The largest city in Reno County, Kansas is home to deep underground salt mines, scenic parks and plenty of opportunities to get out on the water.
Hutchinson is known as Salt City for the vast salt mines beneath its streets. Above ground, the city hugs the Arkansas River, providing ample outdoor and wildlife-spotting opportunities. Visit for museums, parks, golf and subterranean adventures.
Venture 650 feet (198 meters) beneath Hutchinson to tour the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. The attraction is housed in the cavernous chambers of a salt mine. Learn about salt mining, see salt deposits that are hundreds of millions of years old and ride the Salt Mine Express, a 15-minute train journey through the mine.
Once you’ve explored Hutchinson’s depths, investigate the far reaches of space at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Look for rockets, space capsules, command modules and moon rocks.
Located on the Arkansas River, Hutchinson is also a gateway to outdoor pursuits. Stroll through the prairie woodlands, wetlands and sand dunes of Sand Hills State Park. Enjoy an afternoon of fishing or sailing at the Cheney Reservoir and Wildlife Area. Sharpen your wildlife photography skills at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge where you can see bald and golden eagles, cranes and wild turkeys. Walk, jog or cycle through the Jim P. Martinez Sunflower Trail that follows the banks of the Arkansas River.
Play a round of golf, one of the area’s most popular sporting activities. Hutchinson’s Prairie Dunes Country Club hosted the 2006 U.S. Senior Open Championship. The city’s other golf courses include Carey Park and The Highlands.
Hutchinson is in south central Kansas and is easily reached by road and rail. The closest airport is Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, 48 miles (77 kilometers) away.
One of the most exciting times to visit Hutchinson is at the beginning of September for the Kansas State Fair. Enjoy 10 colorful days of street parties, parades, competitions, concerts and fairground rides. The city hosts many other major events throughout the year including the Downtown Hutchinson Rod Run & Classic Car Show in October and May’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
