Admittedly, Wichita isn’t a city that immediately comes to mind when considering where to travel, but Kansas’ largest city punches above its weight.

I visited ahead of Riverfest.

The nine-day festival, which begins May 29, is anchored around the Arkansas River and bills itself as the largest outdoor festival in the Sunflower State. Family-friendly activities include musical performances, a parade, whimsical river races involving bathtubs and cardboard vessels, and three separate fireworks displays on opening night, June 3 and June 6.

Wichita’s defining feature is the Arkansas. The country’s sixth-longest river begins in the mountains of Colorado and flows eastward for more than 1,400 miles before emptying into the better-known Mississippi River. Here, a trail for walkers, runners and cyclists stretches for more than 10 miles as it curves past parks, beneath bridges and alongside public art and civic monuments.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Wichita, which adjoins Century II, a late-1960s performing arts and convention center built ahead of the city’s centennial celebrations — hence the name, as in Wichita’s second century. Designed in a brutalist style by an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, the complex was intended to project modernity. While futuristic at the time, today it is, practically speaking, a historic building.

The 305-room hotel itself has been extensively renovated in recent years, with rooms featuring one of Hyatt’s latest design iterations. Many have prime river views, making them ideal for watching Riverfest fireworks.

Across the river sits Equity Bank Park, home of the Wichita Wind Surge, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. I attended a game during a series against the Springfield Cardinals and was reminded how enjoyable minor league baseball can be.

The atmosphere was festive rather than tribal. Children chased mascots for photos while older fans kept scorecards in the stands. Between innings came a steady stream of spectacles designed to keep everyone entertained regardless of the score. Even for those unmoved by baseball itself, the experience remains enjoyable because it functions as communal theater as much as sport.

That balance seems to define Wichita more broadly. The city possesses enough culture and infrastructure to feel substantial yet remains refreshingly free from the congestion and, importantly, the expense associated with larger cities. Families can spend a long weekend here without blowing the vacation budget.

Wichita is exactly that: large enough to offer the amenities travelers expect from a major city, yet small enough to remain approachable and easy to navigate.

Underrated is often overused. In Wichita’s case, it feels entirely deserved.

If you go

No visit to Wichita is complete without seeing Keeper of the Plains, the 44-foot sculpture by Indian artist Blackbear Bosin that stands at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. The statue is especially striking at night when the surrounding cauldrons are lit.

History-minded visitors should make time for Old Cowtown Museum, an open-air museum interpreting frontier-era Wichita through restored and reconstructed 19th-century buildings, interpreters and exhibits focused on the cattle-driving era that helped shape Kansas.

The Mid-America All-Indian Museum offers an important look at Indian art, culture and history, including works by Bosin.

For fine art, visit the Wichita Art Museum, whose collection emphasizes American art. Its special exhibition “Revolutions” explores American history through art as part of the country’s semiquincentennial commemoration and runs through March 2028. Best of all, admission is free.

Don’t overlook Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, a 17-acre botanical garden featuring themed spaces, walking paths and seasonal displays.

Families, meanwhile, will want to visit Tanganyika Wildlife Park, an interactive zoological park known for unusually close animal encounters involving penguins, giraffes and even rhinos. If Wichita has one truly unexpected attraction, this is probably it.

Recommended restaurants include Georges French Bistro, FioRito Ristorante and Lotte. Reservations are highly recommended.

By car, Wichita is five hours from Dallas and around seven hours from Denver and St. Louis. Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is served by all the major airlines.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.

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