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Great Plains Nature Center: Free Events and Info

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Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita is always FREE to visit. They provide opportunities for the public to investigate, understand, and develop an appreciation for wildlife. They have weekly  FREE events and no registration is needed! Great for homeschoolers, kiddos who aren’t quite in school yet, or anyone else available in the morning hours. 

Great Plains Nature Center

Chisholm Creek Park at Great Plains Nature Center:

The Walking Trail at Great Plains Nature Center is called Chisholm Creek Park, and it’s one of the largest parks in Wichita. It’s on 282 acres and has 2.5 miles of paved trails that cross native and restored prairies, wetlands, ponds, and more. Bikes and pets are required to stay on the path but are allowed. 

How do you get to Chisholm Creek Park? The convenient entrance to the path is off Oliver St. 

Chisholm Creek Park:  

  • 125 species of wildflowers
  • 38 species of trees and shrubs
  • 20 species of mammals
  • 160 species of birds
  • 21 species of reptiles and amphibians
  • 13 species of fish

Weekly FREE Events at Great Plains Nature Center 2024: 

Free Naturally Crafty 

  • Every Tuesday from 10 am-12 pm 
  • Nothing beats doing crafts AND learning about nature! Come combine the two and see how creative those kiddos can be!
  • Every Tuesday, they have a new craft prepared for your young artists. Primarily for elementary and younger, but all are welcome.
  • FREE. No registration required 

Free Critter Tales 

  • Every Wednesday at 10am
  • Gather round for a fun-filled story full of colorful adventures as our volunteers share one of their favorite Critter Tales. This weekly program is designed for our littlest learners with age-appropriate storybooks highlighting the wonders of nature. 
  • FREE. No registration required 
We meet in Koch Habitat Hall, located in Great Plains Nature Center. Hope to see you there!

Free Creature Feature 

  • The first Monday of every month (April- September) and every Monday during summer (May-August) starting at 11 am
  • Do you enjoy learning about the wonders and oddities that the Great Plains encompass? Our Naturalists sure do! Come join us in the Auditorium to geek out about a new topic! The Naturalist-led program lasts around 40 minutes with time for questions afterward and is normally followed by meeting an animal ambassador or investigating artifacts.
  • FREE. No registration required 
All we ask is that you bring your love and curiosity for the creatures around us! 

Free Outdoor Play 

  • Starting back up in the Spring- Thursdays from 10-11 am
  • There is no better space for kids to learn than the outdoors and there is no better play resource than nature. To provide some enriching outdoor exploration for your kids, our naturalists are creating FREE, come-and-go activities.
  • They have new activities each week for preschoolers (age 3-5).
Great Plains Nature Center General Info: 

Exhibits: 9 am – 5 pm, FREE
Gift Shop: 10 am- 4 pm
Closed Sundays

Did you know? If you are a Great Plains Nature Center member, you can go to over 150 Nature Centers in the US and Canada for FREE. 

Indiviadual Memberhips $25
Family $50
Educator, Student, Military $20
Senior $20
Senior Family $25 

Map of Nature Centers

Click here for more FREE Events 

Click HERE for information about the FREE Zoo 

Click HERE for information about Walking Trails in Wichita 

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