 | |
 The Exploration Place next to the Arkansas River (2013) | |
  Location within Kansas | |
| Established | April 1, 2000 |
|---|---|
| Location | 300 North McLean Blvd, Wichita, Kansas 67203 United States |
| Coordinates | 37°41′N97°21′W / 37.69°N 97.35°W |
| Type | Science museum |
| President | Adam Smith [1] |
| Website | exploration.org |
Exploration Place is a science museum located on the west side of the Arkansas River in the Delano neighborhood of Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution. [2]
During the 1980s, a plan to consolidate the city-owned Wichita Omnisphere and Science Center and the Children's Museum of Wichita was proposed. [3] In 1992, a capital funds campaign was launched, and with an endowment from Velma Lunt Wallace, funds from the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County, and other donations, [4] the museum opened in the spring of 2000.
The museum is supported by admissions, membership dues, Sedgwick County government, and other public support and voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. In 2019 Exploration Place had attendance of 345,838, made up of 279,640 people visiting the facility and 66,198 people engaged through outreach programs. [5]
Construction began May 1997 and took 2 ½ years. Internationally acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie of Boston designed the building. There are 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) and 20 acres (81,000 m2) on the property. The tallest point of the building is the peak of the roof of the traveling exhibits space and is 70 feet (21 m) above the floor (nearly 7 stories high). The combined distance around the interior perimeter of both buildings is approximately one mile.[ citation needed ]
The "Island Building" is named because it is surrounded by water, with the Arkansas River on one side and the reflecting pond on the other. The reflecting pond is between the buildings to create the illusion that looks like the river runs between the buildings. The reflecting pond is one to three feet deep. Even though the building is so close to the river it is not prone to flooding because it is above the 100-year flood level. During the flood in October 1998, the worst in recent history, the water level was still more than 8 feet (2.4 m) below the finished floor level.[ citation needed ]
This venue is the largest dome theater in Kansas with a 60-foot high, 360-degree screen. It shows digital films. General museum admission is not required to see a show at the dome.[ citation needed ]
This venue is a 140-seat theater equipped with audio/visual equipment, sound system, podium and stage lighting. It is the home of live science shows.[ citation needed ]
This 1,900 square-foot shopping extravaganza connects you to science, educational toys and even funky fun! The store is now one of the few places in the area to feature fair trade items. All purchases help support Exploration Place. General museum admission is not required to shop the store.[ citation needed ]
Sedgwick County is located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Wichita, the most populous city in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 523,824, making it the second-most populous county in Kansas. The county was named for John Sedgwick, the highest ranking Union general killed during the American Civil War.
Wichita is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River.
The Museum of Discovery, formerly the Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities, is located in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The museum is housed in a historic building in the River Market District on the Arkansas River. The museum has a focus on STEM education, and all of the exhibits are interactive. It features a record-breaking musical bi-polar tesla coil, and also includes a large live animal collection.
Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center is a performing arts and convention center in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located between Douglas Street and Waterman Street near the east bank of the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The convention center is operated by Kansas native Phillip Anschutz's ASM Global.
KEVA Planks are cuboid wooden block toys for children and adults. Each block is sized approximately 1⁄4 by 3⁄4 by 4+1⁄2 inches. The blocks are available for sale in maple, that is produced in the United States, and less expensive imported pine versions.
Old Cowtown Museum is an accredited history museum located in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located next to the Arkansas River in central Wichita. The Museum was established in 1952, and is one of the oldest open-air history museums in central United States with 54 historic and re-created buildings, including a period farm and out-buildings, situated on 23 acres of land off the original Chisholm Trail. Cowtown is a combination of attraction, museum, living history site, and historic preservation project. The Historic Wichita Cowtown, Inc. Board, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution, works with the City of Wichita to further the Museum and its mission.
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the local history of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is located at 204 South Main, and east of the former Wichita Public Library.
The Orpheum Theatre is a historic theater in downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson with funding from a group of local investors and opened on September 4, 1922.
Museum of World Treasures is a world history museum in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Among the many items on display are Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tylosaurus specimens, Egyptian mummies, signatures of all the American presidents, a section of the Berlin Wall, and a genuine shrunken head. The Museum of World Treasures is not limited to a particular era of history, but has opted to display a diverse collection representing many different fields of interest and a wide range of subjects. This museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, but is not accredited by the organization.
Kaleideum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina was created from the July 2016 merger of Children's Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County. Currently, the museum operates two locations — Kaleideum Downtown and Kaleideum North.
Kansas City Union Station is a union station opened in 1914, serving Kansas City, Missouri, and the surrounding metropolitan area. It replaced a small Union Depot from 1878. Union Station served a peak annual traffic of more than 670,000 passengers in 1945 at the end of World War II, quickly declined in the 1950s, and was closed in 1985.
Riverside is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mostly residential area located between the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, it is home to several of the city's museums and large parks.
Delano is a neighborhood located in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the west bank of the Arkansas River, it is home to Friends University, Riverfront Stadium, and Exploration Place, the Sedgwick County science museum.
Cheney Reservoir is a reservoir on the North Fork Ninnescah River in Reno, Kingman, and Sedgwick counties of Kansas in the United States. Built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for local water supply, it is also used for flood control and recreation. Cheney State Park is located on its shore.
Midtown is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the east bank of the Little Arkansas River, it is the oldest neighborhood in the city.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Downtown Wichita is the central business district, government and social core of the Wichita metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is home to several of the area's major landmarks and event venues including the Epic Center, Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Intrust Bank Arena, Riverfront Stadium, Keeper of the Plains sculpture, the Old Town entertainment district, and the historic Delano neighborhood.
Sedgwick County Memorial Hall and Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1911–13) is a Civil War monument on the grounds of the Old Sedgwick County Courthouse, in Wichita, Kansas. It was designed by E. M. Viquesney, with sculpture by Frederick Hibbard and the W. H. Mullins Manufacturing Company. The idea to construct a memorial to Sedgwick County Civil War veterans began with two local GAR posts in 1904, but sufficient funds were not available until in 1911. In that year the Kansas State Legislature passed a one-time county tax levy to fund the building of monuments in counties with a population of over 72,000.
South Central is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the east bank of the Arkansas River, it is among the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
The MS Mitch Mitchell Floodway, formerly the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway and known locally as “The Big Ditch”, is a canal in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Built in the 1950s after a series of floods in the preceding decades, the Floodway diverts water from Chisholm Creek, the Little Arkansas River, and the Arkansas River to the west, around central Wichita, before emptying back into the Arkansas downstream of the city.
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