Do you enjoy perusing collections filled with historical artifacts and engaging art? Wichita State University boasts museums with collections considered some of the best in the nation on a college campus. The exhibitions available to the public are varied and diverse. Here are some places to stop and tour.
Matt Crow/Undergraduate AdmissionsUlrich Museum of Art
Arguably one of Wichita State’s most well-known buildings, thanks in part to the large 52x26-foot mural “Personnages Oiseaux – Bird People” by Spanish artist Joan Miró that adorns the entrance to the museum. “The Ulrich,” as it is known around campus is one of just 12 museums in Kansas accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and has a permanent collection of more than 6,700 works of modern and contemporary art. Established in 1974, the museum hosts regular exhibitions, events, and programs. The Ulrich also oversees the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, which has more than 80 outdoor art pieces that span across campus. Wichita State’s outdoor sculpture collection is regarded as among the nation’s best in higher education.
Photo via Department of AnthropologyLowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology
Located in Neff Hall, this museum has grown over multiple decades to feature a range of archaeological, cultural and biological artifacts. It traces its roots to 1966 as the Museum of Man and is named for Dr. Lowell D. Holmes – former professor of anthropology at WSU - who initiated the establishment of the museum. Today, the museum houses a wide variety of collections including objects from the Asmat ethnic group of New Guinea to ceramics from the southwest United States. It also acts as an educational tool for students enrolled in Wichita State’s Museum Studies Program, which includes a Graduate Museum Studies Certificate.
Undergraduate Admissions file photoPizza Hut Museum
Wichita is the birthplace of several large restaurant chains including White Castle, Freddy’s Frozen Steakburgers and, of course, Pizza Hut. The restaurant was started in 1958 in Wichita by Wichita State brothers Dan and Frank Carney. Commemorating its humble beginnings to what is now one of the largest pizza chains in the world, the Pizza Hut Museum is housed in the original building where it all began. It is filled with memorabilia from throughout Pizza Hut’s history.