Make it a Sunflower Summer
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Field Station: Dinosaurs
Sunflower Summer Destinations
Here are a few of the many places Kansas kids and their guardians can visit for free by downloading the Sunflower Summer app!
Botanica, Wichita
Cosmosphere, Hutchinson
Evel Knievel Museum, Topeka
Exploration Place, Wichita
Field Station: Dinosaurs, Derby
Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan
Hedrick’s Exotic Animal Farm, Nickerson
Kansas State Parks
Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City
Midwest Dream Car Collection, Manhattan
Museum of World Treasures, Wichita
Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita
Oz Museum, Wamego
Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina
Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita
Sunset Zoo, Manhattan
Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Goddard
Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center
Wichita Art Museum
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
Wichita Wind Surge game
Happy July! For many parents, there can be a bit of a lull around this point in summer vacation, especially for parents of school-aged kids. Pool days are exhausted, family vacations have come and gone, and suddenly school is right around the corner, bringing many mixed emotions. However, Sunflower Summer is here to finish the summer break off strong. If you haven’t hopped on this amazing opportunity yet, there’s no better time than now.
Sunflower Summer is a yearly initiative sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education. This incredible program was designed to provide an incentive for Kansas families to get out and explore in-state attractions, some popular, and some lesser known. This year, Sunflower Summer is featuring over 115 venues that families can visit at no charge and then have their digital passport stamped in the provided app. There are many experiences to explore in the categories of art and theater, attractions and landmarks, libraries, history, nature areas, bonus events and even day camps!
From May 26 through August 13, parents and guardians can sign up for the program via sunflowersummer.org, then add each child and any additional parents or guardians, and they will have instant access to a variety of fun Kansas experiences. Each student and their parents or legal guardians are allowed one free visit to participating attractions.
Some of the more popular options include Botanica, Sedgwick County Zoo, Old Cowtown Museum, Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Exploration Place, and other attractions that are popular, yet not always accessible for many families.
Jemelle Holopirek, director of public relations for Visit Wichita, explains: “The Sunflower Summer program is an incredible opportunity for Kansas families to visit the most popular attractions in Wichita for free! Summer is all about spending time with our families, and this makes it affordable for everyone.”
For complete information about Sunflower Summer, visit their website at sunflowersummer.org and follow the guide for easy instructions on how to participate.