Wichita: Recreation

Sightseeing

Wichita has retained its frontier roots while developing a cosmopolitan ambiance. The Old Cowtown Museum capitalizes on Wichita's past as a stop on the Chisholm Trail with forty-four original, restored, or replica buildings and displays depicting life between 1865 and 1880, along with programs celebrating Wichita's cattle-driving beginnings. Wichita turned the Arkansas River into a cultural asset by redesigning the riverside for public recreation and for popular events such as River Festival. Wichita's sophistication is evident in the city's outdoor sculptures, which number more than 125 and include such works as the large Joan Miro mosaic mural at Wichita State University. Price Woodward Park is located between Century II and the Arkansas River; on the park grounds are several sculptures.

The Botanica, or Wichita Gardens, is located near the banks of the Arkansas River and is the state's only such garden. Lake Afton Public Observatory, with its 16-inch telescope, is open on weekends for astronomy enthusiasts. At the Sedgwick County Zoo, more than 2,500 animals roam an imitation veldt, a tropical rain forest, and a herpetarium that switches night for day. The Great Plains Nature Center features the Koch Habitat Hall, two miles of hiking trails, and the Coleman Auditorium. Tanganyika Wildlife Park, located three miles west of Wichita in Goddard, allows humans to interact with such animals as giraffes, lemurs, and Bengal tigers. Children enjoy the rides and entertainment offered by Joyland, the largest amusement park in Kansas.

Arts and Culture

Wichita supports many organizations in the fine, performing, and visual arts. Century II, the city's center for cultural activities, houses the major performance organizations. The Wichita Symphony Orchestra plays a season of classical, chamber, and pops concerts in Century II's concert hall between September and May; a highlight of the symphony orchestra season is the performance of P.I. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture that concludes the River Festival. The Wichita Pops series features the performances on the "mighty" Wurlitzer organ, which was housed in the New York Paramount Theater. The Metropolitan Ballet's season of concerts always includes a staging of Tchaikovsky's popular Nutcracker Ballet during the Christmas season.

Live theater is popular in Wichita. Music Theatre of Wichita features Broadway guest artists performing with a resident company at Century II; the summer season includes five productions in all. The Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre, one of the nation's ten largest dinner theaters, hosts professional performances of Broadway shows. Wichita Children's Theatre & Dance sponsors shows performed by children for children. Wichita Grand Opera offers a professional opera season at Century II, and Wichita Chorus Sweet Adelines International features female barbershop singers.

Museums in the Wichita area are plentiful. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame opened in Old Town in April 2005 with 126 inductees from Kansas sports. The Wichita Art Museum, the largest museum in Kansas, houses a nationally renowned American Art collection. The Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum depicts historical life in the area through unique and informative exhibits. The Museum of World Treasures has an eclectic collection that includes dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies, armor and crown jewels of European royalty, the Hall of American Presidents, and Civil War and World War II artifacts. Exploration Place features interactive exhibits that stimulate curiosity and creativity. The Kansas Underground Salt Museum, located in nearby Hutchinson, will be the Western Hemisphere's only museum to exist in a working salt mine when it opens in late 2005 or early 2006. Other Wichita museums include the Frank Lloyd Wright–Allen Lambe House Museum, the Great Plains Transportation Museum, the Kansas African American Museum, the Kansas Aviation Museum, the Kansas Firefighters Museum, the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology, the Mid-America All-Indian Center, the Museum of the Antique Fan Collectors Association, Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, and Wings Over Wichita.

Festivals and Holidays

The Wichita River Festival, the city's major festival, draws more than 350,000 people for 10 days each May in a celebration centered on the Arkansas River. Held in conjunction with the festival are several other events, including an art and book fair, trolley tours, and a garden party at Botanica. Also held in May is the three-day Kansas Polkatennial. The Old Cowtown Museum presents music and 1870s saloon shows on the weekends from June to Labor Day; the museum also sponsors the Traditional 1870s Independence Days event over the Fourth of July weekend. More than 10,000 people attend the Old Town Concert Series each summer.

