If you’re exploring Old Town Wichita, one place you absolutely shouldn’t miss is the Museum of World Treasures. I was blown away by how much history, wonder, and variety this one museum packs into a single building!
From the outside, it doesn’t look especially large—especially if you’ve been to massive, multi-building museums in big cities. But once you step inside, you’ll realize this place is packed floor-to-ceiling with fascinating exhibits.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the exhibits and share my tips for making the most of your visit.
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I’d like to thank the Museum of World Treasures for providing me with free admission in collaboration with the TBEX Summit. All opinions are my own.
Outside displays and getting started
Right outside the museum, you’ll be greeted by a towering metal T. rex statue—a perfect first photo op before you even step inside. If you have time or love some local history, check out the walkthrough display to the left of the entrance.
Once you walk through the front doors, there’s another dinosaur head replica waiting for you in the gift shop. If you’re traveling with kids, these dino photo spots are an instant hit!
You can pay for admission and grab a museum map in the gift shop. Note: there are several digital scavenger hunts available on the website for different ages and abilities.
Where to begin your tour
It’s kind of tempting to immediately turn right and go check out the dinosaur statues because they’re impressive and they’re right there. However, one of the staff members told me that the chronology and subjects run starting from the left side.
@dinkumtribe #hosted I was astonished and delighted at the huge variety of artifacts and exhibits at the Museum of World Treasures! It’s not a large museum with a huge footprint, but it somehow manages to represent plenty of different interests and eras in history. I only had an hour, but I could easily have spent the whole day there exploring the exhibits. this museum would be great for families with neurodivergent kids who need a bite-size museum with plenty of variety. There are plenty of interactive activities as well. @@Visit Wichita@@tbex events@@Museum of World Treasures##tbexwichita##museumtok##neurodivergent ♬ Quirky Fairytale – Dmitriy Sevostyanov
The first floor is dedicated to ancient civilizations. So there’s sections with Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Asia, Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Mesoamerica.
Ancient Greek and Roman civilization
First up is the ancient Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. The collection has a lot of Greek pottery, and Etruscan artifacts as well. There’s a sculpted head of Alexander the Great, and ancient Roman coins.
This diverse collection contains all sorts of amazing artifacts that you can study. Many are behind glass, but they’re close up so it’s not hard to see them.
Educational focus and features
Another thing I love about this museum is their focus on their educational programs. Many of the displays are set up as educational exhibits for kids and adults to interact with and understand them at a deeper level.
For example, when I got to the section on Greco-Persian warfare they had various parts of the armor on display – the helmet, the greaves, the shield, and a spearhead.
Right below the display case they also had an awesome laminated poster card in Spanish and English. It explained the full armor (panoply) of that time period, and what each piece was for, and what it looked like.
So if you’re a kid or adult who’s never seen that kind of armor before, you’re probably looking at these pieces and wondering “What’s that piece for? And why do they have it?” The card talks about why each piece was so essential at the time.
Ancient Egypt
Next you’ll enter the ancient Egyptian section. It’s really cool because they actually have two different Egyptian mummies as well as canopic jars, a coffin, shabti figures and miniature deities.
I find ancient Egypt really fascinating, and this museum has so many pieces of Egyptian history! They’re far higher quality and more extensive than you would expect to find in a museum this size.
Important note: you’re not allowed to take pictures of the mummies because those are actual human remains. The respectful thing to do is just to look and not take photos.
You may see photos online, but there’s now a sign asking visitors not to take photos anymore. The same applies to the shrunken head from Mesoamerica that you’ll see a little further along in the museum.
That said, the mummies are still well worth seeing. They are behind a curtain to limit light damage. You can get really close, and learn about the myths and culture surrounding death rituals.
There’s also a carving of a horse, and Anubis statues that are quite impressive.
Beyond the Egyptian section there are Roman emperor statues, and Roman tile mosaics. I’ve seen this kind of mosaic when I visited Spain. These are authentic pieces that have been reassembled.
Next you’ll see some Roman art, jewelry, and other various things. And then you’re gonna go into the ancient Near East.
Ancient Near East
I love the Museum’s commitment to hands-on stuff. They have different ways kids can touch and experience things.
For example, there’s a wheel to help people understand the Ancient Near East timeline. It’s not a museum of “Look, but don’t touch!” on everything, which is great.
There’s also a section on Persia. There’s a massive timeline of history that you can walk through, which is super helpful.
