Exploration Place

09/23/2023

Over 4,000 people gathered, anxiously awaiting tonight's DRONE LIGHT SHOW!! ✨️ The drones take flight in 7 minutes....

09/23/2023

So much room for activities!! 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

09/22/2023

Xclusive Events is on-site with a mobile bar near Entrance Plaza (in front of the museum) and a beer garden on Festival Plaza! Grab a beverage and enjoy the show! 🍻

09/22/2023

Runners from Australia, Germany, England, South Africa and all corners of the U.S. have enjoyed parkrun Wichita. Will you be there this week? Meet us at 8 am Saturdays on Festival Plaza for this fun, FREE event along the river. Info & register http://www.parkrun.us/explorationplace/

09/22/2023

Thank you to the team at NetApp for being on-site this morning to help us prep the water lanterns for tonight!! 🎊

09/22/2023

Thank you to for performing at the Drone Light Festival. Your dance team was definitely a fan favorite!!

09/22/2023

Thank you for the great story, KAKE News !! ✨️

This is the second year that Exploration Place has lit up the night sky with hundreds of drones.

09/22/2023

🦖✨️

Ahhh there's a dino over Wichita!!!

09/22/2023

We'll see you again tomorrow night, Wichita!

81 tickets are left. Grab them up before they're gone!!



📷 image from

09/22/2023

We don't want to spoil the fun for anyone attending Friday or Saturday so we'll save the pictures of the show itself until later... but if you want a sneak peek... check out our stories 😉

09/22/2023

Thank you Trevor Stewart for a truly magical performance tonight!!

09/22/2023

Thank you Trevor Stewart for a truly magical performance tonight!

Trevor will be back tomorrow night - will you be there?

https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

09/22/2023

Candle light concert and water lanterns. All included with your Drone Light Festival tickets!

09/22/2023

The lanterns have been launched! Each guest gets to decorate and set sail a water lantern as part of your admission. And look at all of those candles along the bridge and promenade windows!! Hundreds more are surrounding the musician, just off screen of this view.

09/22/2023

300 drones, lined up and preparing for flight! There's still time to grab tickets for tonight's show and make your way to Exploration Place for the largest Drone Show in Wichita history!

Done take flight at 9 pm ⚠️

09/21/2023

Wichita State Shocker Sound is in the house and ready to party!! Catch them on Festival Plaza and tell them thanks for coming to the ! 🎉

09/21/2023

Food trucks are getting set up!! Gates open at 6 pm. There are still tickets available for tonight. Join us for dinner, explore the exhibits, catch the Pink Floyd show in the Dome, watch the Drone Show and still be home for a 10:30 pm bed time (depending on how far you're driving, of course).

Thursday tickets: https://explorationplace.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/drone-light-festival-thursday_1?_ga=2.207216851.1185369690.1694817799-72392422.1664289759

09/21/2023

If you're at the Wichita Business Expo today, stop by and say hi! We have info to help you start planning a corporate event, holiday party, meeting or more. We have the perfect space to mix work and play!

We also have info on upcoming events and exhibits. Bonus: learn how to volunteer (solo or as a group) behind the scenes or at an event!

🏢 Century II
🕓 12 - 4 PM

09/21/2023

Flow Foundry Fire Dancers were onsite this evening to practice for the Drone Light Festival. They'll be performing directly before the drones take flight. We're excited to have them as a new component to the show this year! There are still tickets at the link in our bio, if you hurry. ✨️

09/21/2023

Flow Foundry Fire Dancers were onsite this evening to practice for the Drone Light Festival. They'll be performing directly before the drones take flight. We're excited to have them as a new component to the show this year! There are still tickets at https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

Flow Foundry, ICT

09/20/2023

Don't miss your chance to see this spectacular show! Saturday carload passes are sold out, but we still have passes available for Thursday and Friday night. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the drones fly at 9 p.m.! www.dronelightfest.com

09/19/2023

The Drone Light Festival is this Thursday through Saturday at Exploration Place. We can't wait for you to see the custom formations designed by our contest winners. Congratulations to Serenity Adams and Elias Cluck in the child category and Kasey Pickle in the adult category! www.dronelightfest.com

09/16/2023

All this for $60 for up to 9 people? Yeah. 😎
https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

09/15/2023

Grab a friend and join us tomorrow for parkrun, a free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event!
More info here: https://exploration.org/event/exploration-place-parkrun/

09/15/2023

We've got your Halloween plans covered!

🎃 Halloween Hall is a new exhibit that uses technology to create games on the floor and walls. Kids (of all ages) can dance, jump and throw and the sensors will read your movements to interact with the challenges. Open October 6 - 31 and included with museum admission.

👻 BooFest is a family-friend Halloween party that combines nostalgic games and activities like trick-or-treating and a cupcake walk with high-tech games, liquid nitrogen ice cream and karaoke. Wear your costumes and make BooFest a fun (indoor) part of your fall memories! October 7, 14 and 28. Tickets on sale now.

🧛 Wicked Pairings is for the adults. Thirteen stations will host cocktails and drinks, paired together with sweet treats and a few savory bites. Themed attire is highly encouraged. October is busy - take a night for the adults and enjoy a date night or evening with your friends. October 20. Tickets are limited, grab them now!

Link in bio, or visit https://exploration.org/view-all-upcoming-events/ for tickets!

Exploration Place is honored to host and/or be involved in various events each year, including our largest annual fundraising event, Death by Chocolate.

09/15/2023

✨️ Just 6 days until the drones take flight! ✨️ This year's show will be bigger and brighter than ever. 300 drones will dip, dive, soar and maneuver their way through the night sky directly above the Keeper.