Wichita celebrates its jazz heritage with two festivals: the Wichita Jazz Festival in April, and a jazz festival hosted by Friends University in February. The Midwest Winefest is held over three days in April, and the Taste of Wichita takes place in downtown Wichita in early July. The Kansas Flight Festival, founded in 2003 as the Wichita Aviation Festival, features three days of air shows, aircraft displays, and concerts at the Colonel James Jabara Airport in August. September brings the Chili & BBQ Cook-Off. At the Old Cowtown Museum in October the Old-Time County Fair recreates a 1870s Wichita fair.

A number of diversity-based celebrations take place in Wichita throughout the year. Spring brings Multi-Cultural Celebration Week, which features a variety of events celebrating the ethnicity of residents. Traditional Native American dancing is featured at the Intertribal Pow-Wow in July. The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is held in January, and an Asian Festival takes place each October. For three days in September, the Wichita Black Arts Festival showcases the artistic heritage of the African American culture. Other multi-cultural events include Cinco de Mayo and the Juneteenth celebration.

Sports for the Spectator

The Wichita Wranglers of the Double-A minor league Texas League play their home baseball games at the Lawrence Dumont Stadium. Each August, this stadium is also the venue for the nation's largest amateur baseball tournament, the National Baseball Congress World Series, which has been held in Wichita since 1931. The Wichita Thunder competes in the Central Hockey League at Kansas Coliseum from October through April.

The Wichita State University baseball team, the Shockers, consistently earns national ranking and holds the record for most victories in a season. Wichita State also fields winning basketball teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association play. Friends University teams, nicknamed the Falcons, play baseball and softball, football, men's golf, women's volleyball, and men's and women's basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, and track and field. The Jets of Newman University compete in baseball and softball, wrestling, and men's and women's basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.

The Wichita International Raceway sponsors drag racing on Saturdays during the summer, while 81 Speedway features dirt track auto races each week between March and October. Parimutuel greyhound racing action takes place year-round at Wichita Greyhound Park.

Sports for the Participant

Wichita maintains 107 municipal parks on nearly 3,000 acres for such activities as volleyball, croquet, softball, and soccer. Eighty-three public tennis courts are augmented by two private clubs; Riverside Tennis Center has been named one of the best public complexes in the country by the U.S. Tennis Association. For golfers, nine public and nine private courses are located in the area. Fishing and boating are permitted in authorized areas (El Dorado Lake is said to be the spot for prime bass fishing), and water skiing is allowed at Nims Bridge, North Riverside Park. A free fitness trail with 20 exercise stations is maintained in Sim Park. Cycling and rollerskating can be enjoyed in designated areas along the Arkansas River. The Soccer Club operates a regulation size indoor field for practice and league play.

Shopping and Dining

The Wichita area's shopping centers and malls include the state's two largest malls—Towne East and Towne West—with more than 270 stores and restaurants combined. Wichita is an antiques center; a number of antique stores and shops are located in historic houses and in the downtown district. Wichita Old Town, a historic warehouse district, has been restored and offers shops and restaurants. Old Town Underground near the railroad yards has blossomed into an area of unusual shops. Upscale shopping is the attraction on Rock Road, and shoppers also enjoy the Downtown Farm and Art Market. The Newton Factory Outlet Stores lie 20 minutes north of the city.

Wichita restaurants are famous for steaks, prime rib, and barbecue beef, but dining choices also include international cuisine such as Italian, French, Chinese, Mexican, and Indian.

Visitor Information: Greater Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau, 100 S. Main, Ste. 100, Wichita, KS 67202; telephone (316)265-2800; toll-free (800)288-9424; fax (316)265-0162; email jrolfe@visitwichita.com

Wichita: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Unified School District #259, or Wichita Public Schools, is the state's largest elementary and secondary public education system. It is administered by a nonpartisan, seven-member board elected to four-year staggered terms. Board members contract a superintendent.

In 2000 a five-year, $285 million bond issue was implemented to improve all of the district's existing schools and to construct new facilities. Stucky Middle School, the first new middle school in 37 years, opened its doors in 2003, and the Jackson Elementary School opened the following year. All other bond projects are scheduled for completion by the end of 2005.

