Saturday, June 3, 2017

The Cosmosphere: Part 1

Back in April, my friend Joseph came from California with his two sons for a visit.  On April 15, we went to the Cosmosphere, a Space Museum in a town about an hour and a half from Wichita.  I was so busy making art during that time, I didn't have time to do anything except get the over 1300 photos I took that day off my camera and onto my computer.  Today I will begin to share the first of these photos with you.

Remember this was April, and the fields were just beginning to  turn green from the winter wheat that had been planted.


Although I'm never bored with Joseph and Scott (my computer guru friend), I always have my camera at the ready.



This place holds special memories for me.  It's where I bought my first and ONLY cooking stove I have ever owned.  Yes, I've had it since I was 19 and it's starting to show its age.  

That's not true.  It showed its age quite a few years ago!!  Crupper's Corner is showing its age, too.

We're starting to come into town

past some rusty box cars

with the famous mile long elevator in sight.

Definitely not a good shot.


An even worse shot.

The best shot I got.

Last shot, and it was sad, too.

We finally made it to the Cosmosphere.



I got a little carried away and panned the entire complex.


This is probably not part of the Cosmosphere's area.


This is the front of the building. 

By this time, everyone was tired of waiting for me, so we took off for the main building.

Once inside, we were greeted by these majestic planes,

including a full-scale replica of the space shuttle Endeavour.

While Joseph and Scott checked out the nose of the Lockheed Blackbird reconnaissance plane, I was busy taking photos. 

I cropped this photo I took of Scott, because there were so many other people who had just entered the building.

There were lots of things, including games and photo ops for children and adults alike in this area.

Both of Joseph's sons were having a ball and we hadn't even paid yet.

This is a photo of the flight simulator we would go on.   You had to be a certain height to ride in the capsule, and one of Joseph's sons was too small.  Scott and Joseph teased me to see if I was tall enough, too.

Not sure what Scott was taking a photo of, but it had really started to get crowded in the lobby.

The people may have been looking at this photo of the Blackbird as it arrived to take its place in the building's lobby.

Yes, we have a lot to see, and the crowds are starting to arrive. 

A few things you should know:

The museum houses over 13,000 spaceflight artifacts which is the largest combined collection of US and Russian spaceflight artifacts in the world.

Every artifact on display at the Cosmosphere is either an actual flown artifact, a "flight-ready backup" (identical to the item actually flown), an engineering model, or a historically accurate replica.

The museum begins with the earliest experiments in rocketry during the World War II era, continues through the Space Race and Cold War, and finally explores the modern Space Shuttle and International Space Station.

Thanks for joining me today as we make the drive to the Cosmosphere and explore the lobby.  More soon.

18 thoughtful remarks:

Helen said...

what a really interesting museum! Look forward to seeing some more another time.

Valerie-Jael said...

That museum looks very fascinating, I would love to go there with my camera, too, but thanks for taking me with you on his virtual trip. Have a great weekend, have fun, hugs, Valerie

chrissie said...

I enjoyed the journey to get there with all the wide open spaces and structures here and there. The place you visited looks terrific and especially for space mad kids old and young.

Have a great weekend Elizabeth

Love Chrissie xx

Sami said...

It must be an interesting museum to visit Elizabeth.
And wow 1300 photos! Don't think I've ever taken that many on any of my trips, I think maximum was about 800 for a whole month.
Have fun!

kathyinozarks said...

what a very cool place!! We drove through Kansas on the way home and I was quite amazed at the number of museums I saw on the billboards as we drove by exits for towns--and they had the best ever rest areas-like little mini parks-was quite impressed

nanskidrewski said...

Wow! That place is super cool. Amazing for the size, scope, and wow factor! So much flat lands on the way there. Hope your stove keeps keeping on. They don't make things to last anymore. Your stove is vintage without even trying. Happy weekend!

CJ Kennedy said...

I can't believe how flat, flat, flat, the landscape is. The Cosmosphere looks like a very cool museum. I went to the website to check it out. Saw they had an exhibit: Dr. Goddard's Lab. Dr. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry, was from Worcester, Massachusetts. Maybe I'll take a trip over to Auburn to take a picture for you of where he tested his rockets.

froebelsternchen said...

Oh gosh - what an interesting museum! Thank you for sharing the photos Elizabeth!
Happy weekend !
Susi

Sandra Cox said...

That's great about the stove, but since you're only in your twenties it doesn't have that much age on it:)

What a great idea for the boys. I'm sure they had a blast.

Jeanie said...

This place sounds fascinating! I think that was a brilliant idea -- even a non-space buff couldn't help but be intrigued.

Dianne said...

looks like an amazing place...i am always impressed when I see one of those Blackbirds. I noticed how FLAT the countryside is...as opposed to our (very) small rolling hills mixed in with the flat farmland where I live. funny the stuff you notice...we've been to the Dayton OH air force museum, and one in Pensacola Fla. i can't even imagine flying in any of those planes. I'm too big of a chicken! Looking forward to your next installment.... ;)

Roberta Warshaw said...

It is flat where you live isn't it? LOL.

In Tucson we have the Pima Air and Space Museum as well as a place they call The Boneyard. It is amazing! If you liked the Cosmosphere, you will like Pima as well. The Boneyard though is the most amazing place I have ever seen. All the planes are there for either spare parts or memories. Planes from WWI, Vietnam, etc. Try to google it and see if you can view it from above. Thousands of acres of planes.

Meggymay said...

I enjoyed my journey through the lens of your camera, and the destination is going to be fantastic as you share more photos.
The photos today looked great, I think it would have taken hours to see all the exhibits, did you manage it all in one day?.
Yvonne xx

My name is Erika. said...

Now if I ever am in Kansas with my husband, I think we would end up there. He is a plane nut. (Besides being a boat nut too). We have to visit air or space museums where ever we go if if there is one around. I think it looks pretty cool though, and being a Smithsonian affiliate I bet it has lots of great things in it. I also like seeing your view from the road. Its so different from NH where its covered and trees and lots of hills. I wonder what it is like living where it is so wide open and flat. I've driven through areas like that but can't say I've ever made it Kansas. One of these days I guess. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Hugs-Erika

Carol said...

Now this is a place my husband would love to visit. His father worked for McDonald Douglas which is now Boeing and worked on designs for lots of war and space aircraft. I'll be sharing this and the other post you share on your trip with him.
Carol

pearshapedcrafting said...

The scenery on the way there reminds me of my home county of Lincolnshire! Very flat!!! The lobby of this place looks exciting enough so looking forward to catching up! Chrisxxx

Gibby Frogett said...

I saw post 2 the other day but must have missed this one...
wow Elizabeth..over 1300 photos - your poor camera must have exhausted by the end of the day :)
This is the sort of place Dave and me would have loved seeing... what a great day out :)
I think I have seen a SR71 Blackbird fly in the UK in at an airshow and it was really awesome.
Have a great weekend and thanks for the lovely comments you left about my Steampunk projects..
Gill xx

Anonymous said...

A good beginning to your Cosmos journey. I also love the fact that you have had your stove for that many years. Can't say anything new would ever last that long....And that the appliance store is still there. xox