Pre-BEX Tours Oct. 1

Experience Wichita’s aviation legacy and innovation on this behind-the-scenes tour. Explore historic aircraft and take in the art deco vibes at the Kansas Aviation Museum, see the future of flight through VR, robotics and AI at NIAR. Cap it off with lunch at Stearman Field Bar & Grill, right next to an active runway.

Kansas Aviation Museum

Housed in Wichita’s original Municipal Airport Terminal, the Kansas Aviation Museum offers a hands-on journey through the city’s rich aviation history. Visitors can explore a growing collection of aircraft and aviation artifacts, step inside the historic control tower, and marvel at the beautifully preserved Art Deco terminal once graced by Fred Astaire. From interactive exhibits to panoramic views of the city, the museum brings Wichita’s influence on general aviation to life.

Facebook: @kansasaviationmuseum

X: @KAMuseum

Instagram: @ksaviationmuseum

YouTube: @kansasaviationmuseum1295

The National Institute for Aviation Research

The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) was established at Wichita State University in 1985 in an effort to increase research and development capabilities, focused on the needs of the Air Capital of the World.

Facebook: @niarwsu

X: @NIARWSU

Instagram: @niarwsu

YouTube: @niarwsu

Stearman Field Bar & Grill

Enjoy delicious, homemade southern-style food in an atmosphere that's like no other. Located at a private airport, Stearman Field Bar & Grill gives diners the opportunity to enjoy a meal with aircraft taking off and landing 20 yards from your table.

Facebook: @StearmanBarAndGrill

Instagram: @stearmanairfieldbarandgrill

TikTok: @stearmanfieldbarandgrill

Textron Aviation

Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying.

Facebook: @txtaviation

X: @TextronAviation

Instagram: @textronaviation

YouTube: @TextronAviationInc

Kick off your time in Wichita by experiencing the city’s sports scene with a day of kayaking and biking on the Arkansas River in the heart of the city and taking your swing on the baseball field at Equity Bank Park. Play pickleball with local experts at Chicken N Pickle, and top it all off with mocktails, cocktails and small bites at this engaging sports complex.

Boats & Bikes

Boats and Bikes is your go-to adventure hub along Wichita’s Downtown River Corridor, open May through October. From kayaks and paddleboards to bikes and more, it’s the perfect way for locals and visitors to get active, soak up the outdoors, and experience the city from a whole new perspective.

Facebook: @BoatsandBikesRiverVista

X: @BoatsAndBikesRV

Instagram: @boatsandbikesrivervista

Wichita Wind Surge

The Wichita Wind Surge, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, play home games at Equity Bank Park, a $75 million stadium completed in 2020 and located just west of the Arkansas River.

Facebook: @WindSurgeICT

X: @WindSurgeICT

Instagram: @windsurgeict

YouTube: @WichitaWindSurge

TikTok: @windsurgeict

Chicken N Pickle – Wichita

Play pickleball, grab a healthy bite to eat or challenge your friends to lawn games like battleship or cornhole. Chicken N Pickle is an entertainment complex including a fast casual dining restaurant, 10 pickleball courts (six indoor and four outdoor), two bocce ball courts, a bar and entertainment space, a game room with ping pong, plus TV screens for you and your friends to catch your favorite game.

Facebook: @chickennpickleict

X: @ChickenNPickle

Instagram: @chickennpickleict

TikTok: @chickennpickle

Lasso up fun and experience Wichita’s Old West heritage. Step back into time and sip Sarsaparilla at Old Cowtown Museum, get a custom hat fitted just for you at Hatman Jack’s and enjoy a scenic horseback ride at Diamond Spring Ranch. Finish the tour with a barbecue meal prepared by Station 8 BBQ. 

Old Cowtown Museum

Experience Wichita like it’s 1865. Old Cowtown is a living history museum that lets you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and activities common to a Midwestern cattle town.

Facebook: @OldCowtownMuseum

X: @WichitaCowtown

Instagram: @wichitacowtown

Hatman Jack’s

Located in the historic Delano District, Hatman Jack's is one of the few hat stores that has experts to customize hats to all head shapes and recommendations of styles based upon a customer's face shape, complexion and other physical characteristics.

Facebook: @hatmanjackks

Instagram: @hatmanjacks

Diamond Springs Ranch

Experience the Wild West at Diamond Springs Ranch. This unique attraction features horseback rides, memorable treehouse stays and a giant lodge perfect for unforgettable corporate retreats and events.

Facebook: @diamondspringsranch2

Instagram: @diamondspringsranch

TikTok: @diamondspringsranch

Station 8 BBQ

Enjoy slow crafted BBQ and homemade sides in a historic 1920s firehouse at Station 8 BBQ in downtown Wichita.

Facebook: @station8bbq

Instagram: @station8bbq

Western Tour Photos Dropbox

Share your photos from the tour here. 

Raise a glass and go on an unforgettable brewery adventure in the Heart of the Country, where you will explore top local breweries, sample unique pours, meet passionate brewers and experience the city’s rich craft beer scene.

Hopping Gnome Brewing Company

Hopping Gnome’s mission is simple: to brew a variety of craft beers with quality ingredients and serve them up in a laid-back, welcoming taproom where everyone feels like a local.

