It’s back for 2023! The Sunflower Summer provides various ways for families to get out, explore something new, and enjoy time together. Kansas families can visit museums, zoos, historic landmarks, and more for FREE! This is the BEST DEAL!! You can visit 114 attractions around KANSAS for FREE!!!
Kansas kids and their parents can have an unforgettable Sunflower Summer again this year thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Kansas State Department of Education. The program includes FREE admission for experiences across the state from May 26th until August 13th, 2023; every Kansas student from pre-K to 12th grade is included.
The Sunflower Summer app is available for iPhone in the App Store and Android in Google Play. Check out this year’s information on the Sunflower Summer web page!
What is Kansas’ Sunflower Summer program?
The Sunflower Summer Learning Program includes one free visit for Kansas pre-K to 12th grade students, along with up to two accompanying adults, to many (many) popular attractions in Kansas.
According to SunflowerSummer.org, each Kansas student (pre-K to 12th grade) and up to two adults can access a voucher to get in free to each of the participating Sunflower Summer attractions.
Free admission through the Sunflower Summer program is available from May 26 – August 13th.
What Kansas attractions are participating in Sunflower Summer?
The list is so long, so here is a recap of some of our FAVORITES to visit:
- Botanica the Wichita Gardens
- Wichita Art Museum
- Tanganyika Wildlife Park- Mon & Tues Only
- Exploration Place
- Field Station: Dinosaurs
- Cosmosphere
- Sedgwick County Zoo
- Cowtown
- Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
Attractions & Landmarks:
Boot Hill Museum, Inc.
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens
Cosmosphere
Curious Minds Discovery Zone
Dodge City CVB Historic Trolley Tour
Evel Knievel Museum
Exploration Place
Field Station: Dinosaurs
Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hedrick’s Exotic Animal Farm
Kansas Aviation Museum
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Kansas Learning Center for Health
Lee Richardson Zoo
Mid-America Air Museum
Midwest Dream Car Collection
Oz Museum
Rolling Hills Zoo
Sedgwick County Zoo
Sunset Zoo
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
The Big Well Museum and Visitors Center
The Garage
Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center
Art & Theater:
Prairie Museum of Art and History
Red Barn Studio Museum
Theatre In The Park
Wichita Art Museum
History:
Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum
Big Brutus
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
Constitution Hall State Historic Site
Eisenhower Presidential Library
El Quartelejo Museum & Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection
Ellis Railroad Museum and Doll Display
Ellsworth County Historical Society
Fick Fossil & History Museum
Fort Harker Guardhouse Museum
Fort Hays State Historic Site
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Garden of Eden
Grinter Place State Historic Site
Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site
Johnson County Museum
Kansas African American Museum
Kansas Oil Museum
Kansas State Capitol
Kauffman Museum
Kiowa County Historical Museum & Soda Fountain
Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm
Mid-America All-Indian Museum
Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
Miners Hall Museum
Museum of World Treasures
National Orphan Train Complex
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Old Cowtown Museum
Osage County Historical Society
Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site
Pony Express Barn & Museum
Red Rocks State Historic Site
Shawnee Town 1929 Museum
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
The Ritchie House
Tri-State Antique Engines & Thresher Association
University of Kansas Natural History Museum
Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
Yesterday House Museum & DepotLibraries
Great Bend Public Library
Lawrence Public Library
Marysville Public Library
Mulvane Public Library
Russell Public Library
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Wellington Public Library
Cedar Bluff State Park
Cheney State Park
Clinton State Park – OK, Kids
Cowley Lake Waterfall
Crawford State Park
Cross Timbers State Park
El Dorado State Park
Eisenhower State Park
Elk City State Park
Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center
Fall River State Park
Flint Hill Trails State Park
Glen Elder State Park
Great Plains Nature Center
Hillsdale State Park
Kanopolis State Park
Kansas Wetlands Education Center
Kansas Wildlife Exhibit
Lake Scott State Park
Lehigh Portland Trails
Little Jerusalem State Park
Lovewell State Park
Meade State Park
Milford State Park
Monument Rocks Natural Area
Perry State Park
Pomona State Park
Prairie Dog State Park
Prairie Spirit Trail
Sand Hills State Park
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Tuttle Creek State Park
Webster State Park
Wilson State Park
Wyandotte County Lake Park
If you can tour the state and visit some of these places outside the Wichita area, I would do it. Kids remember these kinds of trips for the rest of their lives.
(The newest state park – Little Jerusalem – is also included. What a trip that would be!)
Related: Free and cheap things to Do with Kids this Summer in Wichita
Who is paying for the Sunflower Summer program?
The Kansas State Department of Education provides this program through a grant funded by Elementary and Secondary Education Emergency Relief (ESSER) from The American Rescue Plan Act. This is all information from the Sunflower Summer website, which you can see here.
Sunflower Summer is FREE to Kansas students and their families.
Sunflower Summer Learning Program App available May 26th, 2023!
You’ll download the app and make an account, which requires your name, email address, and mobile number. You have to agree to the Terms and Conditions. The terms include information about who is behind the app, which I thought was helpful. (I always want to know these kinds of things.)
It says the app “is an interactive passport tour built and operated by SLCKET, Inc. [the app makers] in collaboration with the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research, and the Kansas State Department of Education…”
The terms also state that anyone can download the app but “only Kansas parents of children enrolled in Kansas schools are eligible for admission discounts.” Great! You should read the rest of the terms also, since you are agreeing to them.
The website, sunflowersummer.org, has a list of Frequently Asked Questions and a video overview of the program. I highly recommend you check it out (and check back until you see a link to the app) for more information. This is all I know right now! But it looks like it will be a lot of fun for students!!