
10/27/2023
Our Museum Members annual Flashlight tour is tonight! 6-8pm
Refreshments at the Tickled Pink food truck in Heritage Square. Thank you for your support of the Historical Museum through an annual membership!
The local history museum for Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas! A world-class local history museum you will love!
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Four floors of exhibits celebrating Wichita and Sedgwick County in Wichita's original city hall. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Our Vision: To provide a world class Museum experience, advancing the understanding and exploration of the rich historical and cultural heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County Kansas. Our Mission: The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum’s mission is
to educate the community and its visitors about local history by collecting, preserving, and interpreting materials reflecting the heritage of Wichita and Sedgwick County. Our Core Values:
Discovery, Creativity, Empathy, Authenticity, Integrity, Service and Collaboration
These values are primary factors guiding the organization’s actions in meeting the mission and fulfilling the vision set for the Museum. By adhering to these simple tenets, the Museum is able to provide experiences which orient the visitor to the past, define the present, and help chart the course for the future. Our Statement of Ethics: The Museum’s policies and procedures are intended to reflect the values in the Code of Ethics for Museums of the American Alliance of Museums and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Statement of Ethics.
Our Museum Members annual Flashlight tour is tonight! 6-8pm
Refreshments at the Tickled Pink food truck in Heritage Square. Thank you for your support of the Historical Museum through an annual membership!
New Exhibition! BEING MODERN is open today, and today (Sundays) is free admission thanks to a grant by the Ruth Spooner Stone Charitable Trust and INTRUST Bank.
York Rite Temple/ Sutton Place remodel at Market & William by architect Roy E. Calvin, 1966, Construction signs in windows. Wm. Dodson Ltd men's clothing at left. Azim Studios photo (cropped) from our archives. Happy 125th to local history supporters Construction!
Thank you Dondlinger Construction for your contributions to community these past 125 years. Also for including the Museum in the celebration with a gift!
The Museum is FREE today and every Sunday in 2023, thanks to the Ruth Spooner Stone Trust, INTRUST Bank, Trustee. Stop by after lunch - we are open 1-5 today. View of El Charro restaurant from our archives. El Charro opened at 5324 E. Kellogg in 1948 with colorful neon signage, including the figures of a dancer and guitar player above the entrance at left. El Charro served "genuine Mexican food" until the popular restaurant closed in 1972.
Today is an especially good day to come downtown! Two great events at YOUR local history HQ. Senior Wednesday at 10am - "Rea Woodman, Daughter of Wichita" & music by Dear Friends Band at noon - don't miss this final performance of our Heritage Square Concert Series of 2023! Rare color photograph of Downtown Wichita in 1955 from our archives.
Summer is a Circus at Innes, 1959! Interior view of Innes department store from our archives. More history for ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, children of all ages at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum - the greatest museum on earth! Open today 11am-4pm - come see us.
Live concert today at the Museum! A century ago, Prof. Antonio De La Mora directed a Mexican Band in Wichita, including a 1925 Riverside Park performance with a reported audience of over 2,000! Today, 9/13, join us for Mariachi Jalisco in Heritage Square from noon to 1pm, part of our September Concert Series. Bring a lunch! Heritage Square Concert Series 2023 sponsors are CGP Group, Devlin Enterprises, Inc., Evergy, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, INTRUST Bank, Mitchell & Richards, CPA’s, The Trust Company of Kansas, TSNEWS.Com, and all of the Museum’s other business members. Photo by Homer T. Harden from our archives and www.wichitaphotos.org
Tuning up! PRETEND FRIEND Heritage Square Concert today at noon. Free Admission - bring your lunch.
Live music today from the Heritage Park gazebo, featuring Friend as part of our September Concert Series! Free Admission over the noon hour every Wednesday in September. Enter Heritage Square through the Historical Museum and bring your lunch! Photograph from our archives of the Grasshopper Glee and Banjo Club, Wichita, circa 1890.
Friend tomorrow in Heritage Square as part of our September Concert Series! Free Admission over the noon hour every Wednesday in September. Enter Heritage Square through the Historical Museum and bring your lunch!