The following is a summary of data regarding Wichita public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 48,818

Number of facilities elementary schools: 57 (19 are magnet schools)

middle schools: 17 (5 magnet schools)

senior high schools: 11 (1 magnet school)

special schools: 14, including special education centers, early childhood education centers, a boys' ranch, an e-school, and other specialties

Student/teacher ratio: 16:1

Teacher salaries

minimum: $30,240

maximum: $46,534

Funding per pupil: $3,863

Wichita offers alternatives to the public school system through a strong parochial school system of approximately three dozen private schools ranging from preschool to high school. The majority of private schools are parochial. Nearly 10,400 students attend facilities of the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Wichita, which has won numerous national awards from the National Catholic Educational Association. Non-denominational education is offered by Wichita Collegiate School, which offers a college-preparatory curriculum, and the Independent School, which provides the liberal arts education usually reserved for gifted students to average and above-average students.

Public Schools Information: Wichita Public Schools, 201 N. Water, Wichita, KS 67202; telephone (316)973-4000; email info@usd259.net

Colleges and Universities

Wichita State University is a four-year college with about 15,000 students. Six undergraduate colleges (arts and sciences, engineering, fine arts, education, business, and health professions) offer 60 degree programs in more than 200 areas of study. The graduate school offers 44 masters degrees, 10 doctoral programs, and three specialist degree programs in more than 100 areas of study.

Friends University, a liberal arts school founded by Quakers in 1898, is the fastest-growing private university in Kansas. With 3,200 students, it offers an associate degree program, 46 bachelor's degree programs, and nine master's degree programs in the colleges of arts and sciences, business, and continuing education. Newman University, formerly Kansas Newman College, was founded in 1993 as a Catholic two-year teacher's academy. It is now a four-year liberal arts college offering 6 associate's degrees, 27 bachelor's degrees, and 4 master's degree programs.

The University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, at one time affiliated with Wichita State University and now a separate facility, provides medical education in most fields of specialization. The university, which ranks among the top 10 medical schools in the country whose focus is primary care, maintains cooperative programs with area hospitals and operates its own care center on campus and at clinics throughout the city. Other Wichita institutions of higher learning include Southwestern College, Wichita Area Technical College, and Wichita Technical Institute, as well as branches of Baker University, Butler and Cowley county community colleges, and Tabor College of Hillsboro.

Libraries and Research Centers

Nearly two dozen libraries, maintained principally by public institutions and agencies, hospitals, and corporations, are located in Wichita. The Wichita Public Library has 10 branches throughout the city, the newest of which is the Lionel Alford Regional Branch Library, which opened in April 2003. The collection contains more than 900,000 items including books, videos, music CDs, magazines, motor manuals, art prints, CD-ROMs, maps, and books on cassette. Among special collections are the Driscoll Piracy Collection, Kansas and local history, genealogy, motor manuals, music scores, and state documents. The Wichita State University operates a substantial campus library with about one million volumes, more than 4,000 periodical subscriptions, and numerous special collections on a range of subjects pertaining primarily to Kansas and American history. Also based at the university are the Milton Helpern International Center of Forensic Sciences, which specializes in materials relating to crime and forensic problems, and the Institute for Aviation Research.

Among other libraries and research centers in the city are those affiliated with Friends University, the Wichita Art Museum, the Wichita Eagle, the Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society, the Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Society, and the Boeing Co.

The National Institute for Aviation Research, located at Wichita State University (WSU), is home to 15 laboratories for conducting research in such areas as aerodynamics, aging aircraft, crash dynamics, composites and advanced materials, aircraft icing, structural components, virtual reality, and computational mechanics. WSU's College of Engineering is active in a variety of research programs. The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning conducts research at the far thresholds of disease management, and the John C. Pair Horticulture Research Center conducts turfgrass research.

