Things to Do in Kansas

The YWCA is the largest women's multicultural organization in existence, encompassing some 125 million members in over 100 countries. The membership represents a diversity of culture and lifestyle that assembles in 300 local associations, including the YWCA of Topeka. The Topeka chapter, first instituted in 1887, lives out the YWCA mission of empowering women with locally focused programs and outreach initiatives ranging from fitness and wellness to youth services such as Girls on the Run of Topeka. A local council of Girls on the Run International, the Topeka organization often partners with the YWCA, using running to encourage girls in grades 3-8 to live lives of confidence, health, and togetherness.

The ice in Kansas City Ice Center's newly renovated rink accumulates blade scratches from skaters of all stripes, including hockey players and two of the most revered figure-skating clubs in the U.S. Throughout the year, the facility acts as a practice arena for those clubs as well as a classroom for nonprofessional skaters. Both children and adults master techniques during Learn to Skate programs, and aspiring slap shooters strengthen their grasp on competitive fundamentals during Learn To Play Hockey programs. In addition to lessons, the center also hosts special events, such as birthday parties and on-ice reenactments of The Great Banana Peel Spill of 1908.

The approximately 247-acre wilderness zoo houses more than 2,500 animals from nearly 400 different species, including gorillas, penguins, bears, tigers, and elephants. Stop by the orangutan and chimp habitat, or walk down a seashell-strewn path to the penguin cove, which includes a 52-foot-long underwater viewing area for watching Humboldt penguins glide gracefully through the water in search of sealed Tootsie Rolls. Sedgwick County Zoo's continually evolving exhibits showcase cuddlesome creatures from diverse regions including Asia, Africa, and South America.

Tickets For Less is an easy-to-navigate, secure site that rescues consumers from perilous hidden fees and charges on tickets to concerts, plays, and professional and collegiate sporting events. By bypassing the price inflation that stems from traditional ticket vendors wining and dining their tickets before selling them on the open market, Tickets For Less is able to serve discounted paper permits. Upcoming events include a Lady Gaga concert, a performance of Cirque Du Soleil, and kinetic day at the NASCAR track, which at one point probably hosted a reunion concert for The Verve Pipe.

The 105,000-square-foot, Smithsonian-affiliated museum, which was voted one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas in 2008, boasts the second-largest collection of space artifacts in the United States (behind only the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.). An all-day mission pass gets you access to all the museum’s treasures: the Carey IMAX Dome Theater, Justice Planetarium, Dr. Goddard’s Lab, and the Hall of Space Museum. Start by strolling through the Hall of Space, where notable space souvenirs such as the command module from Apollo 13 and the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury capsule chronicle mankind's courtship with the cosmos. Then explore Dr. Goddard’s Lab, a replica of the 1930s laboratory where Dr. Robert Goddard pioneered modern rocketry. Explosive reenactments of the doctor's attempts to find the right rocket fuel, figure out how to circumvent gravity, and lick his elbows are performed daily to delight children and their copilots. Click here to download a basic museum itinerary.

Fine Arts Theatres’ four venues surround moviegoers with classic silver-screen ambiance as they present the latest independent and mainstream film offerings. Lovingly refurbished neighborhood movie palaces such as the early-20th-century Rio Theatre now boast surround-sound digital audio, high-backed rocker seats with arm-mounted cup holders, and movie trailers acted out by gregarious ticket takers. In addition to flicks opening each week, Fine Arts Theatres hosts screenings for the annual Kansas International Film Festival, voted the Best Local Film Festival by readers of The Pitch in 2011. The group also holds a Jewish Film Festival each spring and a Latin American Film Festival every September.