This year’s concerts feature musical performances by: Pretend Friend (6th), Mariachi Jalisco (13th), The House Band (20th), and Dear Friends Band (27th).
Heritage Square Concert Series 2023 sponsors are: CGP Group, Devlin Enterprises, Inc., Evergy, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, INTRUST Bank, Mitchell & Richards, CPA’s, The Trust Company of Kansas, TSNEWS.Com, and all of the Museum’s other business members.
Back to school! Edgar B. Smith photo from our archive of a Wichita High School North USD 259 home economics class, circa 1930, with Singer sewing machines. More photos at www.wichitaphotos.org
Come Downtown! Early 1950s street scene, west on Douglas from Market including Wormser Hats Store, Woods Jewelers, Hinkel's, and the Central Building. The Museum is FREE today and every Sunday in 2023 thanks to the Ruth Spooner Stone Trust, INTRUST Bank, Trustee. Museum hours today 1-5pm. Photo from our archive.
Cool off in the theater! Moviegoers wait in line outside the Crest Theater at 4825 East Douglas Avenue to see Elvis Presley’s "Loving You," released in 1957. The theater opened in 1950 across the street from Lincoln Heights Village and was demolished in 1997 after being shuttered for nearly a decade. Lewin's & Henry's are also in view. Cool off at the Museum! We are open today 11-4 and feature dozens of fascinating exhibits on four air-conditioned floors in Downtown Wichita.
Back to school shopping at Henry's! View of Henry's department store at Broadway & William (now NICHE) 1956 by Armstrong Commercial Printer, from our archives. Allis Hotel at far right. The Museum is just a few blocks from this location and we are open Tuesday-Friday 11-4, Saturday-Sunday 1-5 in the original of Wichita- Government City Hall at Main and William. Come see us!
From the perspective of a fashion designer!
In July of 1958, Ron Walters, President of The Wichita Branch NAACP, and his cousin, Carol Parks-Haun, organized the Dockum Sit-in, now recognized as the first successful student led sit-in of the civil rights movement. This rare color view from our archives shows the 300 block of East Douglas in 1953, including the Dockum Drug Store in the UNB building (now the Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection ). Celebrating local history from the original City Hall in downtown Wichita, we are open today 11am-4pm. Come see us!
In the summer of 1958, The Wichita Branch NAACP youth gathered at Dockum Drugstore & staged the nation's first successful civil rights sit-in. In a 2020 interview, sit-in participant Dr. Galyn Vesey stated the Forum Cafeteria (at right, center) was one of the few eateries to serve Black patrons at that time. View of SW corner of Douglas & Market, 1964, from our archive. Dr. Vesey's interview and much more here: https://www.facebook.com/JuneteenthICT/videos/912367825944701/
Grab a kayak or canoe for your communte! Floods & canoes were not unusual in Downtown Wichita before the completion of the "Big Ditch" project in 1959. View in front of the YMCA / Scottish Rite Temple, now TempleLive Wichita at 1st & Topeka, 1904, photo from our archives. The Museum is open Tues - Fri 11am-4pm, Sat - Sun 1-5 in the original 1890 City of Wichita- Government City Hall at 204 South Main - come see us!
Friends, we are CLOSED today for Independence Day. A favorite photo from our archive, 1955 color view looking west from 600 block of East Douglas, Victory Theater & Eaton Hotel at left, Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview Wichita in distance, at center. Open regular hours tomorrow - 11am-4pm!
Pawn shops, Fender guitars, and beer. East Douglas from Emporia, 1955. The Renfro at upper left in this photograph from our archives, Wiley Music, a major Fender guitar dealer, at left next to Leben Bros. Pawn Shop. Hotel Eaton at upper right. Celebrating local history from the original City of Wichita- Government City Hall in Downtown Wichita we are open Tuesday - Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday - Sunday 1-5pm. Thank you for your support - please like, follow, and share!
The streets of Downtown Wichita, summer of 1963 - sixty years ago! 100 block of East Douglas looking west to Main, including The Model, Rhealee, Caldwell Murdock building, Heads Shoes, and the Central Building. Photo from our archives in the original of Wichita- Government City Hall. We are open today from 11am-4pm - come see us!
