Spring break for Wichita Public Schools March 14-18. Need ideas for where to go and things to do on the cheap for kids, teens, and college students for spring break in Wichita? We’ve compiled this list of Wichita spring break activities and ideas for having fun.
I’ve said this for over ten years but it’s especially true these days: double-check all events before heading out. If things get canceled or rescheduled, we don’t always hear about it.
Bookmark this page, because we’re going to keep adding to it. By the time we’re done, there will be a lot of spring break activities listed here.
If you see some spring break fun we missed please leave a comment below!
And keep scrolling to see the day-by-day list of spring break events to see some really fun ideas for your spring break vacation.
Don’t forget to check out the Entertainment app for coupons at area restaurants and attractions. (It’s also a money-saver if you go out of town for spring break.) And Visit Wichita’s Explore Card will save you $2 at many city attractions.
If you’re looking forward to a summer full of fun you can register your child for the City Crew! While they don’t have any more events during spring break, they have plenty of FREE activities scheduled for the months ahead!
We’ve divided the list into sections to make it easier to find what you’re looking for: Wichita Attractions, Spring Break Camps, Spring Break Events, Indoor Activities, Outdoor Activities.
p.s. In every post I link to more information or give a phone number you can call. Please double-check all the details before you head out.
Wichita Attractions Spring Break Activities and Membership Specials
Getting a membership to a favorite local attraction can save you money all spring, summer, and fall.
Indoor Spring Break Activities in Wichita
If it happens to be cold or raining during spring break, we have some ideas for you! Please note: Some of these indoor activities may still have limited times/open hours or other restrictions. Be sure to double-check at each venue before you go.
Wichita Art Museum This year’s Spring Break Artcation is centered around Sci-Fi! The museum welcomes youth for just $1 admission (including high school and college students with ID!) during spring break.
Museum of World Treasures is hosting five days of spring break activities and learning. Each day will have a different focus, so you will learn new things all week.
Kansas Aviation Museum will do Little Aviators from Tuesday through Friday of spring break! So that means all kids 12 and younger and one parent in the family get free admission for the kids’ fun from 10 a.m. to noon. On Friday, they’ll have the Boeing 727 open to tour!
Sedgwick County Historical Museum will have four days of spring break activities for kids and families! Starting Tuesday, March 15 the museum will have different activities every day from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Space is limited and registration is required. Admission is FREE!
Go to the Flea Market This year, the Wichita Flea Market dates sit right at the beginning of spring break for Wichita Public Schools on March 12 and 13. Admission is cheap – just $3 per adult; kids 12 and younger get in free. This flea market is indoors, so it will happen rain or shine.
Go to School The McCormick School Museum is open Sunday afternoons and Wednesday mornings if you have an appointment, and admission is by donation. (School is always more fun when you don’t have to go! š )
The 100 year old school houses the history of USD 259 and it’s really fascinating. You do need to call ahead and make an appointment if you want to go.
Karg Art Glass It’s free to go in and watch the artists blow glass; you just need to call first to be sure artists are working. The gallery is at 111 N. Oliver, Kechi 67067, and you can call to confirm their hours at 316-744-2442.
Go Bowling for Less The Wichita State University Shocker Grill and Lanes is open to the public for bowling and other fun. The bowling alley is located in the Rhatigan Student Center and it is open to the public.
Bowling is just $4 per game and $2.25 for shoe rental, or you can rent a lane for up to six people for less than $20 an hour and shoe rental is included.
Go Retro with Games Wichita now has places where you can play pinball, hang out and play board games, or beat your old high score on Ms. PacMan (at The Arcade)! Obviously, double check hours and requirements before heading out.
Try Milkfloat or another one of the fun Sweet Shops in Wichita. If you’ve been too busy, now is the time to fix that. You’ll like it. If they have the Girl Scout Thin Mint Pie, which is a seasonal item, get that! š Their website says the cafe is open again.
Play Family Trivia A few locations around Wichita do Trivia Nights that are fun and family-friendly. Two we know of include Planet Sub’s Family Trivia Night and Chicken N Pickle’s Family-Friendly Trivia Night. Both are on Monday nights!
Take in a Movie Although are options for movie theaters are more limited this year, we do still have options for taking the kids to the movies “on the cheap” during spring break! Check out our full list of discount movies in Wichita.
