Discover Hutchinson through a wide range of experiences: a large urban natural area with two differently designed trails, museums featuring historical exhibits, and attractions centered on space, animals and art. You can choose the focus of your stay—landscape, history or an itinerary that brings several themes together.
Nature trails with different features
The Dillon Nature Center, a 100-acre urban natural area, is located in northeast Hutchinson. The 0.75-mile Woodard Interpretive Trail Loop passes ponds, a wetland, a small stream, a small prairie, thickets, woods and gardens. If you’d like to experience a variety of landscape features on one loop, you’ll find a changing sequence of stops here.
The Upper Pond Hard-surface Trail offers a different experience: At 0.29 miles, it is shorter, fully paved with concrete and loops around a pond. Along the way, it passes through garden areas and connects them with the visitor center. The trails’ lengths and features offer a concrete basis for comparison when planning; however, these descriptions refer to different routes, not one continuous trail. The scenic Jim P. Martinez Sunflower Trail also connects two parts of the city: Rice Park in northwest Hutchinson and Carey Park in the south.
Museums and the city’s history
The Reno County Museum is housed in two historic buildings at the corner of Avenue A and Walnut. Its children’s area is an interactive historical exhibit featuring a BNSF locomotive, a Carey Salt Co. wagon and the cab of a Gleaner combine. A gallery displays models of various types of transportation; exhibits include a classic Shaker wagon and a rare 1903 Ford Model A. The museum thus offers different ways to engage with history side by side: an interactive exhibit and a collection focused on transportation.
The Historic Fox Theatre opened on June 8, 1931, and is considered one of the outstanding examples of Art Deco theater architecture in the central United States. It is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register. Alongside its architecture, the theater’s program includes the Classic Film Movie Series. Third Thursday offers another cultural connection in downtown Hutchinson: This monthly celebration focuses on local art, music and community.
Space, animals and special events
Public areas at the Cosmosphere comply with ADA requirements. The Hall of Space Museum offers interactive, hands-on exhibits. At the Justice Planetarium, visitors can learn to identify and locate the planets and stars visible over Kansas on a particular evening. The three attractions offer different experiences, from hands-on exhibits to observing the night sky.
The Hutchinson Zoo also offers opportunities to learn: Visitor experiences include informational signs, Touch-and-Talk encounters and hands-on learning. If you’d like to plan your trip around an event, consider the annual Kansas State Fair. It begins on the Friday after Labor Day, lasts ten days and takes place at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. Check the specific event dates before planning your trip.
The options range from trails through ponds, gardens and wooded areas to historical collections, a planetarium and a zoo. Specific trail lengths, types of exhibits and the recurring date of the State Fair can help you choose the right focus for your stay without having to fit every stop into a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Nickerson, South Hutchinson.
View the regional travel overview: Reno County.