Cool off in Henry's! In 1948, Henry's built a windowless $900,000, 50,000-square-foot store at Broadway & William (now NICHE) that featured such state-of-the art improvements as air conditioning and piped-in music! This photo from our archives dates from 1956. Also in view at far left, UNB building, now Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection, site of the famous 1958 Dockum sit-in. Cool off in the Museum! Four air-conditioned floors with dozens of exhibits, open today 11-4.
Wichita businessman and confirmed bachelor Owen B. Stocker (far right) plays cards and enjoys a few Budweiser beers with friends at Waldock Lake, Pratt County, KS in the summer of 1903. Photo from our archives. Happy Summer!
If you missed our May Senior Wednesday program, "Pride: From Stonewall to Small Town Kansas" a Humanities Kansas program presented by Brandon West, it is now available on our YouTube channel! The social revolution commonly known as has deep connections to Kansas, and today more Kansans and their communities are welcoming their LGBTQ neighbors and friends. The events at Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in 1969 galvanized a generation to stand up for their civil rights. Kansans contributed to this early history, including the design of the iconic rainbow flag. This talk will trace early struggles to gain equality in rights for LGBTQ individuals and today’s broad acceptance of Pride in rural Kansas.
The social revolution commonly known as Pride has deep connections to Kansas, and today more Kansans and their communities are welcoming their LGBTQ neighbor...
It's nearly Wichita Riverfest time! Back in the day, "Lunette the Flying Lady" promised "strictly moral and refined" entertainment at the 1900 Wichita Street Fair and Carnival. The Carnival's entrance was at Main & William, just outside the Wichita City Building - now the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. The event included a carousel, Ferris wheel, & an "electrical pageant" made up of 12 breathtaking illuminated floats moving on the streetcar tracks through downtown. Photograph from our collection. More illuminating history on exhibit at YOUR local history HQ! Open today 11am-4pm.
Bird-watching? Tennis? Golf? Bicycling? Whatever the outdoor activity, Innes has women covered with fashions from 1957! Photo from our archives in the original City of Wichita- City Hall! If you are not spending the day outdoors, we are open Tuesday - Friday from 11am-4pm, Saturday - Sunday 1-5! Bike Share ICT Get Outdoors Kansas Bike Walk Wichita
When kayaking (rentals now available Wichita Park & Recreation!) correct attire is a must. We recommend* white dresses, white shirts, and straw hats, as seen in this 1915 photograph of Wichitans enjoying canoes at the Riverside Boat House. Photo from our archives in the original City of Wichita- City Hall in Downtown Wichita, just steps from the Arkansas River! Open today 11am-4pm. Come see us! *we really recommend life vests and sunscreen.
Be fashionable as a mermaid! Innes (now Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine) windows with Henry's (now NICHE) reflection from 1952, photographed by Hal Pottorf, from our archives in the original City of Wichita- City Hall in Downtown Wichita. Open today 11-4 - come see us!
I am signing books until 4 pm at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. The table is a converted old-time sewing machine. How fun!
Roxie on the Road will sign copies of her new book, "Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure" in the Museum Shop on Saturday, April 29th from 2-4pm!
In the numerous wheat fields of Kansas are secrets and untold tales of heroes and villains that no fiction writer could have imagined. Author, Roxie Yonkey, reveals all the secrets to Kansas in her…
Innes celebrated "Wichita Days" in 1957 with outdoor sports, including bicycling, tennis, birdwatching, and golf in this photo from our collection. Celebrating the history of our community every day from the original City of Wichita- City Hall in Downtown Wichita, the Museum is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 4pm, Saturday - Sunday 1-5pm. Come see us!
Friends, we will be closed Sunday, April 9 for the Easter holiday. Easter finery for the well-dressed man at Woolf Brothers, a century ago. Window illustration by Cecil McAlister's Modern Studio, designer of the Wichita Flag! Photograph by Homer Harden from our archives in the original City of Wichita- City Hall!
