Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita

I took my grandson here for a home school field trip. I was pleasantly surprised at how good a nature center surrounded by an urban environment could be. The nature center has a small but comprehensive natural history museum with displays of most of the major fauna in Kansas. There were even a few live exhibits of snakes and reptiles. The nature trails through the attached Chisholm Creek Park were paved and well maintained ranging in length from 1/2 mile to almost 2 miles. A large variety of habitats from wetlands to prairies are contained within this small area. It was very interesting and a well spent hour and half for myself and my 6 year old.

What a wonderful experience. The trails are clearly marked and there is a map to determine which trail to choose. We went on the Quail Trail (red). It's only .5 miles but this was a test walk. We are moving to Wichita at the end of May and wanted to a comfortable place to walk as well as look at birds. Both my wife and I were pleased with this discovery. I am 70 and not so sure on my feet at times. The paths are paved, free of cracking. The bridges are wood and well maintained. One minute into our walk my wife saw her first Cardinal in Kansas. She was sold immediately.