WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Museums across the United States are struggling with declining attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kansas institutions are bucking the national trend strong visitor numbers.

A recent survey by the American Alliance of Museums asked more than 500 museums nationwide and found traffic remains down since the pandemic began in 2020.

Kansas museum reports record attendance

The Kansas Aviation Museum experienced its highest attendance year ever in 2024, according to Ben Sauceda, president and CEO of the museum.

“2024 was our highest record attendance year ever as a museum, and so we’re seeing a lot of momentum around that,” Sauceda said.

Sauceda credited state programs for boosting museum visits across Kansas.

“Things like the Sunflower Summer Program that Kansas offers. That has been a huge boost to attendance in museums across our state,” he said.

The Gathering Place also reported increased traffic since the pandemic, according to museum officials.

Adam Smith, president and CEO of Exploration Place, said Kansas museums have remained stable.

“I think in general, Kansas is, you know, we’ve seen, we’ve been pretty solid, actually,” Smith said.

Financial challenges persist nationally

The national study shows one-third of museums reported loss of federal grants and contracts impacted them this year.

Museum leaders said institutions must adapt to succeed in the current environment.

“Even as museums, we are still businesses that have to operate in a manner of innovation and creativity. And so again, I think the ones that are finding success right now are the ones that are learning and finding ways to innovate and change and meet the demands of the market where they’re at right now,” Sauceda said.

Smith emphasized the importance of family engagement.

“And so finding ways in which families like to spend time together while creating unique learning or exposure opportunities is how you have to move forward,” he said.

Museums like the Kansas Aviation Museum continue advocating at the state level for renewal of the Sunflower Summer Program for the 2026-2027 season.

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EL DORADO, Kan. (KWCH) – Bovine theileriosis, a disease that has been found in multiple states around the country, has now been confirmed in cattle brought into Kansas, according to state and federal animal health officials.

The parasite damages red blood cells, which can lead to anemia, weakness, and significant financial losses for cattle producers. As of now there is no approved cure for bovine theileriosis.

Experts encourage cattle producers to maintain good working relationships with their local veterinarians.

“Just encourage them to have a good working relationship with their local vet and talk to them. Their vet has heard about it. Their vet can talk to them more about symptoms to look for, supportive care options, and ways to help control it if they do get it,” said Braxton Butler, a veterinarian with the El Dorado Livestock Auction

A report from the Kansas Ag Connection says that while the disease is tick-borne, it may also spread through blood transfer, including contaminated needles or equipment. Experts urge cattle producers to tighten up herd management and sanitation practices.

The disease poses no risk to humans.

Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – After figuring out that a career in nursing wasn’t for her, Oklahoma City native Rain’a Arnold found a new path with the Air Force. She learned to manage airmen by specializing in administration and personnel, and had the good fortune of first being stationed in her hometown at Tinker Air Force Base.

“I’m the only child, and it was just my mom taking care of me, so I was like, ‘I need to get back home, so let’s make this happen,’ so I was very happy to get my first choice,” she said.

Arnold said her time at Tinker consisted of helping airmen learn their assignments, do evaluations, receive awards and decorations, and process their ID cards.

After six or seven years, Arnold was transferred to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, where she took on a new role: resilience training, which helps airmen adjust back to civilian life.

“It kind of opened up my eyes to let other airmen know that, ‘Hey, you are not the only one going through that.’ A lot of airmen thought that nobody knows what they’re feeling and they need to turn to suicide or something like that,” she said.

After her time at Keesler, Arnold was sent to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and while she wasn’t on the battlefield, the skills she learned in Mississippi helped her understand and assist fellow airmen dealing with stress, pressure, and other emotions as they battled Al-Qaeda.

“There’s a higher scale of anxiety, aggression, depression, the whole nine yards, and there’s no time to play around or joke around,” she said.

Following Afghanistan, Arnold’s final stop of her active duty career was McConnell Air Force Base. This time around, she was doing admin work for the maintenance squadron.

In 2023, after 16 years of service, Arnold decided to retire early as a Master Sergeant and with good cause.

“My mom got sick, and she only had six months to live, so I had to decide how I wanted to do this,” she said.

Arnold says she made the right call and cherishes the time she spent with her mother before her passing.

Arnold then moved to Derby and found a job in human resources, which she says is right up her alley due to all her Air Force training.

“Being a veteran in Wichita is awesome! It’s wonderful. I get so much praise that I wouldn’t have even expected. You don’t see color. You don’t see anything. They are very nice to their veterans here, to their military members. Definitely, Wichita is a place to come live if you are a veteran,” she said.