#109 Heritage Square Park – 115 E William
Important Note: You can only get into the park by going through the Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum. Which cost 5 bucks, so you might as well visit the museum while you are there.
Background: The park was created in May 1976. It stands on the same spot that once held a fire station built in 1908. Sometime in the 1930’s, the building was converted into the police department. That building was torn down in 1976.
There is an interesting sculpture to check out. Heritage Woman- In 1976, Richard Bergen was commissioned to create a sculpture for the park by the Junior League. For nearly 30 years, the statue went undisturbed, but starting in 2005, it was repeatedly vandalized. After being knocked off her pedestal, she was sent back to Bergen, who was in his 90’s, to fix the damages. The statue returned in time for the NCAA tournament. The Boy with the Boot has an interesting history, this is its third location.
What we did: we took some time to visit the museum which is a fascinating look at our city’s history. There is a focus on our title of “Air Capitol of the World”.
It might be a surprise but there was a car factory in Wichita. An original Jones 6 is on display in the museum.
The park is a small urban park that is closed to the public. The statue mentioned above is on display along with a gazebo that has hosted years of music. It is a small park that has a ton of park benches and picnic tables. The park is a popular place for weddings.
A childhood favorite, seems much smaller than it did when I was a kid, but so many good memories.