Facebook: @HoppingGnome

X: @HoppingGnome

Instagram: @HoppingGnome

TikTok: @HoppingGnome

Central Standard Brewing

Central Standard Brewing produces a wide range of styles including seasonal, Belgian, IPA, Barrel Aged, Sour and Wild/Brett Beers. With a variety of styles on tap and a relaxed, retro atmosphere, CSB is a well-loved local brewery for a reason. 

Facebook: @centralstandardbrewing

X @DrinkCSB

Instagram: @DrinkCSB

White Crow Cider

White Crow Cider is Wichita's home for bold, modern cider. Locally made and always fresh, it’s the perfect pour for visitors and locals alike.

Facebook: @WhiteCrowCider

Instagram: @whitecrowcider

Nortons Brewing Co.

Nortons Brewing Co. isn’t just about great beer – it’s a full sensory experience with bold brews, outrageous food (don't miss the Bacon Crack), and a beer garden that’s always buzzing. It’s quirky, colorful and proudly Wichita.

Facebook: @nortonsbrewingcompany

X: @nortonsmashmurderers

Instagram: @nortonsbrewing

Argentina’s Empanadas

This hidden gem is beloved for its flaky, golden empanadas filled with authentic Argentine flavors. Argentina’s Empanadas holds “The Great Food Truck Race” record for most sales in the show’s history.

Facebook: @EatEmpanadas

Instagram: @argentinas_empanadas

TikTok: @argentinas_empanada

Immerse yourself in Wichita’s Native American heritage by participating in storytelling, music and dance, tasting authentic cuisine and photographing a tipi. Plus, capture the beauty of the city’s most iconic landmark, the Keeper of the Plains. The majestic work designed by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin is a 44-foot-tall steel sculpture standing at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join together in downtown Wichita. 

Mid-America All-Indian Museum

Housing a museum, a gallery of nations and a gift shop, the Mid-America All-Indian Museum explores various areas of American Indian life. See traditional American Indian artifacts and contemporary artwork, shop for authentic clothing, jewelry, gifts and much more.

Facebook: @MidAmericaAllIndianCenter

X: @WichitaMAAIC

Instagram: @midamericallindianmuseum

YouTube: @wichitamaaic

Keeper of the Plains

The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot-tall steel sculpture standing at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join together in downtown Wichita. The majestic work by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin is the city’s most recognizable and iconic landmark.  

Facebook: @DowntownWichita

X: @DowntownWichita

Instagram: @downtownwichita

YouTube: @DowntownWichita

Hunter Health

Hunter Health was founded in 1976 by Dr. Vernon Dyer (Choctaw and Prairie Band Potawatomi), who saw the urgent need for culturally relevant healthcare for Wichita’s Urban Native American community. Starting in one room at the Mid-America All-Indian Center, the clinic quickly grew, moving to Central and Grove by 1978.

With Indian Health Service funding in 1980, Hunter Health became the first program of its kind in Kansas and, in 1985, was named in honor of Native elders Jay and Vera Hunter. That same year, it became Kansas’ first federally funded Community Health Center, later expanding services to people experiencing homelessness in 1987.

Over the years, Hunter Health expanded to additional sites in Planeview and through partnerships with HumanKind Ministries, while continuing to grow services—adding optometry, radiology, and adopting a comprehensive care model. Recent renovations and expansions ensure continued access and quality care.

Today, Hunter Health honors its Native roots while serving all of Wichita, carrying forward a legacy of culturally grounded, inclusive, and holistic healthcare.

Instagram: @hunterhealthclinic

Facebook: @hunterhealthclinic

YouTube: @hunterhealth

Tour Resources

Native American Pre-BEX Tour Speaker Bios

Pow Wow and Native American Tour Etiquette

Native American Pre-BEX Tour Menu and Recipes

Want to score some of Wichita’s most talked-about, behind-the-scenes content? Meet four baby African elephants who’ve made headlines this year at Sedgwick County Zoo. Capture a family-style, farm-to-table dining experience at Public, one of Wichita’s most beloved restaurants in the Old Town District. Have your camera ready to snap amazing river shots of the Keeper of the Plains, the city’s most iconic landmark.

Public

Enjoy fresh and local dining in the heart of Old Town. Adjacent to Brickyard, Old Town’s premier outdoor music venue, Public first opened our doors in 2012 for dinner service with the goal of serving fresh and regionally sustainable ingredients to create our take on the flavors of local cuisine.

Facebook: @PublicAtTheBrickyard

X: @publicoldtown

Instagram: @publicoldtown

TikTok: @publicbrickyard

Sedgwick County Zoo

Come face to face with the wildest animals from around the world at Sedgwick Country Zoo, the most visited outdoor attraction in Kansas. Make sure to meet the newest stars of Sedgwick County Zoo – four baby elephants, all born this year.

Facebook: @SedgwickCountyZoo

X: @SedgwickCoZoo

Instagram: @sedgwickcountyzoo

YouTube: @SedgwickCoZoo

TikTok: @sedgwickcountyzoo

Boats & Bikes

Boats and Bikes is your go-to adventure hub along Wichita’s Downtown River Corridor, open May through October. From kayaks and paddleboards to bikes and more, it’s the perfect way for locals and visitors to get active, soak up the outdoors, and experience the city from a whole new perspective.

Facebook: @BoatsandBikesRiverVista

X: @BoatsAndBikesRV

Instagram: @boatsandbikesrivervista