About The Sunflower Gallery

The Sunflower Gallery is a joyful celebration of Kansas, its landscapes, symbols, creativity, and children. Designed as a love letter to our state, this vibrant gallery invites kids to explore Kansas through movement, imagination, art, and hands-on discovery.

At its heart stands the Sunflower Climber, the tallest climbable sunflower in the world, where children weave their way up through a towering stem toward wide, sky-high petals. Nearby, the Hive Climbers let busy bees-in-training collect “pollen,” strengthening muscles and cooperation skills as they buzz from place to place.

Throughout the gallery, interactive stations bring Kansas’s natural wonders and state symbols to life. Children can feel the power of prairie wind, and learn about Kansas state symbols, including Harney Silt Loam, the official state soil that helps grow Kansas’s crops.

Art is woven throughout the space, adding beauty and meaning to every corner. A sweeping sunflower mural illustrates the remarkable journey from tiny seed to radiant bloom, echoing the growth children experience through play.

Fun Facts
The gallery proudly features “Sunflowers” by the Shawnee Heights Elementary School 2024 First Grade Class, a stunning installation created from 74 individual student art pieces. Every first grader contributed their own vision of Kansas’s state flower, and each sunflower was reproduced on wood to form a glowing field of blooms. Guided by teachers Tiffany Luttjohann, Ashley Tomes, and Lisa Taylor, these young artists captured the beauty, diversity, and spirit of Kansas in full color, a joyful reminder of the creativity and imagination of children across the state.

Brain Building
Imaginative Play, Cooperation, Symbolic Thinking, Problem Solving

Body Building
Big Muscle Development (Gross Motor), Balance, Hand-Eye Coordination