Entry No. 28 — the Wichita file — filed under: lost city
Etzanoa - The Great Settlement
Beneath the fields of southern Kansas lies one of the largest pre-contact cities in North America — up to 20,000 Wichita people living along the Walnut River until around 1720, their existence dramatically confirmed when a local teenager found a Spanish cannonball from a 1601 battle in 2017. The Etzanoa Conservancy runs guided tours ($15/person) that take you to the actual confluence, the battlefield, and Chief's Lodge, with a newly opened Immersion Center adding exhibit space in June 2026.
The move: Book a guided tour (by appointment, call 620-666-0069), walk the actual battlefield and mound sites with a knowledgeable guide, then cap the day exploring the brand-new Etzanoa Immersion Center together — a genuinely rare chance to stand inside an ancient city most people have never heard of.
📍 Before you go This is reservation-only, not a walk-up site — there's nothing posted in a field to find on your own, so book the guided tour ahead by appointment. Everything starts at the US-77 address (shared with the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum and the new Immersion Center, just south of Arkansas City), and you'll caravan in your own vehicle between several stops, walking on uneven grass and farmland at the ones cars can't reach. Tours generally run the warmer half of the year and can be postponed for weather, so dress for sun and bring water; groups are small. No pets aside from service animals. Pair it with the on-site museum or nearby Chaplin Nature Center.
- 📍 Arkansas City
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 31639 US-77, Arkansas City, KS 67005
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitarkcity.org · kcur.org
last checked: 2026-06-07