will turn up ... like the Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre, if that%26#39;s your cup o%26#39; tea. One of Wichita%26#39;s recent tourist draws, the Prairie Rose cowboy dinner and western music show, I think has closed for now, getting dragged down by the failure of the owners amusement park venture.
... boy, I really drone on, don%26#39;t I? [don%26#39;t answer that!]
Again, have a good trip!
The Prairie Rose Wranglers will move to Cowtown starting in September if everything goes as planned.
';why in the world would Wichita let it leave for Johnson County?';
It is privately owned. Most of the exhibits come from two collections - those of David Karpeles of the Karpeles Manuscript Library and retired physician Dr. Jon Kardatzke.
The Museum of World Treasures is wonderful - we have really enjoyed it. And the Warren Theater is right there too! It is a nice theater. You can order all sorts of food right from your seat (think hamburgers, sandwiches, etc.), keep in mind guests under 17 aren%26#39;t allowed after 8:00 pm. There are also some great restaurants right near the theater, Uptown Bistro is wonderful! There is also a skating rink just to the west of downtown (which is just to the west of old town! Also near downtown, not far from the Old Town area are some wonderful museums - Wichita Art Museum, Indian Museum (Mid-American All-Indian Center), and Exploration Place (not just for small children!)
I think you would have a wonderful time visiting our great city!
I have just read through bits and pieces of these posts, but all in all I think that you and your family would be more than safe in the Old Town area. It is very family friendly place.
Someone else mentioned that after the bars close, it may get a bit rowdy, which is probably true, but during the early evening and even later into the night, it really is a nice area to hang out (especially for just a couple of nights). There are some more commercialized places to eat, but also several unique places. Cafe Modern (next to the Old Chicago) is a pretty cool place. It has a small, but tasty menu, Italian gelatto made fresh daily, coffee and live music. I would recommend stopping in!
Others have mentioned nearby attractions in Hutchinson and whatnot, which would probably be great too, but if your family is only going to be in town for a few days, I think Old Town could keep you busy. If you do find yourselves looking for more to do, the East side of Wichita has some good shopping in the Bradley Fair development...
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