Updated: May 3, 2020
While you might not be able to explore Wichita in person at this time, you can virtually experience the wonder of many of the city’s museums and attractions. Even though community events are canceled and many places are temporarily closed, creativity is plentiful. Here’s a look at a variety of ways you can virtually experience Wichita. Download our bingo card and see if you can mark them all!
Mark Arts is offering online art and culinary workshops over Zoom. Supplies are available for pickup, with additional information available after registration.
The Kansas African American Museum has launched an online engagement center with free courses. At launch, three categories of materials included Our Heritage Our Hope, Sankofa Series, and #WeAreHope.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park have just launched a monthly box subscription to keep your kids connected to the natural world. Get a new box each month (starting in May) that contains STEM projects, activity booklets, and several other fun and engaging items.
Since temporarily closing their doors, the Sedgwick County Zoo has been providing behind-the-scenes videos of their keepers and the animals they care for like hippos, red pandas and more via their social media channels, including their Facebook page. Donations to help the staff care for the more than 3,000 animals that call the Sedgwick County Zoo their home can also be made directly from the zoo’s Facebook page. You can also schedule a live video adventure to explore a specific area of the zoo (perfect for childcare groups) with Zoom with the Zoo.
Botanica Wichita is sharing all of the spring blooms and updates from the gardens on their Facebook page, including virtual tours and video updates from Executive Director Marty Miller (also available on their website), and a 30-day challenge with fun activities to do at home for a chance to win a family membership every day. They've also started an online story time at 10:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays on their Facebook page and website.
Virtually explore the exhibits at the Museum of World Treasures, then head to their Facebook page and vote for your favorite artifacts for the Clash of the Quarantine. New match-ups are added everyday, and the first round has already seen the #1 seeded Ivan the T-Rex upset by General Custard's Underwear.
Shaken or Stirred Bartending is sharing videos on their Facebook page with great tips on planning your next event. Find information to help you decide if you should have a cash credit or host bar, the difference between a dry hire or wet hire, specifics about your venue, and much more.
Known on social media for their popular content like ‘Fungal Bois’ (a video parody showcasing mushrooms fused music from artist Lizzo’s song ‘Boys’) and ‘Sweet Dreams are made of BEES’ (again, a parody, but this time showcasing bees with the song ‘Sweet Dreams’ played in the background), the Great Plains Nature Center is at it again producing content that kids will love. Classes can be watched and more content can be found on the parks Facebook page.
Although the Wichita Art Museum and the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University are both temporarily closed, Wichitans and others can still see artwork in the museums’ collections by searching through the museums’ online searchable databases. WAM’s database gives you access to the more than 10,000 pieces in their inventory. Ulrich’s searchable portal features more than 6,000 pieces of its collection. Both museums also have outdoor sculptures that can still be visited in person. Additionally, WAM is offering an Artcation you can take from home by downloading a packet of activities from WAM's sci-fi-themed adventure.
Regional arts hub Mark Arts is doing their part to continue creativity during times of safety in place. Each Monday during COVID-19 isolation, the organization’s education department will issue art challenges for anyone in the community or across the globe to participate. Artists will have until that Thursday to submit their results. On Fridays, an online exhibition will be posted on Facebook and Instagram of selected entries for all to enjoy and share.
Board & Brush Wichita is keeping the creativity and positivity flowing by offering craft kits to keep people busy while staying home. The kit comes with various art supplies and can be ordered (316-558-7132) and then picked up curbside. Other projects from their gallery can also be ordered for pick up as well. They can even make flower boxes, in any color or stain combination, fill it with flowers and deliver it right to your house! Wichita’s Paint the Towne locations are also offering pre-order to-go paint kits that people can pick up, take home and paint their own creations.
Always a great resource for the community, the Wichita Public Library is issuing e-cards over the phone so customers can access the library’s digital resources while they’re temporarily closed. Library e-cards provide access to e-books, e-audiobooks and their online databases. Another great option is to register for a Kansas Library e-card, which provides access to more digital resources through the State Library of Kansas.
Exploration Place, Kansas’ premier science center, is offering Stay at Home STEM videos from their YouTube and Facebook pages. Kids (and kids at heart) can see live science shows, experiments, virtual tours and more.
The Wichita Symphony Orchestra is launching a 4-week concert series in partnership with Radio Kansas. The Symphony at Home Broadcast Series will be every Friday night in April at 7:00pm on 90.1FM in Wichita or radiokansas.com. Tune-in and hear some of the Symphony's favorite programs from the last 10 years with Maestro Daniel Hege, hosted by Katelyn Mattson-Levy.
Mama.film has compiled great video resources on their website to give you something a little different to stream, including a Pandemic Playlist, one month free (for members) of Music Box Direct, and three months free of MUBI. Join their free weekly Community Cinema Convo on Zoom - details for each week's film and Zoom meeting are shared on their Facebook page.
If you've been preparing for the Wichita Wind Surge's inaugural season, MiLB has opened up their archives from last season with over 6,500 games for free. Or check out the Surge's newly-launched podcast on Spotify. They even have something for the kiddos with print outs of baseball related learning worksheets in math, spelling, and reading comprehension.
Indoor adventure park, Urban Air Trampoline Park, is making sure fun isn't canceled by offering free, online activities you can do from home like word finds, photo hunts and even a DIY warrior course.
The Greater Wichita YMCA is helping to create fitness training videos. YMCA 360 is free and available to anyone, and has everything from yoga to soccer lessons to weightlifting. New videos are regularly being added, so check back often.
Hot Asana Yoga Studio has launched a series of donation-based online classes with a goal of adding a new class everyday. They're available on Hot Asana's website and Facebook page, and some of the classes are live.
Take a virtual tour through the Kansas Cosmosphere and learn about the various exhibits at the space museum. They're highlighting an artifact each day on their Facebook page.
