Wichita, Kansas

[Laramie]

Like the latest promotional video on Wichita

Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center


Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita - rival ECHL, Tulsa Oilers.


Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot-tall sculpture has become one of the most photographed sites in the state.


Sedgwick County Zoo


Wichita River Fest on Lawrence River


AA Ballpark in Texas League. rival, Tulsa Drillers.

[Urbanized]

I’m a sixth generation Oklahoman but my mom got her teaching degree at what is now UCO in the early sixties, so my Edmond mom and Luther dad moved to Wichita for her first teaching job, while my dad was still in the Air Force Reserve and transferred to the Kansas Air Guard (or maybe that was the other way around; now I need to check my notes to refresh my memory.

My dad moved back here in ‘79-‘80 and I followed in ‘86, but Mom stayed there until I helped her move back down here about 4 years ago. I’ve spent much time there, even after moving here. Much of my family still lived in Oklahoma, and I always identified more as an Okie than a Kansan, but still manage to feel native Wichitan.

I say all of that to illustrate that - while now I’ve lived in the OKC metro for 35 years - Wichita was a huge part of my formative years, all the way through high school. It really is a wonderful town in many ways, not too much smaller than Tulsa in scale and amenities, but you can still drive from end to end in about 15 minutes.

Pretty much every single photo you posted has buildings vivid in my memories.

1. Century II Convention Center, the blue saucer shaped building, is maybe the most iconic building on their skyline. It’s where my high school graduation was held. That’s where we went to things like Sport Boat and Travel shows, Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom shows, Peter and the Wolf. Somehow it was a combo of a nice civic center and an exhibition hall, all pie shaped. They have an updated convention center now (including what’s in foreground) and I read a while back that Century II may be torn down. Once at a car show there I saw Little Anthony play, and now when I think about Wichita with no Century II it makes me leave Tears on my Pillow and causes pain in my heart.

Behind Century II (but still in the same pic] the tower with the white and turquoise coloring was a Holiday Inn when I was a kid (back when Holiday Inn was actually a bit of an upscale flag). Once when I was a kid of about 10 we were at one of the wonderful old parks that lines the river downtown when Wichita police came and shooed us along, telling us to leave the park. The reason was because a sniper had perched in that building and was picking random people off with a rifle. He killed several people, including a reporter my dad knew.

2. Intrust Arena (nice place, built probably 10-15 years ago, but after Chesapeake was built here. Similar proximity to their Old Town district as CHK is to the analogous Bricktown. Pretty sure that was no accident, as Wichita was studying OKC and MAPS hard.

In the background of that pic is an Ambassador Hotel, owned by the same Coury Grouo as our Ambassador and other properties. It’s even nicer than ours, I think, and has a pretty cool speakeasy in the basement.

3. Keeper of the Plains - the other iconic skyline piece, at the confluence of the Arkansas and little Arkansas rivers. Parks all around. The sculpture was there when I was a kid, but has been elevated with lots of other building up of the point it sits on. My senior prom was held at the Indian cultural center and museum at its feet.

The artist, Black Bear Bosin, was originally born in Oklahoma and was a pretty prominent Native American artist. I remember a school book I had featured an illustration by him, and I was SOOO impressed because it wasn’t a Kansas publication. It seemed especially cool to me because my dad was apparently friendly with Bosin, who Dad told me regularly viaited the lumberyard where Dad worked.

4. Sedgwick County zoo - opened when I was a kid, which was cool. When I was very young the only zoo was twenties-era cages in the middle of Riverside Park.

5. Wichita River Festival. A mister of an event, even when I was a kid. Grew out of what was called the Wichitennial, a celebration of Wichita’s 100 year anniversary in the seventies. Yeah, Wichita was much older than OKC.

6. Stadium (formerly called Lawrence Dumont). Much in the way of renovation there in past few years, but I have MANY warm Childhood baseball memories.

[MikeLucky]

I’m a sixth generation Oklahoman but my mom got her teaching degree at what is now UCO in the early sixties, so my Edmond mom and Luther dad moved to Wichita for her first teaching job, while my dad was still in the Air Force Reserve and transferred to the Kansas Air Guard (or maybe that was the other way around; now I need to check my notes to refresh my memory.

