RIVER CITY ROOTS
Before Wichita became the largest city in Kansas, it was a rough-and-tumble cattle town at the end of the Chisholm Trail situated along the Arkansas River. Cowboys once drove thousands of longhorn cattle through an area now known as the Historic Delano District, where saloons stayed loud, dance halls kept busy and the streets filled with gamblers, railroad workers and travelers heading west.
Today, that same frontier spirit still runs through the neighborhood, just with better cocktails and fewer cattle. Along the way, you’ll find reminders of the city’s past everywhere from Chisholm Trail monuments and Civil Rights landmarks to the legacy of trailblazing figures like Hattie McDaniel and Carrie Nation.
Delano District
Rowdy roughnecks, loud dance hall saloons and cowboys driving cattle through town made the Historic Delano District a sight to see in the early 1870s. As drovers pushed steers along the Chisholm Trail north from Texas to railhead markets, the population of the area increased making it a bustling business district along Douglas Avenue. Settlers named the new town Elgin, but it eventually was renamed to Delano (in honor of Columbus Delano, Secretary of the Interior under President Ulysses S. Grant) in March 1871, a year after Wichita was incorporated as a city in 1870.
Set along the west bank of the Arkansas River, the Delano District is one of the most walkable neighborhoods today, lined with more than 250 businesses ranging from restaurants, bars, retail shops plus service providers and entertainment venues. Visitors to the area can still see historical references to the early days of the district.
The district is also part of Wichita’s “common consumption” area, meaning visitors can enjoy a drink while exploring Douglas Avenue between McLean and Seneca from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Duration:
Plan at least 2-3 hours for shopping, dining and exploring
Chisholm Trail Markers
Visitors can take in the history of the Chisholm Trail in Wichita by visiting Old Cowtown Museum, the Wichita/Sedgwick County Historical Museum and the Delano clock tower in Wichita’s Historic Delano District, located near The Monarch. The tower’s four panels showcase Jesse Chisholm, the namesake of the Chisholm Trail.
Just nearby at Douglas Avenue and McLean Boulevard, visitors will also find one of Wichita’s most unexpected public art pieces, a massive chrome-plated bull sculpture displayed in Delano Park near the bridge entrance to downtown. Originally part of a pair called “Two Steers,” the sculpture serves as a modern tribute to the thousands of cattle once driven through Wichita along the Chisholm Trail. Because apparently even Wichita’s cowboy history comes with chrome detailing.
Duration:
Plan about a half day to see everything
Hattie McDaniel
Born in Wichita in 1895, Hattie McDaniel was the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in “Gone with the Wind.”
Learn about her life at The Kansas African American Museum and see the colorful memorial in her honor at 925 N. Waco St., located across the street from where she once lived.
Carrie Nation/Eaton Hotel
In 1900 Carrie Nation famously took a hatchet to the bar of what was once the Carey Hotel and later the Eaton Hotel, located at the corner of Douglas and St. Francis, in protest of the state’s thriving alcohol trade. The hotel is now home to apartments and The Workroom, a locally curated boutique featuring Wichita-inspired gifts, local art, apparel, Wichita flag swag, accessories and home goods created by dozens of area artists and makers.
Civil Rights History
Step beneath the Ambassador Hotel and into Dockum, an underground, speakeasy-themed cocktail lounge located on the site of the former Dockum Drugstore, which was home to one of the first organized sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement. Equal parts history and hidden speakeasy, it’s one of Wichita’s most memorable spots for an evening drink. Check hours before visiting, as Dockum is closed Sundays.
The Keeper of the Plains
More than a Wichita landmark, the Keeper of the Plains is a tribute to the region’s Native American heritage. Created by renowned Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin, the 44-foot steel sculpture stands at the meeting point of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers. It's a place long significant to Indigenous peoples of the Plains.
At night, the Ring of Fire ignites beneath the sculpture, creating one of the city’s most powerful and memorable experiences. Catch it at 9 p.m. nightly (spring/summer) and at 7 p.m. (fall/winter).
It’s art. It’s history. It’s a symbol of Wichita’s connection to the cultures that shaped this region long before highways and stadiums. Best viewed at sunset.
Duration:
Plan about 1 hour
Mid-America All-Indian Museum
Spend part of your day exploring the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, a space dedicated to celebrating the art, history and cultures of Native peoples from across the Americas.
The museum features traditional and contemporary artwork, rotating exhibits and works by Blackbear Bosin – the Kiowa-Comanche artist who created the Keeper of the Plains. It offers deeper context into the Indigenous cultures that continue to shape Wichita and the Great Plains today.
It’s thoughtful, inspiring and an experience that adds real meaning to your visit beyond the typical tourist stop.
Duration:
Plan 1-2 hours
From cowboy history to counterculture icons, you'll find cowboy culture still lives on in Wichita. Want to find more? Explore additional places to experience the city's Western era.
