Best Quest with Weston & Sully

OJ Watson park was our first stop this Saturday and we were joined by some friends for the adventure!

The park is located at 3022 S. McLean Boulevard. They used to have at least two entrances, but we could only find the one off of McLean. 

I have some great memories of this park, as it was one of the parks I frequented as a kid. Not much has changed! 

This park is huge and there is so much to do here! The Wichita Parks and Rec website says it’s 119 acres, which includes a 40 acre lake. 

We drove around the park to the concessions area to start our adventures. This seems to be the center of activity at the park. From here you can access:

• Paddle Boats
• Miniature Golf
• Pony Rides
• Miniature Train Rides

There are also two playgrounds in this area, right next to each other, one with a sand base and the other with rubber.  

 

  

In close proximity to the playground with the rubber base is a good sized shelter which would make it perfect for a family reunion or company picnic.

After getting our fill with the playgrounds, we took a walk on the yellow brick road. It’s a short little walk and the kids loved it.  

We then headed over to the paddle boats. Tickets are needed, and we bought them from the concession stand. I was told they were cash-only, but they do accept credit cards. I forgot how fun paddle boats are! The fountain in the paddle boat area is a perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day!

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The train rides were next on our agenda. It was a nice relaxing way to see the park and the kids had a blast! Why do kids always scream in tunnels? Or is it just my kids? Haha!

We skipped the mini golf and pony rides this time. Since it’s $3 per attraction per person, it could get kinda spendy if everyone in your family is playing along. 

There was one more playground we needed to stop at on our way out. It was over on the west side of the park, near the McLean entrance.  

Part of the draw of Watson Park is the ability to rent inflatables through the park. A few birthday parties were going on in the shelter near this playground and they each had an inflatable.  

Wichita Parks and Rec’s website for the park says there are over 100 picnic tables at this park!! Next time we visit, picnic and fishing are a must. We didn’t go fishing this time, but we will definitely come back for that soon!

Features:

• Paddle Boats ($)
• Miniature Golf ($)
• Pony Rides ($)
• Train Rides ($)
• Picnic Tables – Over 100
• Restrooms
• Concessions
• Shelters Available for Reservation – Five
• Playgrounds: Three, one with Rubber Base, two with Sand
• Fishing
• Paddle Board Rentals Available

Mom Tips: Bring money you want to participate in the extra activities, but there is plenty to do without spending a dime. I’m going to go sometime to try the paddle boards! They’re $15 per hour, and can be rented on site.  

Kid Tips: Weston and Sully both loved the paddle boats. Weston enjoyed this park so much he talked about having his birthday party here. Sully asked when we were going to come back.