Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center Kansas Underground Salt Museum Reno County Museum	Dillon Nature Center Yoder Amish Community Hedricks Exotic Animal Farm Hutchinson Zoo Kansas Kids Museum

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a world-renowned museum
affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution is one of the 8 Wonders of Reno County.

FROM THE MOMENT visitors enter the Cosmosphere, they are utterly
astounded. The lobby explodes with jaw-dropping air and space vehicles, like an SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and a full-scale space shuttle replica. But that’s just the start. As they journey on, there’s a universe full of family fun and education to discover.

Hall of Space Museum. One of the most significant collections of space artifacts in the world, and the largest collection of Russian artifacts outside of Moscow, are right here in this Smithsonian-affiliated Museum. The story of the rocket, from its beginnings as a German war weapon to the climactic Apollo moon missions is unfolded, including how the rocket shaped the post World War II era, became a symbol of the Cold War, and set the stage for one of the most dramatic showdowns in human history – the space race.

Artifacts include a rare German V-2 rocket, Russian Vostok spacecraft, the Liberty Bell 7, Gemini X, the Apollo XIII command module Odyssey, and much more. The Museum is an inspiring testament to the power of human ingenuity visitors greatly appreciate.
   

Carey IMAX® Dome Theater. A film experience so real viewers feel like they are part of the action.

Justice Planetarium. A multimedia theater with shows that explore the wonders of the universe.

Dr. Goddard’s Lab. A wildly entertaining and educational live rocket science demonstration.

Astronaut Experience. Interactive displays where visitors can get in on the action by riding a centrifuge, recovering the Liberty Bell 7 from the ocean floor, or planning a mission to Mars, and more.

Cargo Bay Gift Store. A large variety of space toys, clothes, collectables,
and dozens of other unique items can be found in the gift store.

The Lunar Outpost. After working up an appetite exploring space, this is the place to refuel with lunch or a yummy snack.

Cosmosphere Educational Programs.
Cosmosphere’s award-winning camps attract participants from all over the nation with educational programs for those from 8 to 80 to learn about the solar system, power up a moon base, or plan a mission to Mars.

The Cosmosphere’s Investigate Space program offers four camps for children in grades 2 - 6.

The Future Astronaut Training Program, Cosmosphere’s flagship camp, is for middle and high school students. These five-level residential camps feature training like real astronauts -- riding a centrifuge, working in mission control, flying a simulated shuttle mission. Upper level camps even visit space centers in Houston and Florida.

But it doesn’t end with the kids. There are astronaut training camps for adults, too: Adult Astronaut Adventure for adults 18 and over, and Elderhostel for astronaut trainees over 55.

KANSAS COSMOSPHERE AND SPACE CENTER
1100 North Plum | 620 662-2305 | 800 397-0330
Open daily except Christmas
Disabled accessible www.cosmo.org

Kansas Underground Salt Museum

IT’S A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE -- truly unlike any other. A project of the Reno County Historical Society, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum provides the only opportunity of this kind in the Western Hemisphere. After a 70-second descent straight down on a double-decked elevator, the doors open and you’re 650 feet under the Kansas prairie surrounded by salt deposits formed 275 million years ago. This exotic subterranean world is as comfortable as it is fascinating -- always 68 degrees with 45% relative humidity.

The historical, geological, and cultural story of salt comes to life with dramatic displays and a tram ride through the maze of chambers created by years of mining. This is still a working salt mine, although the Museum area is far from the active mining activity.

The mine is also the home of Underground Vaults and Storage (UVS), a secured site entrusted to protect all kinds of valuable materials including the original film of many of the greatest movies. A special Salt Museum gallery depicts the UVS facility. It includes a temporary exhibit of actual costumes worn in movies such as Batman and Mr. Freeze, James Dean’s shirt from Giant, Agent Smith from Matrix, and the Snowman from Jack Frost.

Tours depart on a regular basis every day except Monday, when the Museum is closed. Because access is limited by elevator capacity, advanced reservations are recommended to ensure a timely visit.
Before or after your underground adventure, take time to admire Engine #2 outside the Visitors Center. This vintage workhorse served Carey Salt Company on its 5 1⁄2-mile-long Hutchinson & Northern Railway from 1928 until 1963. The engine is now part of the Reno County Historical Society
collection.

Reno County Museum

THE RICH HISTORY and heritage of the county from the early pioneers to present day come alive in four rotating exhibit galleries in the Museum, located just a block from Hutchinson’s Main Street.

