Originally part of the Old Chisholm Trail used for cattle drives and movement west, the town later was known as "Cowtown". In the 1920s and 30s, business men and aeronautical engineers established a number of successful aircraft manufacturing companies in Wichita including Beechcraft, Cessna and Stearman Aircraft. The City transformed into a hub of US aircraft production and became known as "The Air Capital of the World".
4-star hotel -- Room rate includes free shuttle from the commercial airport (KICT), parking, in-room Internet and Breakfast Buffet. The free shuttle is also available for transfers in the downtown and historic Old Town districts to entertainment and restaurants.
This polished 18-story hotel is 1.7 miles from the Wichita Art Museum and is located on the Arkansas River with steps leading to the expanded River Walk. The hotel is adjacent to the historic museum district, 3 blocks from Exploration Place, and 6 blocks from historic Old Town. The hotel is 6 miles from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport (KICT).
Contemporary large smoke-free guest rooms feature coffeemakers and mini-fridges, plus desks, 42-inch flat-screen TVs and free wireless Internet. Suites offer living/dining rooms. Bathrooms are large, modern and well-equipped.
There's a farm-to-table restaurant/bar, plus a coffee lounge, a heated indoor pool, 2 whirlpool tubs and a 24-hour fitness room. There’s also a business center, free commercial airport (KICT) and Old Town shuttles.
All guest rooms offer a view of the Arkansas River. A four hundred foot long -- 16 foot high waterwall in front of hotel in River Walk Park is a good beginning for a walk or run along the scenic river.
Address: 400 W Waterman St, Wichita, KS 67202
On-line Reservations with credit card: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/FPASWWestern
Phone: (316) 293-1234
FPA Guest room rates: $119 single, $129 double, $139 triple, $135 Deluxe Corner King. (Rates are quoted exclusive of state and local taxes, service charges.)
Cut-Off Date: March 16, 2016
AIRPORTS:
Commercial Flights - Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT formerly known as Mid-Continent Airport) is located 6 miles from the hotel, west of downtown. It is the largest and busiest airport in Kansas.
KEEPER OF THE PLAINS - A recognized icon of the city, the statue "Keeper of the Plains" is on the River Walk.
The Keeper of the Plains stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers with hands raised in supplication to the Great Spirit.
The 44-foot Cor-Ten steel Keeper of the Plains sculpture stands elevated on a 30-foot rock promontory, surrounded by a plaza which describes the Plains Indian way of life. Pedestrians can access the area via two bow-and-arrow-inspired cable-stay bridges which span the Little and Big Arkansas rivers. Fire drums on boulders at the foot of the Keeper dramatically light the night. Plantings of sage, bottlebrush, medicinal herbs, prairie grasses, yuccas and cactus add to the sense of place and time.
Renowned Native American artist Blackbear Bosin donated the Keeper of the Plains to the citizens of Wichita in 1974. It was erected at the junction of the two rivers and dedicated May 18, 1974, with Senator Bob Dole on hand for the dedication. The area is free and open to the public.
Since the sculpture's installation in 1974 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial, it has become a symbol for the city of Wichita and a tribute to the Native American tribes who continue to gather at this sacred site.