Asia and Africa
Next there’s an Asian section where they have huge Buddha statues and Hindu deities. The statues are life-sized and really gorgeous, with intricate carvings.
They have African masks and African carvings from ancient Africa. Honestly this museum is a dream come true for history enthusiasts!
Natural History Area
From the Asian area you’ll continue to the natural history section. It starts with gemstones, rocks, and thunder eggs, and they’ve got some high-quality, large samples.
There’s an exhibit on Kansas minerals and stones so you can identify what you find in Kansas.
Next up is the fossils. They don’t just have dinosaur fossils – there’s a mesohippus and an oreodont (a type of ancient pig). You can also see trilobites and prehistoric fish.
One of the coolest fossils is this ginormous, spiny bony fish called a Xiphactinus audax. It’s a fearsome creature first discovered in Kansas.
Another epic fossil is the Tylosaurus, which is kind of like a plesiosaur or a crocodile with fins – an awesome predator!
Main dinosaur fossils
Finally you arrive in the main room with the big dinosaur skeletons. There’s a Triceratops head and a couple of different T. Rexes, including a juvenile.
The biggest T. Rex in the museum has the most complete tail of any T. Rex ever found, so it’s an excellent specimen. When you see them standing there, it really gives you a feel for just how big these creatures were.
To top it off, you can take the stairs the the second floor, and there’s a viewing area from the second floor to the first floor. So you can get views of the dinosaur fossils from below and from above, from all angles. It makes for great pictures too!
Second floor exhibits
The second floor covers world history and military history. There’s a section on Medieval Times that includes some medieval armor, as well as displays about royal families in Europe.
The World War I exhibit is a sobering reminder of the harsh reality of war. You’ll see displays about mustard gas and other difficult subjects, so be aware if your kids are sensitive to certain topics.
A model World War I trench is set up for visitors to walk through it and see for themselves, “Wow, this was miserable!” It’s easy to imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a trench like that for months on end in the rain and mud.
@dinkumtribe “On the Western Front, Ypres was invariably hellish, especially for the British in the exposed, overlooked salient. However, even quiet sectors amassed daily casualties through sniper fire, artillery, disease, and poison gas.” (From Wikipedia) #worldwar1 #historytok #visitwichita #tbexwichita @Museum of World Treasures @Visit Wichita @tbex events ♬ Very Sad – Enchan
You can also explore sections about the Vietnam War and World War 2.
American history exhibits
There’s an area dedicated to the founding of America and the American Revolution. You’ll find many excellent opportunities to help your kids understand American history.
For example, when we talk about presidents, it’s kind of hard to get a feel for each one since there are now 45! But the hall of presidents allows you to walk through and see a couple artifacts from each president, and the timeline. That really helps to bring it all together.
There’s also a presidential Oval Office desk, and another section dedicated to the Civil War. I loved the display of military uniforms from different eras in American history!
Across from the T.rex fossils there’s a piece of the Berlin Wall and some Cold War artifacts. Most areas of history have some representation, so this museum would make a great place for a homeschool field trip.
The third floor
Sadly I didn’t have lot of time to explore the third floor. The third floor has an exhibit on the American Old West, as well as a rentable event space and rotating exhibits.
There’s also a play area for kids called Ivan’s Playhouse. It includes a stage, books and toys, and an x-ray table.
Don’t miss this awesome museum!
I highly recommend this museum, especially for neurodivergent kids and teens. There are dozens of interactive displays and fascinating activities to try.
It’s also super quiet if you get there first thing in the morning on a weekday. I had the place to myself for the first hour I was there!
I’d recommend about 2 hours to see everything at an easy pace. History lovers would probably enjoy a longer visit.
Whether you’re a history buff, a dinosaur lover, or just looking for fun things to do in Wichita, the Museum of World Treasures is a must-see attraction. It’s educational, affordable, family-friendly, and packed with surprises—from mummies to T. rexes to modern artifacts from the Cold War.
The Museum of World Treasures is right in the heart of Wichita, across the street from the Hotel at Old Town. It’s the perfect mix of learning and adventure to include in your day of exploring downtown Wichita.
You may also enjoy these posts:
- One day exploring Wichita’s Wild West
- Tanganyika Wildlife Park Review
- Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita
- Best gifts for Dinosaur Lovers
- Traveling with neurodivergent kids and teens
©️ Copyright Jennifer D. Warren 2025.