Celebrating the history of our community! This photo of a Coleman Lamp Company picnic in Linwood Park dates to 1916 - before pickleball was a thing. We are FREE today and every Sunday in 2023, thanks to the Ruth Spooner Stone Trust, INTRUST Bank, Trustee. Photo from our archive in the original City of Wichita- City Hall - we are open today 1-5pm. Come see us!
The Victorian bustle and bustle of Downtown Wichita. Brothers Alfred & Charles Bitting constructed the Bitting Block on Market & Douglas in 1887. After the structure burned to the ground in 1911 a new Bitting Block was erected at the same location. "Modernized" in 1959, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places - NPS in 2012. Stereograph view by Edwin Enos of the Wichita Art Gallery from our archives in the original City of Wichita- City Hall. Open Tues - Fri 11am-4pm, Sat - Sun 1-5pm. Come see us!
Are you ready for Spring? Innes Department Store (now Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine) trimmer Tony Figgemeier designed this "Stunningly Styled Spring" window and Wichita Flag designer Cecil McAlister created the painted backdrop, photo from our archives by Art Spalton, circa 1920. Housed in the original City of Wichita- City Hall in Downtown Wichita, the Museum is open Tuesday - Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday - Sunday 1-5pm.
Spring forward! Driving in Downtown Wichita, 1959. View of Douglas & Market. The Museum is FREE today and every Sunday in 2023, thanks to the Ruth Spooner Stone Trust, INTRUST Bank, Trustee. Open 1-5 pm today with four floors of amazing exhibits and fascinating objects, all in Wichita's original City of Wichita- City Hall. Come see us!
80+ years and 70,000 artifacts later - the Museum has collecting down! Come see "Why We Collect, What We Collect" this special exhibit explains it! Open through October. Free on Sundays (closed on Mondays).
204 S Main Street
Wichita, KS
67202
Tuesday | 11am - 4pm |
Wednesday | 11am - 4pm |
Thursday | 11am - 4pm |
Friday | 11am - 4pm |
Saturday | 1pm - 5pm |
Sunday | 1pm - 5pm |
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While the North End has long been the beginning of the American dream for many peoples including African Americans, Southeast Asians, and Anglo Americans, it is perhaps the Mexican American community that most visibly embodies the hopes and struggles in this part of the city. The first wave worked in the packinghouses, and communities with names such as El Huarache, La Topeka, and El Rock Island emerged nearby. As the 20th century unfolded, their children and grandchildren established a vibrant neighborhood along Twenty-First Street and Broadway. In recent years, the old industries of the area have faded, while a new wave of immigrants from Latin America has been able to redefine an area. Today, the Mexican American heritage in the North End has become one of its most defining features, an example of a broader diversity that has always made this part of the city special. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS
Dickerson, known as a historian and writer, is more widely appreciated as a guitarist and performer presenting American Roots Music to an international audience. More information at dekedickerson.com
Authenti-city, our built environment documented artistically in the paintings of Bill Goffrier. A native mid-westerner, Bill was raised in Wichita. In 1980 he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wichita State University, later a Masters degree from Boston University. Today, Goffrier resides again in Wichita where for the past several years he has been at work as one of the area’s finest artists. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS. Doors open at 9:45 a.m., program screens at 10 a.m. Tours follow at 11 a.m.
Architecture of the People’s Houses with Murl Reidel. Kansas has 105 county courthouses and hundreds of city halls, plus a few more state capitols than you might expect. The manifestation of the greatest ideals occurs in these buildings, where the work of the people’s democracy is in action. The designs of these buildings tell us about the evolution of local government in the state. Larger societal issues, such as the Free State and the Civil Rights movements, can also be examined through the architecture of place. Some resemble Greek and Roman temples of democratic ideals while others convey the Victorian notions of civility. Still others are nondescript storefronts. Regardless of scale and beauty, these buildings represent symbols of our shared values and convey much about our communities. Presented by Murl Riedel. Murl is a fiscal analyst and retired major from the Kansas Army National Guard. “Architecture of the People’s Houses” is part of Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS.
