Ingram's March 2023

that venue “the most intimidating fans that we have ever played against.’’ The second-smallest school (by enrollment) in the Big XII packs a pret ty powerful punch, especially when it gets to play in front of nearly 52,000 fans on Saturdays in the fall. It’s an experience not to be missed if you’re into college football. The Wildcats have rewarded their faithful with conference championships in 2003, 2012, and again just this past season. • Tickets: Season and individual-game tickets are available through the athletic office website, with packages for 2023 home games starting at $200 or through third-party vendors for single games • 2201 Kimball Ave., Manhattan, KS 66502 • www.kstatesports.com • 800.221.2287 BOTANICA, WICHITA Botanica, the Wichita Gardens should top the list of tourist sites for any horticulturalists. It’s 30 themed gardens appeal to Green Thumbs of all ages, and the center is open year-round. Educational and entertainment assets like the Downing Children’s Garden, the Monster Woods, and Botanica’s treehouse help keep the little ones engaged. You can see flora from across the world and through the centuries with exhibits like the Elizabethan display in the Shakespeare Garden, home to but a few more than 4,000 plant species on display. • Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors/Youth/Military $8, Children 2 and younger are free • 316.264.0448 LEGENDS OUTLETS, KANSAS CITY The day it opened in 2006, The Legends made Wyandotte County the top tourist destination in Kansas. Its collection of retail shops, theaters, nightspots, and restaurants flipped the script on lifestyle center attractions in the Midwest. Most of the shopping has been converted to outlet-mall models, drawing in consumers from well outside the four-state area. It’s part of the $1.2 billion Village West development that sprawls over 1,500 acres, including stadiums for both pro soccer and car racing. • 1843 Village West Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66111 • www.legendsshopping.com • 913.788.3700 KANSAS SPEEDWAY, KANSAS CITY Owned and operated by NASCAR, the Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval track racing venue in western Wyandotte County’s Village West entertainment district. It hosts two annual NASCAR events—this year, the AdventHealth

400 in May, and Hollywood Casino 400 in September, among other events. The track opened in 2001 and seats 48,000. • Tickets: Single-event adult tickets start at $54 • 400 Speedway Blvd., Kansas City • www.kansasspeedway.com • 866.460.7223 COSMOSPHERE, HUTCHINSON Incredible artifacts from real space flights can be found in this unique attraction not far from Wich ita. Among those: the very capsule that brought home the three-man crew from the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. Roughly 150,000 people each year follow the layout’s two tracks that chronologically trace the U.S.-Soviet space race, dating back to the end of World War II, but that exhibit is just one piece of a fascinating set of experiences. • Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays • Tickets: $26.50 for adults, $17.50 for children 4-12, $23.50 for seniors. Ages 3 and under are free • 1100 N Plum St, Hutchinson, KS 67501 • www.cosmo.org • 800.397.0330 EXPLORATION PLACE, WICHITA Your kids will take over scheduling for the day when they set foot into this children’s museum on the banks of the Arkansas River in Downtown Wichita. In the Air Capital of the World, you can expect exhibits that will speak to the city’s role in aviation history, but there are also displays and activities featuring geography, meteorology, and the history of Kansas and its people.

• Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., daily, except for Thursdays, when it’s open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. • Tickets: All-access passes run $17.50 for those older than 12 ($15 for seniors) and $12 for ages 3-11 • 300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, Kansas 67203 • www.exploration.org • 316.660.0600 Koch family, have helped Wichita assemble a world-class zoo that rivals those of many major metropolitan areas. The walk-through exhibits like the rain forest make you part of the experience, bringing you face to face with the creatures that inhabit the space. More than 3,000 animals from 400 species take you across Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia. The recent addition of penguins even gives you some of the flavors of Antarctica. • Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. • Tickets: Book online and get $2 off the gate prices of $22 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $17 for children ages 3-11 • 5555 W. Zoo Blvd., Wichita, KS 67212 SEDGWICK COUNTY ZOO, WICHITA Zoologically inclined donors, including the iconic

• www.scz.org • 316.660.9453

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DestinationKansas.com

Kansas’ Business Media

2023