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.

Exhibits & Photographs



Click for here for upcoming Special Events at the Museum. Wichita: The Magic City Meet the early inhabitants…the Wichita Indian tribe whose name the town adopted…the hunters and traders who settled along the banks of the river…the cowboys who drove their cattle through town. Trace Wichita's early years as it transforms from the Buffalo-Hunting days of the 1860's to the dawn of flight in 1911 on its way to becoming the Air Capital of the World..

Spirit of Wichita: Capture the spirit of Wichita through entrepreneurs…the oil barons, the merchants, and a group of courageous and creative aviation pioneers, like Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech & Lloyd Stearman who charted a new course for Wichita's future. You'll hear stories of the 1930s dust storms…Share in the city's pride at the launch of the USS Wichita…and relive the nightlife at Gage Brewer's Shadowland Dance Club.

Jones Six: Catch a glimpse of Wichita's early manufacturing industry and entrepreneurial spirit. This recreated garage setting features a 1916 Jones Six automobile that was built by Wichitian John Jones. Jones was a Ford dealer who thought he could build a better car than Henry Ford. He had a pretty good run producing an estimated 3000 cars and trucks right here in Wichita. Check out one of only six remaining Jones Aoutomobiles.

A Wichita Cottage: Pay a social call on the residents of a Wichita cottage. The home of a typical middle class family, this 1890 Victorian house is authentically decorated throughout, from the wooden icebox on the back porch to the combination gas-and –electric ceiling light fixture hanging in the parlor.

And So Much More: Spend time in the 1910 Drug Store…or A Child's World exhibit…and enjoy decorative arts in every corner. There are four floors full of exhibits to see in the beautifully restored 1892 City Hall which now houses the Historical Museum. Photo Archives: The Historical Museum has collaborated with the Local History Section of the Wichita Public Library and the Special Collections Department of Ablah Library at Wichita State University to create this wonderful research tool. The three partners contributed photographs from their respective collections in a sample that spans fifteen decades. These images are unique to this area and document times gone by in Wichita.