From standalone event venues to museums, galleries and more, the streets of the Sunflower State’s meetings-friendly locales are bursting with off-site venues for memorable group gatherings.
Abode Venue in the heart of downtown in Wichita’s Douglas Design District has more than 8,000 square feet of function space and offers a refreshingly modern setting that’s well-suited for meetings and events, according to James Williams, spokesman for Go Wichita CVB.
Abode excels at making every event a unique experience, he says, due to multiple meeting spaces, a wide flexibility of layout options and customer service that makes planning a snap.
One of Lawrence’s newest venues, the Cider Gallery, is at the center of the town’s blooming Warehouse Arts District, according to Christine Metz Howard spokeswoman for the Lawrence CVB.
This high-end art gallery, housed in a recently renovated 1890s warehouse, has space for 250 seated guests and 350 guests for cocktail receptions.
Metz Howard adds that the facility has a professional warming kitchen, private patio area and a state-of-the-art sound system.
When the Museum of Prairiefire opens this spring in Overland Park, groups should expect a “wow” factor, according to Liron BenDor, spokeswoman for the Overland Park CVB.
For instance, upon entering the Great Hall, which can accommodate up to 300 people, attendees will be greeted by one of the few Tyrannosaurus rex casts from New York City’s American Museum of Natural History.
Groups will also appreciate the engaging experiences presented by the museum’s rotating exhibits and the fun themes, including Night at the Museum, which can be worked into an event, BenDor adds.
Another space for group gatherings at the museum is the Wetlands Terrace, which accommodates up to 185 people.
Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan celebrates the nation’s last great expanse of tallgrass prairie and features a wealth of interactive exhibits. The 35,000-square-foot center has a curvilinear green roof and a glass-enclosed circular lobby with views of the Manhattan skyline and surrounding landscape.
Planners can utilize the lobby, galleries and meeting rooms for indoor events, as well as the third-floor terraces and nearby Blue Earth Plaza for outdoor functions.
