Families with children in Kansas who don’t want to travel far for vacation have the perfect opportunity this year and don’t have to pay entrance fees to several attractions.
Back again is the 2024 edition of Sunflower Summer, a program running from May 25 to August 11 that offers Kansas families with school-age children a way to explore their state, offering free admission to tourist attractions in the Sunflower State .
Kansas Tourism has announced that more than 220 attractions will be part of the program, nearly doubling the number starting in 2023.
“The Sunflower Summer program plays a critical role in making in-state travel affordable for Kansas families,” said Lt. Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “It provides great opportunities for parents to nurture their children’s love of travel and appreciation for our incredible state and all it has to offer.”
This year’s participating attractions are located in all regions of the state and include places like museums, discovery centers, historic sites, arboretums, water parks, amusement parks, zoos, guided trolley tours, live theater events and professional sporting events.
How does the Sunflower Summer Program work?
To use the program, families with school-age children must download the Sunflower Summer app from the App Store or Google Play Store starting May 1. From there, they can create an account and claim tickets to participating attraction locations. redeemed upon arrival at the location.
Free tickets are available to all Kansas students from pre-K through 12th grade and up to two adults accompanying them. The Zonnebloem Summer App allows one free admission ticket per student per attraction. Once a ticket has been used, the app will “stamp” the ticket and it is no longer valid to be used again for that attraction.
A list and map of participation attractions, as well as links to download the app, can be found on the Sunflower Summer website, sunflowersummer.org.
What impact will the Sunflower Summer program have on Kansas attractions?
Attractions and cities that have participated in the Sunflower Summer program rave about it, saying it is a great way for Kansans to have fun, learn and experience their state in a cost-effective way.
“I’ve heard from a lot of families traveling this way in the summer,” said Julie Roller Weeks, director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Previously, Abilene only had the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum as part of the program, but this year the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad and the Dickinson County Heritage Center are also participating.
“Now that we’ve packed (all) three attractions, we’re now having a great vacation,” Weeks said. “They are all on the same block and very walkable.”
Although the tickets are free to participants, each attraction is reimbursed for each ticket used, which Weeks says is a win-win for everyone.
“The family gets in for free, but the attraction… is nothing,” Weeks said. “So this is a way for (the attraction) to increase revenue and increase attendance … thanks to the state of Kansas.”
One attraction that could expand what families can do for free this year is the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. Chuck McClary, digital specialist and public relations coordinator for the International Science Education Center and Space Museum, said last year that the Sunflower Summer Program only included admission to the Hall of Space Museum.
“Reno County residents already get free admission to the museum, so they were not taking full advantage of the Sunflower Summer program,” McClary said.
This year’s program includes a free All-Access Mission Pass, which includes admission to the Hall of Space Museum and CosmoKids, a Carey Digital Dome Theater documentary, a show at the Justice Planetarium, a show at Dr. Goddard’s Lab and a ride on the navigator flight simulator.
“It’s a pass to pretty much everything in the building,” McClary said.
Renovations are currently underway at the Hall of Space Museum, but McClary said people who come can still see things like the Apollo 13 command module and the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft.
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Plan a holiday or weekend around the Sunflower Summer Program
With cities and towns like Abilene or Salina taking part in multiple attractions, there is the opportunity for Kansans to plan an entire trip in one place.
“We attract a lot of people from outside the area,” said Linda Henderson, director of development and marketing for Rolling Hills Zoo.
Henderson said Salina is trying to create a destination that people can travel to, and this program allows families to do multiple things when they come here, including not only the son, but also The Garage, the Smoky Hill Museum, Kenwood Cove Aquatic Center and the Art Center and more participating in Sunflower Summer.
“(We want people) to come spend the weekend in Salina and see all the great locations we have,” Henderson said.
For more information about the Sunflower Summer program, visit sunflowersummer.org.
This article originally appeared in Salina Journal: Sunflower Summer offers families access to more than 200 Kansas attractions