Iconic Eats of Wichita: Surprising History, People and Recipes with Joe Stumpe Located a long way from any ports of call, Wichita is perhaps the last place where you’d expect to find a diverse culinary scene. From its early days as a rough-and-tumble cow town on the Chisholm Trail, the city first achieved dining sophistication through the efforts of the Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club, now the oldest such club in the United States. Steakhouses in the north end invented and popularized what some consider the city’s signature dish: garlic salad. Waves of immigrants from three parts of the world—Mexico, Lebanon and Vietnam—stamped the dining habits of residents with dishes such as piratas, shawarma and Saigon Oriental Restaurant’s famous No. 49. Author Joe Stumpe tells these stories and more while providing nearly two hundred prize recipes from restaurants and home cooks. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS.
See how Wichita led the world to loud music in 1932. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS.
Discover local history of the 1920s & 30s through the design and style known today as Art Deco. To be shown on the screen in the Museum Auditorium, followed by a related tour of the special exhibition Art Deco on the Plains. Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS.
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum's Senior Wednesday
Celebrating Kansas in Song A Live Virtual Event Celebrate your history and heritage through song! Master of Ceremonies Orin Friesen of the Diamond W Wranglers. Cowboy poets Scott Wiswell and Ron Wilson. Music by Stu Stuart & Orin Friesen of the Diamond W Wranglers, Jesse Friesen of the Flying W Wranglers, Karen & Richard Crowson, Ranger Stan Greer of the Home Rangers, 3 Trails West, Annie Wilson, Jeff Davidson, and Scott Tonelson.
"Gone But Not Forgotten: Restaurants of Wichita’s Past," presented by Denise Neil. A historic look at much loved and missed Wichita restaurants; based on her book published by Arcadia Press. Presented by: WHiMS Sponsored by: The Trust Company of Kansas and a generous grant by Mickey Armstrong Presented by: WHiMS Sponsored by: The Trust Company of Kansas and a generous grant by Mickey Armstrong
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Director Eric Cale will join us via Zoom for "Turn it up to 90 – the Electric Guitar and the 90th Anniversary of it Wichita World Debut." Cale will present the history behind the instrument’s genesis and will explore its ascent to become the world’s most popular instrument. This presentation is in conjunction with the museum exhibition of the same name which runs through 2022. Cale will give a tour of the exhibition following the program. Learn more about the history of the electric guitar here: https://archive.org/details/electricguitarfinalNov2019 Hear about the history of the electric guitar here: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/.../hotline-the-history... Tune in to PBS Kansas on Friday, September 24h at 8pm to watch a segment on the "Turn it up to 90- The Electric Guitar and the 90th Anniversary of it Wichita World Debut" exhibit! Presented by: WHiMS Sponsored by: The Trust Company of Kansas and a generous grant by Mickey Armstrong
Part of an Electric Guitar Weekend! Sunday, July 18th 1:00-4:00 p.m. An afternoon with Deke Dickerson, noted performer, author and music historian. Presentation - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. "Amazing Stories of the Electric Guitar." Live Performance - 3:00- 4:00 p.m. in the Museum's Heritage Square.
Join us live!
Jay Price & Enrique Navarro tell the story of the Somos de Wichita/We are Wichita project, a bilingual exhibit that tells the story of Latino families in Wichita in the 20th century. This project is a virtual exhibit with the cornerstone being the https://somos.wichita.edu/en/ site and continues in 2021 with a photo history on the North End’s Latino story. Senior Wednesdays are sponsored by the Trust Company of Kansas and a generous grant by Mickey Armstrong
Join archivist Gary Huffman in an in-depth look into the life of one of Wichita’s earliest settlers: Robert E. Lawrence. Huffman continues to transcribe and archive the diaries of Lawrence, watching as Lawrence lives day to day in the blossoming city of Wichita, working as a banker, real estate operator, commercial builder; serving on the Wichita Board of Education, the Kansas State Legislature, as a devout member of the First Presbyterian Church. Senior Wednesdays are sponsored by The Trust Company of Kansas and a generous grant from Mickey Armstrong.
Enjoy the beautiful outdoors over the lunch hour! The Museum offers free lunchtime admission April 15 through May 30. The public is invited to bring lunch and enjoy it outdoors in Heritage Square. After eating, visitors may tour through the Museum (no food or drink inside please). #snowday #wisteria Visit Wichita
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