Emporia State University is proud to announce its participation in the 2024 Kansas Tourism Sunflower Summer program. Visitors to the campus can see a Cretaceous mosasaur and a mastodon tusk at the Johnston Geology Museum, while the Schmidt Museum of Natural History contains a collection of 600 taxidermy mounts of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish from Kansas. Then, journey to the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC), built on the shores of ESU’s King Lake. PAROC provides guests with hands-on experiences and the chance to see live animal exhibits featuring aquatic species native to the region.
Visitors to the Johnston Geology Museum and Schmidt Natural History Museum are asked to check in at Science Hall 177. A map of the ESU campus is available online at emporia.edu/maps. The ESU venues are closed for holidays and weekends.
The Sunflower Summer Program is a benefit for Kansas families with school-aged children to encourage them to explore and fall in love with Kansas. The program is designed to give affordable access to tourism attractions across the state and support the Kansas tourism economy. Eligible Kansas families will download the Sunflower Summer App to claim tickets to participating venues. The 2024 Sunflower Summer season runs from May 25 to August 11.
"We are thrilled to be a venue for the 2024 Kansas Sunflower Summer program," said Daphne Mayes, ESU outreach council chair and STEM outreach director. "This opportunity allows us to welcome Kansas families to learn more about a variety of topics with a focus on the biology, ecology and geology of Kansas.”
Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, aims to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities.
“Kansas Tourism is excited to have Emporia State University as a part of the Sunflower Summer program,” said Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe. “This program is an amazing benefit for the residents of Kansas, and we are looking forward to growing the program in the 2024 season. ESU is an important part of making this the best season yet for the program.”
To discover more about the Sunflower Summer program and download the app, visit SunflowerSummer.org.