Entry No. 31 — the Wichita file — filed under: haunted
Chisholm Trail Museum
Housed in the donated 1916 Hatcher Hospital building, this 40-room county museum packs over 20,000 artifacts into its former patient wards — including original medical and dental equipment — and has hosted documented ghost investigations by local paranormal groups in its shadowy halls. Admission is free and it's open daily 1-5pm June through October.
The move: Arrive near closing time (around 4pm) so you have the place nearly to yourselves, then wander the old hospital rooms together — linger over the creepy medical and dental equipment displays and dare each other to stand alone in the reportedly haunted corridors, then grab dinner at a Wellington diner and swap theories about what you heard.
📍 Before you go The museum sits in downtown Wellington, about 30 miles south of Wichita via I-35 or US-81 — an easy day trip. Find it on N Washington Ave directly across from the Sumner County Courthouse, where free street parking rings the courthouse square. It runs on a seasonal, volunteer-staffed schedule (roughly weekends in the shoulder months and daily through the summer-into-fall stretch), so it's worth confirming someone will be on hand before making the drive. The 1916 building spans multiple floors and 40 rooms, so wear comfortable shoes, and plan to cap the trip with a meal on Wellington's historic downtown square nearby.
- 📍 Wellington
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 502 N Washington Ave, Wellington, KS 67152
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia · travelks.com
last checked: 2026-06-07