Public Library Information: Wichita Public Library, 223 S. Main, Wichita, KS 67202; telephone (316)262-0611; fax (316)262-4540

Wichita: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 442,000

1990: 485,270

2000: 545,220

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.4%

U.S. rank in 1980: 75th

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 77th

City Residents

1980: 279,838

1990: 304,017

2000: 344,284

2003 estimate: 354,617

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.2%

U.S. rank in 1980: 51st

U.S. rank in 1990: 51st (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 59th (State rank: 1st)

Density: 2,536.1 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 258,900

Black or African American: 39,325

American Indian and Alaska Native: 3,986

Asian: 13,647

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 198

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 33,112

Other: 17,566

Percent of residents born in state: 59.9% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 27,524

Population 5 to 9 years old: 26,725

Population 10 to 14 years old: 24,688

Population 15 to 19 years old: 23,767

Population 20 to 24 years old: 25,565

Population 25 to 34 years old: 51,619

Population 35 to 44 years old: 53,980

Population 45 to 54 years old: 44,035

Population 55 to 59 years old: 14,377

Population 60 to 64 years old: 11,113

Population 65 to 74 years old: 20,616

Population 75 to 84 years old: 15,297

Population 85 years and older: 4,978

Median age: 33.4 years

Births (Sedgwick County, 2003)

Total number: 7,568

Deaths (Sedgwick County, 2003)

Total number: 3,834 (of which, 46 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $20,647

Median household income: $39,939

Total households: 139,127

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 12,440

$10,000 to $14,999: 8,713

$15,000 to $24,999: 19,750

$25,000 to $34,999: 20,164

$35,000 to $49,999: 24,812

$50,000 to $74,999: 28,464

$75,000 to $99,999: 13,287

$100,000 to $149,999: 7,887

$150,000 to $199,999: 1,670

$200,000 or more: 1,940

Percent of families below poverty level: 8.4% (46.4% of which were female householder families with related children under 5)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 24,104

Wichita: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Wichita's daily newspaper is the morning Wichita Eagle. The Wichita Business Journal is the city's weekly business newspaper. Special-interest newspapers and magazines published in Wichita focus on a variety of topics, such as business and economics, aging, antiques and art collectibles, aviation for farmers, shopping news, and community affairs. Feist Publications, publisher of Yellow Book directories, maintains an office in Wichita, and ASR Philanthropic Publishing, producer of books, newsletters, and brochures for fundraising and philanthropic organizations, are headquartered there. Other publications produced in the city include Wichita Family Magazine, Wichita Kids Newspaper, and Wichita Register Magazine.

Television and Radio

Six television stations are based in Wichita; cable service is available. Eleven AM and FM radio stations serve the Wichita metropolitan area with music, news, information, and public interest features.

Media Information: Wichita Eagle, 825 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67201; telephone (316)268-6000

Wichita Online

City of Wichita home page. Available www.wichitagov.org

Greater Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.visitwichita.com

Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition. Available www.gwedc.org

Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce. Available www.wichitakansas.org

Wichita Business Journal. Available wichita.bizjournals.com/wichita

Wichita Eagle. Available www.kansas.com/mld/kansas

Wichita Public Library. Available www.wichita.lib.ks.us

Wichita Public Schools. Available www.usd259.com

Selected Bibliography

Beattie, Robert, Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt for the BTK Strangler (New York, NY: New American Library, 2005)

Price, Jay M., Wichita's Legacy of Flight (Chicago, IL: Arcadia Publishing, 2003)

Tanner, Beccy, Bear Grease, Builders and Bandits: The Men and Women of Wichita's Past (Wichita, KS: Wichita Eagle & Beacon Publishing, 1991)

Wichita: Health Care

Wichita is a regional center for medical treatment and referral as well as training and research, employing more than 28,000 health care professionals. The region supports 19 acute care and specialty hospitals with approximately 3,000 beds, as well as more than 50 nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Many medical workers and allied staff are educated at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, which maintains training programs at three local hospitals. The Kansas Health Foundation, based in Wichita, provides funding in the areas of children's health, leadership, and public health.

Wesley Medical Center, a Level I trauma center and the largest emergency department in the state, provides such services as cancer care, child development, radiosurgery, low vision rehabilitation, senior behavioral health, and treatment of sleep disorders. The Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs Medical & Regional Office, one of the largest in the nation, treats more than 80,000 outpatients each year. Wesley Medical Center, with 504 beds, provides general medical and surgical care as well as cardiology, neurology, pediatric, and trauma care. Via Christi Health System, a teaching institution affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, provides the largest integrated network of health care providers in Kansas, with such specialized services as gerontology, diabetes, epilepsy, and orthopedics. Other Wichita hospitals include Galichia Heart Hospital, Kansas Heart Hospital, Kansas Surgery & Recovery Center, Select Specialty Hospital of Wichita, Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital, and Kansas Spine Hospital, which opened in 2004.

