Exploration Place’s $25M Playscape Unveiled This Friday: Key Details

A New Era for Exploration Place

For the past three years, the children’s museum at 300 N. McLean in Wichita has seen an impressive influx of visitors, with approximately 400,000 people coming through its doors annually. According to museum president and CEO Adam Smith, this number is set to increase significantly with the opening of a new $25 million Adventure Playscape.

The playscape, which will open on Friday, is designed to attract more visitors by offering an engaging outdoor experience regardless of the weather. Since the museum opened in April 2000, most of its visitors have come during inclement weather, when outdoor play is not feasible. The new playground aims to change that dynamic.

Features of the Adventure Playscape

The Adventure Playscape spans 6 1/2 acres and includes 10 Kansas-themed playgrounds, a massive cascading water feature, an elevated outdoor concession stand, and various towering playground equipment that allows kids to imagine they are flying an airplane, driving a combine, or blasting off in a rocket ship.

Inspired by Tulsa’s Gathering Place, the project took four and a half years to conceptualize, fundraise for, design, test, and build. Smith is confident that the playground could help double the museum’s annual attendance and make bad-weather days less busy.

Community Engagement and Feedback

Smith mentioned that the museum has already received positive feedback from early testers, including members of the Junior League of Wichita who raised $2.3 million for the interactive water play area. The museum has staged five test events, inviting members of a “beta test group” to ensure everything works as intended. The final test is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, with an expected 2,500 attendees.

Responses from the testers have been encouraging, highlighting the attention to detail in the playground’s design, from maximizing shade to ensuring accessibility for all ability levels.

Admission and Additional Features

Admission to the Adventure Playscape will be included in the price of an Exploration Place ticket, a change made last summer. Previously, entry tickets allowed for a la carte purchases of experiences like the Dome Theater. The price increase from $12 to $20 for adults and $10 to $15 for children and seniors was aimed at accommodating the new attraction.

Members will receive free admission and a sneak preview of the playscape during regular museum hours from Monday, March 9, through Thursday, March 12. While some features, such as the water cascades, will not be fully functional until later this spring, visitors can experience the nearly completed playground starting on Friday.

A Tour of the Playscape

Visitors entering the playscape from the lobby will encounter “Foggy Flint Hills,” a collection of turf-covered hills that kids can roll down or crawl through. When it gets warmer, a machine will create a constant layer of fog over the hills, providing a unique experience.

Next is “Sunflower Meadow,” reflecting the lifecycle of a sunflower. It includes towering flowers and a fallen flower head that kids can crawl inside. This playground is reserved for children 5 and under, with a long, curved bench for parents.

Other highlights include Treetop Tower, a large rope climbing tower, and the Water Play Cascades, a central feature that offers a variety of activities. The Sensory Garden encourages visitors to use their senses, while the Agriculture Overlook allows kids to pretend to drive a combine and enjoy a swing set resembling a center pivot irrigation system.

The Flight Adventure playground pays tribute to Wichita’s aviation history, featuring a 30-foot-tall cityscape and a replica Beechcraft Staggerwing. Nearby, a Cessna Citation jet replica and a control tower provide additional excitement.

Extended Hours and Safety Measures

Adventure Playscape will keep the same hours as Exploration Place: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Thursday, when the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. During spring break, the play area will stay open until 8 p.m. each night. The playground is also usable after dark, offering a unique nighttime experience.

Safety measures have been incorporated into the design, with most play areas covered in bouncy, squishy poured-in-place rubber. The playground was designed with the help of safety experts, and a shade consultant advised on positioning playground pieces and building subtle shade structures.

Future Plans and Community Impact

The addition of the playscape will fundamentally change Exploration Place, according to Smith. The museum recently added 24-hour security to protect its investment and hired a grounds crew for the first time. These workers will maintain the 288 newly planted trees and 40,000 plants.

Smith emphasized his commitment to maintaining the playscape and keeping it beautiful forever. He noted that the construction of the playscape has been a live exhibit for visitors, who have watched its progress since the June 2024 groundbreaking.

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