Visit another Wichita attraction (or all of them!) Pick up a Wichita Explore Card and get $2 off admission per person at 11 Wichita museums and attractions.
You can pick up a card for FREE at the Visit Wichita office, or pay for admission at one of the participating attractions and ask for the Explore Card. You’ll be able to get the discount at any other participating attraction through the end of the year.
If you pick it up in person at Visit Wichita, the discounts start right away. The office is at 515 S. Main St., Suite 115, 316-265-2800.
Learn more about kid-friendly attractions in Wichita.
Outdoor Activities for Spring Break
Check out Wichita’s amazing parks We have our favorites; maybe you do too. But if there’s a park in Wichita you haven’t explored before, why not use the opportunity of spring break to go exploring? Bring a camera and maybe even a notebook to jot down your discoveries!
Take a Hike during spring break! Explore miles of urban or natural trails in Wichita – whichever sounds like the most fun to you. Bring a camera along to document your discoveries along the way. I’ve gathered all of my family’s favorite places to walk – and a few walks we have yet to try – here: Where to Walk in Wichita
Sedgwick County Art Walk Although they started building it a couple of years ago now, the Art Walk is still fairly new. When you enter Sedgwick County Park from the south entrance on 13th Street, there will be a parking lot on your right. Behind that is a meadow that is being transformed into an “art walk.”
Right now it has a limestone maze in the shape of a turtle, as well as a sculpture with two cranes called “Crane Dance”. Later they’ll be adding some more large sculptures.
Sedgwick County Park is already a fun place to spend a sunny day, so the new art walk will just add to that. The art installation is privately funded. You can learn more about it here: SedgwickCountyArtWalk.org
Ride a Bike Bike/Walk Wichita has a terrific page listing bike trails, bike paths, and maps of places you can ride your bike in Wichita. If you feel like you need to brush-up on your bike skills first, they have Bike 101 videos and even Bike Skills classes.
Take a Tour and Photo Walk of Wichita with two apps that will help you see your city in a new way!
- Bike/Walk Wichita and the Wichita Public Library teamed up to put together the Wichita History Walk app. Walk through stories of Delano’s rowdy past, the enterprising history of Downtown, and the 1920s building boom on East Douglas. Learn more and get the app.
- The Douglas Design District has made it even more fun to find the murals that were painted during Avenue Art Days. The app gives you a map with all the locations, and when you click on an icon, info about that mural and the artist pops up. Download the app for Android | Apple and share your photos on social media with the hashtag #AvenueArtDays.
This is one of the spring break activities I am looking forward to doing! I seriously hope we have good weather!
Paint and Hide Kindness Rocks This is the perfect spring break idea for kids, since it combines crafting, getting outside, and helping others. If you haven’t heard of this or you need to know how to get started, read Emily’s article, Spreading Kindness with Painted Rocks.
The idea is to inspire, uplift, or encourage someone who happens upon your masterpiece – you just do it to make someone’s day!
Go on a Scavenger Hunt Have you ever seen a picture of something cool in Wichita and wondered where it was? Spring break is the perfect opportunity to find it! This is probably better with older kids, teens, and/or college students, but it’s REALLY fun! Take pics!!
Botanica Beginning March 1, Botanica will have the carousel open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (Right now it’s only open on Saturdays for a short time.) Botanica also has spring break activities planned, including a STEM Camp if you are looking for something like that. More info.
The Wichita WATER Center Although the FREE indoor educational center that adjoins Hermann Hill Park is still closed according to the City’s website, you can still enjoy the outdoor aquariums then take a hike on the nature trail that follows a man-made creek to the Arkansas River. (Trail guide pamphlets are located at the trail head.) The park also has a disc golf course.
Sedgwick County Zoo Get the most from your membership (or the cost of admission) by timing your visit to take in a Keeper Talk or animal feeding time.
Check the Daily Schedule and Planning Your Visit pages to find out what’s happening when. And don’t forget to save $2 on zoo admission with the Wichita Explore Card!
If you visit frequently, see how a zoo membership can save you a ton of money.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park reopens in March and will be open daily during Spring Break from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you purchased your Season Pass during the Black Friday sale, you got a great deal.
The spring sale for 2022 gets you a season pass for $39.99. If you prefer to skip that deal, you can still save $2 per admission with the Wichita Explore Card. 316-794-8954
Starlite Drive-In Thanks to a whole lot of people who weren’t willing to let it go, the Starlite Drive-In is still here in Wichita. Those two weekends during spring break might be a great time to go revisit the drive-in.
