The Wichita Botanica Gardens
The Wichita Botanica Gardens is an attraction in Kansas, at a modelled elevation of 396 m. The nearest named place is Old Cowtown Museum, a museum 0.1 miles away. Historic Route 66 passes 130 miles off.
The story
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens was opened in 1987 as a collaboration between the Wichita Area Garden Council and the City of Wichita. Originally it had four gardens and now encompasses 17.6 acres (7.12 hectares) of botanical gardens located at 701 North Amidon, Wichita, Kansas, USA. They are city-owned as part of the Wichita Park System and are operated by Botanica, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)3. The gardens include: an aquatic collection; butterfly garden and 2,880 square foot (270 m2) butterfly house featuring pansy exhibits during the winter; greenhouse for tropical plants; juniper collection with more than 30 types of junipers; peony collection of 104 cultivars; pinetum; rock garden with sedum and sempervivum; rose garden with more than 350 rose plants; sensory garden; Shakespearean garden; woodlands with azaleas, dogwoods, elm, hackberry, honey locust, mulberry, osage orange, and redbuds; and Xeriscape demonstration garden. Botanica opened the Downing Children's Garden in July 2011 and features several themed areas including the monster woods, salamander stream, granddaddy's musical maze, a rainbow and sunflower fountain and plaza. A new events center opened in 2014 which will hold 299 people in chairs or 240 at tables. The inspiration for it came from the wood-and-glass Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. “It’s not a church but it can give that feeling, particularly when you have something spiritual like a wedding. It has that ambience.” Botanica hosts more than 200 weddings a year, bringing in about 27 percent of its revenue, but it wasn't built with such rentals in mind. In May 2014, it was announced the 1949 Allan Herschell Company carousel from the former Joyland Amusement Park was donated to the Botanica and would be placed in the Downing Children's Garden.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1987.
Wikidata Q8251228, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What to expect
- Access
- Customers only
- Fee
- Yes
How to reach it
- 130.3 mi off the Historic Route 66, National
Named places within 25 miles
- Arthur B. Sim Memorial Park: 0.3 mi
- West Side Athletic Park: 0.3 mi
- Millwood Park: 0.3 mi
- South Riverside Park: 0.7 mi
- Indian Hills Greenway: 0.7 mi
- The Night Sky: 1.9 mi
- 99 Words and Phraises Coined by Shakespeare: 1.9 mi
- Strength Through the Spirit of Growth: 2.2 mi
- Plains of Creativity and Kindness is Magic: 2.2 mi
- Love Anyway: 2.3 mi
- Old Cowtown Museum: 0.1 mi
- Wichita Art Museum: 0.4 mi
- Indian Center Museum: 0.7 mi
- Exploration Place - Science and Discovery Center: 1.0 mi
- Kansas African American Museum: 1.3 mi
- Slawson Family Asian Big Cat Trek: 2.9 mi
- Reticulated Giraffe: 2.9 mi
- The Downing Gorilla Forest: 2.9 mi
- Cessna Penguin Cove: 3.0 mi
- Gallery: 4.1 mi
- Keeper of the Plains: 0.8 mi
- Vietnamese American Community Memorial: 1.0 mi
- Vietnam War Memorial: 1.1 mi
- Final Call: 2.4 mi
- Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial: 2.4 mi
- Hilltop Community Garden: 4.5 mi
- Mulvane Community Garden: 16.0 mi
- Bartlett Arboretum: 21.4 mi
- Swim Beach: 17.1 mi
- Swim Beach: 17.1 mi
- Swim Beach: 23.1 mi
- Textron TAPD Outdoor Break Area: 5.3 mi
- Meadowlark Farm Picnic Site: 18.8 mi
- Annelly: 21.1 mi
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:34 | 19:07 | 19:42 |
| June solstice | 06:09 | 20:16 | 20:55 |
| September equinox | 07:18 | 18:54 | 19:28 |
| December solstice | 07:42 | 16:34 | 17:15 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 33 | 37 | 47 | 56 | 66 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Precip in | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Wichita WX, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/468764219
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