Health Care Information: Via Christi Regional Medical Center, 929 N. St. Francis St., Wichita, KS 67214; telephone (316)268-5000

Wichita

The City in Brief

Founded: 1868 (incorporated, 1871)

Head Official: Mayor Carlos Mayans (since 2003)

City Population

1980: 279,838

1990: 304,017

2000: 344,284

2003 estimate: 354,617

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.2%

U.S. rank in 1980: 51st

U.S. rank in 1990: 51st (State rank: 1st)

U.S. rank in 2000: 59th (State rank: 1st)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 442,000

1990: 485,270

2000: 545,220

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.4%

U.S. rank in 1980: 75th

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 77th

Area: 138.93 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 1,300 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 56.4° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 14.48 inches of rain, 15.9 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Services, manufacturing, trade

Unemployment Rate: 6.3% (February 2005)

Per Capita Income: $20,647 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 24,104

Major Colleges and Universities: Wichita State University; Friends University; Newman University; University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita

Daily Newspaper: Wichita Eagle

Wichita: Transportation

Approaching the City

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, a 12-minute drive from downtown, is the destination for most air travelers to Wichita. Thirteen commercial carriers provide 47 daily flights from most cities throughout the United States. In 2004 nearly 1.5 million passengers passed through Mid-Continent, breaking the airport's record. Colonel James Jabara Airport is a general aviation facility accommodating jets and light planes. Amtrak provides passenger rail service 25 miles north of Wichita at Newton, and Greyhound Trailways brings buses into Wichita.

A network of interstate, federal, and state highways links Wichita with the East and West Coasts as well as the Canadian and Mexican borders. Interstates I-35 and I-135 pass directly through metropolitan Wichita, connecting the city with I-40, I-44, and I-70. Major U.S. highways are 54 and 81; state routes include K-42, K-2, K-15, K-254, K-96, and the Kansas Turnpike.

Traveling in the City

Public bus transportation on a fleet of modern, chairlift-equipped buses is operated by Wichita Transit. Nineteenth-century-style streetcars on the Discover Historic Wichita Trolley Tour connect major downtown hotels, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Century II Convention Center, and the Old Town area.

Wichita: Convention Facilities

The principal meeting and convention facility in Wichita is the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. With 19 meeting rooms and 3 performance halls, this complex offers 198,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Brown Exposition Center encompasses 93,000 square feet of exhibition space. The Kansas Coliseum, the Cotillion, and the Wichita Scottish Rite Center provide alternatives for corporate events. Many of Wichita's hotels also have meeting space available. The Grand Eagle Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency has 10,164 square feet of meeting space, and the Kansas Grand Ballroom of the Wichita Marriott features more than 7,000 square feet. Two of the exhibit halls at the Radisson Broadview exceed 8,700 square feet of space.

Convention Information: Greater Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau, 100 S. Main, Ste. 100, Wichita, KS 67202; telephone (316)265-2800; toll-free (800)288-9424; fax (316)265-0162; email jrolfe@visitwichita.com

Wichita: Introduction

Wichita, the largest city in Kansas and the seat of Sedgwick County, is the focus of a metropolitan statistical area that includes Butler and Sedgwick counties. The city's history reflects the major stages of western U.S. development. The primary stop on the Chisholm Trail, Wichita flourished first as a cattle town, then as a rail link and milling center for Kansas grain. Prosperity continued with the discovery of oil near the city limits. Today Wichita, three-time winner of the National Civic League's All-America City Award, is an important technology center, particularly in the aviation industry.

Wichita: Municipal Government

The city of Wichita operates under a council-manager form of government, with six council members and a mayor elected to four-year terms.

Head Official: Mayor Carlos Mayans (since 2003; current term expires 2007)

Total Number of City Employees: 3,200 (2004)

City Information: City Hall, 455 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67202; telephone (316)268-4331; fax (316)268-4333; email cshull@wichita.gov.

Wichita, USA A city in Kansas founded in 1864, a river and a city called Wichita Falls in Texas founded in 1876, and mountains in Oklahoma, all named after the Native American Wichita tribe.

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