Want a quick weekend getaway? Think Hutchinson, Kan.! It’s a cute town of 40,000 people about 50 minutes northwest of Wichita. It’s called “Salt City” because of its big salt mining industry, but the locals simply call it “Hutch.” The city is located on the Arkansas River and hosts the annual Kansas State Fair, which draws approximately 350,000 people! Our family thoroughly enjoyed checking out some of Hutchinson’s best attractions on a recent weekend trip.
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Saturday
We left for Hutchinson after breakfast, and the drive with our energetic 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old was surprisingly easy. We stopped for a break to stretch our legs, burn off some energy and grab some car snacks. Overall, the drive took us about 3.5 hours.
When we pulled into town, we went straight to the Cosmosphere, Hutchinson’s amazing space museum. After checking in, we grabbed a quick lunch at the cafe in the main lobby. They had burgers and fries, along with other traditional American fare, which was just what we needed before we started exploring.
The Cosmosphere has lots of engaging exhibits, like the Dome Theater, Planetarium, Dr. Goddard's Rocket Lab Experience and CosmoKids STEAM area, in addition to the Hall of Space Museum. We had a blast exploring all of the exhibits, but the Planetarium and CosmoKids zone were our children’s favorites.
In the Planetarium, we watched a 45-minute show that explained why seasons happen and how this changes the night sky throughout the year. The experience was even more special because we could see the real-time projection of the sky for that night.
Then, in the CosmoKids area, we made our own rockets, tested them and even had a contest to see which one went the farthest. We were amazed by all the other STEAM-based activities, which kept us busy for a while.
But the real magic happened when we stepped into the main Hall of Space Museum, which combines history and science to make learning about space super engaging. Our family already loves space, so it was a blast to share this experience together.
After our epic visit to the Cosmosphere, we headed straight to dinner at RibCrib BBQ, a local favorite, and had a delicious barbecue feast. With the family dinner option, we got to try the yummy brisket, pulled pork and turkey accompanied by a variety of tasty sides. To end our meal, we couldn’t resist trying their famous brookie ice cream sandwich—it was heavenly, and we could have easily eaten another one!
After dinner, we checked into our hotel, the Comfort Inn & Suites. We took a refreshing dip in the hotel pool before hitting the hay, which was the perfect way to end a long day. We all slept great after a long day of traveling and exploring.
Sunday
We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading to Carey Park. It was a beautiful morning with a cool breeze, and kids loved the playground and all its fun equipment. If you’re up for a stroll, you can even walk from the park along the Arkansas River and dip your feet in the water. There’s also an aquatic center in the park, but unfortunately, it was closed during our visit.
On the other side of the park, we checked out the Hutchinson Zoo, where admission is only a suggested donation of $5 per family. We also decided to take the train ride, which was run by a group of volunteers! The zoo had a super cool dinosaur play area where kids can dig for dinosaur bones and even slide down a dinosaur skull. There was also a naturalistic creek bed feature where we could walk and cool off. Some parts of the creek bed looked like a splash park to my kids with areas where they could get soaked, so be sure to toss a towel in your wagon or stroller!
After leaving the zoo, it was time for our fun but short weekend to come to an end. There were a bunch of quick lunch spots around town, and we chose Freddy’s, a popular pick that started in Wichita. We all loved the custard and shoestring fries there.
Over lunch, before hitting the road, we had the chance to talk about a few of the places we didn’t get the chance to visit this trip but would like to check out next time. The first place was Strataca, an underground salt mine that hosts two-hour tours. Children must be at least 4 years old, so we’re keeping this one in mind for when our kids are a bit older. Another place we would have loved to visit is Dillon Nature Center, a 100-acre urban sanctuary with both indoor and outdoor spaces to explore! In addition, there are several family-friendly restaurants we didn’t make it to. We would have loved to eat breakfast or lunch at Firehouse Cafe, a converted firehouse which features a real fireman’s pole inside — it sounds like such a fun atmosphere for kids!
Hutchinson turned out to be a great weekend getaway from the big-city crowds. We had a great trip and will return to explore more of Salt City. Thanks, Hutchinson, for making our weekend so memorable!