My dad moved back here in ‘79-‘80 and I followed in ‘86, but Mom stayed there until I helped her move back down here about 4 years ago. I’ve spent much time there, even after moving here. Much of my family still lived in Oklahoma, and I always identified more as an Okie than a Kansan, but still manage to feel native Wichitan.

I say all of that to illustrate that - while now I’ve lived in the OKC metro for 35 years - Wichita was a huge part of my formative years, all the way through high school. It really is a wonderful town in many ways, not too much smaller than Tulsa in scale and amenities, but you can still drive from end to end in about 15 minutes.

Pretty much every single photo you posted has buildings vivid in my memories.

1. Century II Convention Center, the blue saucer shaped building, is maybe the most iconic building on their skyline. It’s where my high school graduation was held. That’s where we went to things like Sport Boat and Travel shows, Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom shows, Peter and the Wolf. Somehow it was a combo of a nice civic center and an exhibition hall, all pie shaped. They have an updated convention center now (including what’s in foreground) and I read a while back that Century II may be torn down. Once at a car show there I saw Little Anthony play, and now when I think about Wichita with no Century II it makes me leave Tears on my Pillow and causes pain in my heart.

Behind Century II (but still in the same pic] the tower with the white and turquoise coloring was a Holiday Inn when I was a kid (back when Holiday Inn was actually a bit of an upscale flag). Once when I was a kid of about 10 we were at one of the wonderful old parks that lines the river downtown when Wichita police came and shooed us along, telling us to leave the park. The reason was because a sniper had perched in that building and was picking random people off with a rifle. He killed several people, including a reporter my dad knew.

2. Intrust Arena (nice place, built probably 10-15 years ago, but after Chesapeake was built here. Similar proximity to their Old Town district as CHK is to the analogous Bricktown. Pretty sure that was no accident, as Wichita was studying OKC and MAPS hard.

In the background of that pic is an Ambassador Hotel, owned by the same Coury Grouo as our Ambassador and other properties. It’s even nicer than ours, I think, and has a pretty cool speakeasy in the basement.

3. Keeper of the Plains - the other iconic skyline piece, at the confluence of the Arkansas and little Arkansas rivers. Parks all around. The sculpture was there when I was a kid, but has been elevated with lots of other building up of the point it sits on. My senior prom was held at the Indian cultural center and museum at its feet.

The artist, Black Bear Bosin, was originally born in Oklahoma and was a pretty prominent Native American artist. I remember a school book I had featured an illustration by him, and I was SOOO impressed because it wasn’t a Kansas publication. It seemed especially cool to me because my dad was apparently friendly with Bosin, who Dad told me regularly viaited the lumberyard where Dad worked.

4. Sedgwick County zoo - opened when I was a kid, which was cool. When I was very young the only zoo was twenties-era cages in the middle of Riverside Park.

5. Wichita River Festival. A mister of an event, even when I was a kid. Grew out of what was called the Wichitennial, a celebration of Wichita’s 100 year anniversary in the seventies. Yeah, Wichita was much older than OKC.

6. Stadium (formerly called Lawrence Dumont). Much in the way of renovation there in past few years, but I have MANY warm Childhood baseball memories.

I grew up in a very small town outside of Wichita. Very small. But, I spent a lot of time in Wichita.

I actually saw Color Me Badd live in concert at Century II, around 92ish, I think. Don't judge me...

The old Holiday Inn... we had our prom in the top floor ballroom the night of the Riverfest fireworks. That was pretty cool.

I believe the baseball stadium is brand new, ground up. I think they completely tore down Lawrence Dumont.

[dankrutka]

Lived in downtown Wichita when I taught at Wichita State for two years. I miss Wichita!

[SEMIweather]

Would like to see a show at Barleycorn’s sometime

[Jersey Boss]

Urbanized, do you know Jack Straw from Wichita?

[Urbanized]

Haha not personally...but I have known a few Deadheads

[Urbanized]

I believe the baseball stadium is brand new, ground up. I think they completely tore down Lawrence Dumont.

Ah, that makes sense...does look totally new. But it’s in the same riverfront location, right? Or across McLean (or whatever the street is at that point).

What small town were you from?

[MikeLucky]

Ah, that makes sense...does look totally new. But it’s in the same riverfront location, right? Or across McLean (or whatever the street is at that point).

What small town were you from?

It's called Riverfront Stadium so I assume.

The bustling metropolis of Udall. About 25 miles SE of Wichita.