Exploration Place, The Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center, is an exciting and engaging science museum for children. Here in The Messy Homeschool Mom's house we have had a membership for 3 years now. And we have yet to be disappointed when we go.
Hours: (Info from Website as of 5-2-15)
Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm
Sundays Noon to 5pm
We usually end up going in the mornings around 11. This time can be busy, particularly in the spring because of field trips. During the fall and winter it is usually only moms with smaller children. This past week we went for a Dome show at 1 and then stayed to play until 4:30. We essentially had the place to ourselves. If you have a schedule that will allow you to do this I would definitely try it!
Price:
Regular Museum Admission (Info from Website as of 5-2-15)
$9.50 for Adults
$8.00 for Seniors
$6.00 for Children 3-11
Free for 2 and Under
Mini Golf is currently included in this price, so make sure you take advantage!
Dome Theater: You can do the Dome Theater without museum admission, or add it on.
$5 Adults
$4 Seniors
$3 Children
Free 2 and Under
If you choose to add Dome Theater Movies on they are less expensive as well.
Mini Golf is included FREE with all exhibit tickets! So lots of fun things there!
There are also several levels of membership:
$50 - Single Membership Includes 1 adult and 1 guest of any age
$75 - Family Membership Includes 2 Adults and All children living in their household under 18.
$145 - Premium Membership (What we have) Includes 2 Adults, All children in household, a designated nanny, AND Dome Theater tickets every time we go! This level is great. I have my mom on our membership so she can take our kids, and we can do the Dome as much as we would like. Mini Golf is also included so there are lots of options!
$250 - Traveler Membership Includes everything in Premium, Plus a guest every visit.
$500 - Voyager Membership Includes everything in Premium and Traveler, plus one time tickets for traveling exhibits requiring and extra fee.
Note: With the basic memberships if there is a traveling exhibit that costs extra you DO have to buy tickets for that. Examples Include: Inside the Human Body and Star Wars
Traveling Exhibits:
There have been a lot of cool traveling exhibits since we have been members. There is currently a Wildlife Rescue exhibit with fun games and activities for the kids to do. This one is right up Baby Girl's alley so we have spent a good bit of time there. There was a parasite one earlier this year, there has been a Dinosaur one as well. Star Wars was also there at one point. A lot of thought goes into these exhibits and they are usually very well done.
Permanent Exhibits:
I won't lie. The permanent exhibits are where we spend the most time. My kids have their favorites, and they request them often.
Baby Girl's favorite exhibit is the giant castle play area. "Where Kids Rule" is the motto there. We have literally gone and just done the castle. There is a dress up area, horses (pretend) to ride, a kitchen, a catapult, an astronomy hallway with blacklights (my fave!), a spiral staircase, music room and more. They even have closed circuit cameras so adults can sit at the bottom and keep eyes on their kiddos as they roam. Buds and Baby Girl will wander it together and separately. Bubba is even starting to enjoy it (which means lots of chasing for me, but that's ok.) I love this area because I can sit with Bubba at the bottom (lots of fun things to do on the ground floor too!) and let the Bigs roam and explore on their own. They don't need to be guided through the activities and expend lots and lots of energy running and playing.
Buds' favorite is the Keva Plank room. He calls it the "bwock woom" (don't ever learn to pronounce those l's buds! Its too adorable). Keva Planks are just little rectangles of wood that have endless possibilities. Baby Girl had me help her with a castle, Buds just loves stacking them up, and Bubba spent most of his time climbing the stairs and pushing the big cartons of planks around. He is way stronger than I give him credit for! This room has lots of fun building ideas and examples and lots and lots of space to build.
Bubba's favorite (and one of mine too) is the Tot Spot. This room is for ages 0-3 and it is full of awesome toys! There is a caterpillar to crawl through, a play house, a sailboat, a pillow pile, blocks, dress up clothes, kitchen toys, books, and more! When I Bubba needs a break from the big kid exhibits we wander in here. It is completely enclosed so I don't have to worry about anyone escaping, and there is plenty to do to keep everyone busy. Not gonna lie - the best part of this room? I DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN! If Hubs is with us I can just take Bubba there by myself. There is a couch for weary mamas, and lots of gross and fine motor toys for littles. Great area!
There is a new exhibit called The Creator Space that I am really excited about. Each month kids can go in there and make one of two monthly projects. April 2015 was thermochromatic painting (paints that change color when exposed to heat/cold) and cardboard animatronics. Baby Girl made a teddy bear with moveable parts doing the cardboard animatronics project. Very nice space, well lit, good equipment, and NO CLEAN UP! They even have projects going in their 3D Printer. This area probably works better for elementary students rather than the real little guys. Baby Girl loved the creativity, and the fact that she could take the project home.
Another fun room is the Kansas room. You can go through a tornado simulation (very breezy), create and erode a river, do plant rubbings, and even study native animals. My kids love playing in one of the water exhibits there. There is also a cave and dino dig in this room.
Just outside the Creator Space is the History of Flight exhibit with flight simulators and a very shiny wind wall. My kids seem a little bit young for this particular exhibit (at least the history/science part) but they love sitting in the planes. I love the giant hair dryer and balloon that explain Branouli's Principle.
And lastly, is the Kansas in Miniature Exhibit, both Hubs and my favorite. It is a huge diorama of typical Kansas countryside and small town. There is a drive in theater (that really shows movies), an amusement park (with rides that really work), a working farm, a herd of bison, the Flint Hills, and a train that kids can make go around the whole thing with the push of a button. The detail and animation of this exhibit are amazing. They even dress it up around the holidays with a tree farm and Christmas lights! Such a cool exhibit. My kids love seeing the trains go around and around too. Definitely worth a look - even for a minute.
Overall, Exploration Place is one of my very favorite places to take my kids. It is particularly nice in the winter months when the zoo can be too cold. If you are ever in the Wichita, KS area I encourage you to stop by!
- Lots of things to see and explore
- Almost all exhibits are hands on
- A good mix of things to interest all ages
- All exhibits are hands on, but Mom doesn't have to pick up
- The only real mess is just water
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| Baby Girl and I in the Dome Theater |
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