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| Exploration Place | |
|---|---|
| Name | Exploration Place |
| Established | 2000 |
| Location | Wichita, Kansas, United States |
| Type | Science museum, aviation museum |
| Director | William S. Wilson |
| Architect | Moshe Safdie |
| Publictransit | Wichita Transit |
Exploration Place Exploration Place is a science and technology museum located in Wichita, Kansas, on the banks of the Arkansas River. The institution serves as a regional center for informal science learning, aviation heritage, and community programming, attracting visitors from the Wichita metropolitan area, the Flint Hills, and surrounding states. It combines interactive galleries, traveling exhibitions, and educational outreach to engage audiences with topics including aeronautics, space, geology, and engineering.
The museum opened in 2000 following planning efforts involving civic leaders from Wichita, partnerships with aerospace companies such as Cessna Aircraft Company, Beechcraft, and Hughes Aircraft Company, and fundraising initiatives led by the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation. Development drew on local aviation heritage linked to figures like Bill Lear, Leroy R. Grumman-era industrial links, and the broader history of aircraft manufacturing in Kansas. Early exhibitions highlighted collections donated by local organizations including the Kansas Aviation Museum and contributors from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Over time, the institution expanded its programming through collaborations with national organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, and the National Air and Space Museum which facilitated traveling exhibits and resource sharing. Major capital campaigns in the 2000s and 2010s funded gallery expansions, new educational spaces, and conservation efforts.
The facility includes permanent galleries dedicated to aviation, space exploration, and hands-on science. The aviation gallery contextualizes Wichita’s role in producing aircraft for companies like Boeing, Spatz, and Textron Aviation (parent of Cessna and Beechcraft), while exhibits reference historic events such as the Transcontinental Air Transport routes. Space-related exhibits connect to missions by NASA, including artifacts and replicas related to the Apollo program and Space Shuttle. Interactive science galleries feature engineering challenges influenced by standards promoted by organizations like AAAS and NASA Glenn Research Center. Rotating galleries host traveling exhibitions from partners such as the Field Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota, and occasional displays highlight regional topics like the Flint Hills geology and the Arkansas River ecosystem. The campus also houses an IMAX-style theater and planetarium that present fulldome shows produced by studios linked to National Geographic and IMAX Corporation.
Educational programming spans preschool outreach, K–12 field trips aligned with frameworks endorsed by Kansas State Department of Education, and teacher professional development in partnership with institutions such as Wichita State University and the Kansas Board of Regents. STEM workshops incorporate modules inspired by curricula from Project Lead The Way and feature guest lecturers from aerospace employers including Spirit AeroSystems and Garmin. Summer camps and maker events are organized alongside community partners like the Sedgwick County Historical Museum and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The museum administers curriculum-linked loan kits and virtual lesson plans to rural districts in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Transportation for engineering outreach and with Kansas Geological Survey for earth science learning.
The building was designed by architect Moshe Safdie, whose portfolio includes projects such as Marina Bay Sands influences and civic centers worldwide. The structure uses expansive glazing and riverfront siting to integrate views of the Arkansas River and Keeper of the Plains landmark, creating sightlines toward the Wichita River Festival activity zones. Materials and form reference aviation motifs to evoke wings and flight, aligning with the city’s industrial identity tied to Cessna and Boeing Wichita. Landscape design was coordinated with the City of Wichita Park Department and includes plazas for public events, outdoor exhibit staging, and riverfront access connected to the Wichita Riverwalk.
Collections emphasize artifacts from the regional aviation industry, including cockpit instruments, models, and components associated with manufacturers like Learjet and Beechcraft. The institution maintains archives of oral histories compiled with local historians from the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and technical drawings donated by aerospace firms. Research collaborations have addressed topics such as aeronautical heritage conservation, working with conservationists from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and engineering faculty at Purdue University on material degradation studies. Paleontology and geology specimens reflecting the central plains are curated with accession records linked to the Kansas Geological Survey and exchanged with university collections for study.
The museum is located on the west bank of the Arkansas River near downtown Wichita, accessible via Interstate 135 and served by Wichita Transit. Hours, admission, group rates, and accessibility services are posted through the museum’s visitor services desk and partnerships with Sedgwick County tourism offices. Onsite amenities include a museum store featuring publications from publishers like Scholastic and gift items from regional artisans associated with the Wichita Independent Business Association, as well as rentable spaces for events coordinated with the Greater Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The institution has received local and regional recognition for its contributions to science outreach, including awards from the Wichita Business Journal and commendations from the Kansas Governor’s office. Its programming has been cited in studies by Kansas State University and national evaluations by the American Alliance of Museums for community engagement strategies that support workforce development pipelines into aerospace employers such as Spirit AeroSystems, Textron, and Garmin. The museum’s role in civic regeneration along the riverfront continues to feature in planning documents by the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and regional economic development agencies.
Category:Museums in Kansas Category:Science museums in the United States Category:Aerospace museums in the United States