In most cities, airplanes are something you watch overhead. In Wichita, they're something you climb into, build, explore and occasionally eat lunch beside.

Whether you've got a future pilot in the family or kids who simply love things that fly, these Wichita experiences will have everyone looking up.

Why is Wichita called the Air Capital of the World?

Wichita didn't just earn the title Air Capital of the World. It continues to live up to it. Legendary aircraft companies including Cessna, Beechcraft and Stearman were founded here, and today's aerospace leaders still design and build aircraft in the city. In fact, more than 300,000 general aviation aircraft have been built in Wichita, more than any other city in the world. Here, aviation isn't something you read about in a museum. It's something that's still being built every day.

A girl and boy play in a flight simulator at Exploration Place.

Design, build and fly

At Exploration Place, aviation is anything but hands-off.

The award-winning Design Build Fly exhibit lets families discover how airplanes are imagined, engineered and built in Wichita. Kids can design an airplane seat, test landing gear, try a rivet gun, climb into a full-size Textron business jet and take the controls in interactive flight experiences. It's part science, part engineering and all kinds of fun.

A young girl and boy run and play on the Adventure Playscape at Exploration Place in Wichita

Climb aboard Adventure Playscape

The newest aviation attraction in Wichita isn't inside a museum. It's built into one of the country's most exciting playgrounds.

The Textron Aviation Flight Adventure at Exploration Place's Adventure Playscape lets kids climb into a Beechcraft-inspired airplane suspended high above the playground, explore a Cessna Citation jet, scramble through an air traffic control tower and race down a towering rocket slide. It's all part of the brand-new 6.5-acre playscape.

A family enjoys the view of the tarmac from the tower at the Kansas Aviation Museum

Explore the Kansas Aviation Museum

Step inside Wichita's aviation story at the Kansas Aviation Museum, housed in the city's beautifully restored former municipal airport terminal.

Families can get up close to historic aircraft, explore the air traffic control tower and learn how Wichita earned the title Air Capital of the World and discover the innovations that helped shape modern aviation. It's a great stop for curious kids and adults alike.

The B-29 Doc Superfortress sits in its hangar in Wichita

Meet Doc, one of only two flying B-29s

Few places in the world can offer this experience.

The B-29 Doc Hangar, Education & Visitors Center is home to Doc, one of only two airworthy B-29 Superfortresses still flying anywhere in the world. Walk through the hangar, watch volunteers maintain this legendary aircraft and, on select days, even climb aboard for an unforgettable look inside aviation history.

A family enjoys burgers and pizza on the patio at Stearman Field while a small prop plane is parked on the landing strip behind them

Eat like an aviation enthusiast

Only in Wichita can lunch come with a runway view.

At Stearman Field Bar & Grill, families can enjoy burgers, pizza and other favorites while watching airplanes taxi, take off and land just steps away. Kids love spotting aircraft from the patio, and there's a good chance they'll spend as much time watching the runway as eating their meal.

Looking for more aviation-inspired dining? Sip creative cocktails inside real American Airlines seats at Flight 1868 or admire aviation-themed décor while enjoying dinner at 6S Steakhouse or Scotch & Sirloin, where Wichita's flying heritage extends from the runway to the restaurant.

Crowds gather on Douglas Ave. in front of Naftzger Park to take part in the annual Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff

Aviation Around Every Corner

Aviation isn't confined to museums in Wichita. If you know where to look, you'll spot it throughout the city — from colorful public murals celebrating flight and an airplane wing sculpture in downtown's Naftzger Park to meaningful memorials honoring those who helped shape aviation history.

Visit Piatt Memorial Park, which commemorates the victims of the 1965 KC-135 crash, reflect at Memorial '70 on the Wichita State University campus honoring those lost in the 1970 plane crash or learn about Wichita's own Medal of Honor recipient, Erwin Bleckley, whose legacy is recognized at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. Here, the Air Capital of the World reveals itself in both unexpected places and unforgettable stories.

Why Wichita?

Lots of cities have aviation museums. Only Wichita lets your family design an airplane, climb through aviation-themes playgrounds, explore historic aircraft, discover one of only two B-29 Superfortresses still flying in the world today and watch airplanes land while you enjoy your lunch — all in the city that helped shape the aviation industry. 

That's what makes a family trip to the Air Capital of the World unlike anywhere else.

Be sure to check out all the other exciting things to do with kids in Wichita, including the biennial Frontiers in Flight Open House and Air Show, happening Oct. 24-25 at McConnell Air Force Base.