If you think fireworks are cool, you need to see the precision and movement that drones can do - without the noise and booms.

Ticket sales are going fast. Grab yours today at https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

09/15/2023

If you've been wanting to catch The Dark Side of the Moon in the Dome, here's your chance. The film will be playing at 6:30 and 7:30 pm and is INCLUDED with your Drone Festival ticket.

Thursday September 21, Friday September 22 and Saturday September 23.

This is not the same Rock the Dome show that we've had in the past. This is a NEW show that filmmakers worked closely on with Pink Floyd’s long time creative collaborator, Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis, to fully capture the band’s musical masterpiece in an unforgettable setting. This is the ONLY show that has been endorsed by the band.

Tickets are regularly $18 each but the show is playing FREE for all* Drone Light Festival guests.

Grab your festival tickets now: https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

*The Dome seats 187 guests per showing. Seats will be given first come, first served. Questions? Drop a note in the comments!

09/15/2023

We're testing all of the equipment for next week's Drone Light Festival. Every time we cast an image onto the building and over the pond, it looks ✨️magical✨️.

Do you have tickets yet? $60 gets you parking and entry for up to 9 people. Pack every seat full (in seat belts, of course) and make the most of your ticket price.

Ticket link in bio!! Saturday is almost sold out. ⚠️

09/13/2023

Hispanic Heritage Month begins this Friday, but we couldn't wait to start celebrating! In case you missed Fiesta Hispana, here's a peak into all the fun — food, games, music and dancing 💃🕺

Thank you to our vendors for your passion, to our performers for your talent, and to our event sponsor, Davis-Moore Auto Group, for spurring this event into action.
We are proud to partner with Radio Lobo 106.5 every year for this "kaleidoscope of culture and celebration."
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

09/13/2023

Thank you to Wichita on the Cheap for sharing about our *NEW* Frozen Sing-Along this winter.

❄️Elsa, Anna and Olaf will all be there as Kemper theater hosts the royalty of Arrendelle. We'll watch the movie together, sing-along to our favorite songs, enjoy live performances by Queen Elsa and Princess Anna and laugh as Olaf brings his lovable comic relief throughout. ⛄️

The theater will have special effects and surprises that will elevate the experience in a way that only Exploration Place can.

Before the show guests can get a wintery make over with snowflake and glitter face paint so that after the show they are ready to meet and greet the characters for photos and magical moments.

We hope you'll join us for a Frozen Sing-Along! You're never too old to enjoy the magic of Arrendelle.

We'll drop a ticket link in the comments. 💙

Step into the enchanting world of Arendelle and join us for an experience filled with music, laughter and the heartwarming tale of sisters Elsa and Anna

09/12/2023

🧐"Is there anything to do before the drone show?" YES! Tons.

Here's the run down:
• Food Trucks
• The museum exhibits are yours to explore (free!)
• Live Science Shows (free!)
• Dark Side of the Moon will be playing in the Dome (free!)
• Water Lantern festival in reflection pond (free!)
• Candlelight Concert with musician Trevor Stewart (free!)
• Foam Party for the kids & kids at heart (free!)
• Activities, performances and more on Festival Plaza (free!)
• Axe throwing (not free, but a cool local business to support)

There is honestly more to do than can be accomplished in the 3 hours leading up to the main show at 9 pm. And most of it is included with your pass/ticket.

"$60 for 9 people to do all of that?!" 🤯 We know... it's a great deal, right?! We hope that you bring your whole family or all of your friends, fill every seat in your car, and have a blast.

Grab tickets now - Saturday is on the cusp of selling out...
https://exploration.org/event/drone-light-show/

09/10/2023

Join us this afternoon for Fiesta Hispana! 🎉 12 - 5 pm and is free to attend.

This event is a celebration of culture, and what better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than with music, dancing, food, and community. We are so excited for the indoor performances, including the folklorico dancing seen here💃 💃

Thank you to for sponsoring this event!

Fiesta Hispana is brought to you in partnership with Radio Lobo

09/09/2023

Don't miss out on all of the fun happening tomorrow at Fiesta Hispana!
From 12 pm to 5 pm, there is a full schedule of mariachi bands, folklorico dancers, matachines dancers, singers, and a fashion show. This event boasts food, crafts, games, low riders, and all guests will be able to explore the museum exhibits.
Join us September 10 at Exploration Place to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month 💃
This event is included with museum admission and is brought to you in partnership with Radio Lobo 106.5.
Thank you to Davis-Moore Auto Group for making this event possible!

09/08/2023

It's a great day for a parkrun! Meet us at 8 am on Festival Plaza every Saturday for this fun, free event that welcomes participants who want to walk, jog, run, or even stroll their way along the river. Find out more & register at http://www.parkrun.us/explorationplace/

09/08/2023

Don't mind us, over here with our hankies.... beautiful weddings always make us a little teary eyed... 🥰

Thank you for including Exploration Place in your special day! Cool photos, too. Thank you for sharing, Moda Images Photography.

09/08/2023

Exploration Place is no stranger to fire and combustion. 🔥 We often use these elements in our live science shows and demonstrations – in a controlled environment following all safety precautions, of course. Unfortunately, yesterday we had quite the exciting afternoon as we discovered a fire had formed in the grasses on Entrance Plaza.

We were grateful for the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department as they helped control and eventually extinguish the fire. When investigating the incident we learned that the fire started with a careless cigarette butt that had been tossed on the ground from a pedestrian. There is no reason to believe that the act was intentional or had any malice behind it.

This is a friendly reminder to always dispose of embers with care and intention. As all good scientists know – safety first! 👩‍🔬