Field Station: Dinosaurs Spring Break Sneak Peek offers discounted admission price of just $12 per person during spring break, March 12-20, 2022. Jurassic Golf is also open during that time, so you could do that in addition or instead of the dino trail.
For more ideas, also see: Wichita Attractions on the Cheap, 25 Free Things to Do in Wichita Kansas, Movies on the Cheap in Wichita, and the Event Listing here at Wichita on the Cheap.
What are YOUR ideas for Spring Break on the Cheap? You can let me know in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter.
Note: I’ve provided links to the various websites or phone numbers so that you can double-check the times, dates, and prices. The information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but if things change I don’t always hear about it. You can use this as a general guide, but it would be smart to check the links or call before you head out.
Spring break ideas for kids and families at home
Wichita Spring Break Things to Do
Here are the things to do on our calendar for Spring Break Week in Wichita. This is everything – so some events might not be for kids.
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Monday, March 14, 2022
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Friday, March 18, 2022
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Sunday, March 20, 2022
For more indoor spring break activities, check out Emily’s article that’s just packed with suggestions for Indoor Play Places and Kids Activities. You’ll have more options than you can fit into a spring break week!
Last year’s Spring Break deals in Wichita:
Tanganyika Season Pass sale: During the sale, which only lasts a couple of weeks, season passes are just $24.99 per person for unlimited visits throughout the summer, and this includes access to the new splash park
Field Station: Dinosaurs family memberships: On sale through March 28, 2021 for just $99 per family. This membership includes unlimited visits, shows, activities, mini golf, and more.
Old Cowtown Museum family membership: The Family Membership is just $65 (and that’s regular price) and includes two adults and all of the kids under 18. This is an amazing deal because most of the special events held at Cowtown throughout the season are included with your membership.
Area attractions are also planning some spring break fun this year:
Kansas Aviation Museum has its kid-friendly (and oh-so inexpensive) Little Aviators program during either of the spring break weeks, and this is kind of an indoor/outdoor activity because if the weather’s nice you can go outside and see the real planes up close. The indoor area for kids has undergone some awesome upgrades with flight simulators and more.
Ride the Trolley I believe the trolley is back up and running now, although its schedule may have changed. The Q-line Trolley in Downtown/Delano is completely free and runs at various times Monday through Saturday.
Read more about how to ride Wichita’s Q-line trolley here. It will take you to some of the fun spots we mention in our post!
Wichita Spring Break Camps and Kits
In lieu of spring break camps this year, some of our local organizations are supporting kids’ spring break fun with kits you can pick up and take home. Here are a few we’ve heard of so far:
- Sedgwick County Extension Spring Break Kit (Free. Deadline Mar. 5, 2021)
- Wichita Art Museum Spring Break Artcation (Free)
- Also, available year-round are the free Great Plains Nature Center pocket guides to wildlife (Free)
- Sedgwick County Zoo Spring Fling ($150/$170)
- Exploration Place Spring Break Camp in a Box ($35/$45)
- Tanganyika Spring Break Camp, $125 per week
- Wichita Park & Recreation One-Day Camps, $30
- Wichita Park & Recreation Kids Konnection, $22/day
- OR put together your own spring break experience by following some of our suggestions below. (Just be sure to double-check that things are open now; I wrote that list a few years ago, pre-pandemic.)
I saw a commercial on T.V. that Tanganyika is offering 1/2 price child admission with a paid adult admission for spring break.
Going to add a link to your blog from mine! Thanks for the ideas! http://mylittlebitoflife.com/?p=1024
You can actually get a Buy one adult admission, get one child admission free, through Recyclebank.
Hi!
On spring break? Don’t forget the Wichita Public Library! There are always lots of programs and fun things to do at the Central downtown library, and all of the branch libraries. Most are free! http://www.wichita.lib.ks.us/Calendar.htm?date=3-17-2011 is the website that will take you to the calendar.
Also, the Central library has a wonderful used bookstore that is run by the Friends of the Wichita Public Library. They have the best buys on used books in town. Most are .50 and $1 for gently used books. Lots of kids books too! And the best part is, the money goes right back to the library for the programs and more books. š
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me.
Gail Fisher
President
Friends of the Wichita Public Library
316-683-4420