The free Museum also features a children’s area known as the Oodleplex. This interactive display educates as well as entertains with themes such as Native America, pioneering, transportation, communication, and entertainment. While the Oodleplex is designed for children, “kids” of all ages appreciate this unique attraction.

Be sure to enjoy the Museum’s grounds, which feature a claim house, outhouse, and windmill to offer further
glimpses into the past.

The Museum staff can develop special programs and guided tours for school groups, adult groups, and bus tours when scheduled in advance.

Dillon Nature Center

A NATIONAL URBAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, located on 100 acres in northeast Hutchinson, showcases both plant and wildlife. In 2008, residents voted the center one of the “8 Wonders of Reno County”.

As visitors stroll along the National Recreation Trail system they will find hundreds of species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, that create a wild arboretum. Over 200 species of wild birds and a diverse variety of other wildlife have been recorded on the site. The spring-fed upper pond is stocked as part of the Urban Fisheries Program.

The “Closer Look at Nature” gallery is filled with interactive exhibits about Kansas ecology that are educational and fun for the whole family. This building also offers a meeting room, natural science classroom, wildlife observation deck, natural library, and wonderful gift shop. Guided tours are available to groups throughout the year.

Yoder Amish Community

SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY the simpler things in life. It’s as easy as a trip to Yoder. Voted one of the “8 Wonders of Reno County”, this authentic Amish community transports visitors into a different way of life for a fascinating experience.

Stroll down the streets in the quiet, quaint community with several unique and timeless treasures in its welcoming stores. Enjoy the intricate beauty of handstitched quilts, stores filled with antiques, handcrafted furniture, as well as the oldstyle hardware store. Don’t forget to treat yourself to a fresh cinnamon roll at the bakery. Top off your visit with a family-style dinner at the local restaurant.

Experience all of the great shopping and sights of Yoder with a simple walk, or take a relaxing ride aboard a quaint surrey that departs from the local meat and specialty store.

Hedricks Exotic Animal Farm

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE and have a fascinating experience at Hedrick’s Exotic Animal Farm.

Whether it’s petting a zebra, admiring a kangaroo, riding a camel or feeding a giraffe, this one-of-a-kind attraction is an opportunity to come face-to-face with several unusual animals. It’s an animal adventure not to be forgotten and one that is truly unlike any other in the Midwest.

The exotic animal farm also features a tamer side -- a bed and breakfast with all the creature comforts one could want. Tours are available year-round by reservation only.

Hutchinson Zoo

MEET THE NATIVE ANIMALS of Kansas at the Hutchinson Zoo. Discover animals with special defenses, great hunting skills, or the ability to live alongside man.

The zoo features the Kansas Wildlife Aviary with non-predatory birds and river otters and the Lagoon Overlook offering the chance to look through the telescope for a close-up view of the wild waterfowl. Across the lagoon, visitors can observe majestic bison on their prairie home.

The attractive zoo also includes pronghorn, coyote, ringtail, bobcat, reptiles, porcupine, and native birds in free flight.

Another popular feature is the Prairie Dog Complex, where children can safely view these timid creatures in their natural environment
through a specially designed tunnel.

Prairie Thunder Railroad takes passengers on an enjoyable eight-minute excursion through Carey Park. Tickets for the train ride are available at the Visitors’ Center. The Friends of the Zoo Gift Shop, which has nature-inspired toys for all ages, is also located in the Visitors’ Center.

The zoo now has an electronic tour guide available for your PDA! If you would like to go through the zoo in a new and unique way, PDA’s can be checked out in the Zoo’s Gift Shop.

Kansas Kids Museum

VISIT PEBBLEVILLE -- a very popular area of the Museum -- a child-size community highlighted by an old-fashioned main street and exhibit areas representing a lumber yard, a general store, fire and police stations, a home, and a health center.

Kansas Kids Museum also features the extensive Henry Westfahl rock collection. The spectacular array of specimens provides an opportunity to see a wide array of crystals, gems, and ores, as well as fossils and petrified wood.

A fun and educational activities area includes a handson curiosity table, phosphorescence dark box, games, puzzles, and a “gold dig”. There is a primary rock-climbing wall. Creative dramatics, crafts, science, and music are
also offered at the Museum. Kansas Kids Museum is available for field trips and special events such as birthday parties.