The Kansas African American Museum-Wichita, KS
- Jonathan Elmore
- Jan 24
- 2 min read
Since I make frequent trips to Wichita to see my kid and her wife, I often take a few minutes and go see one of the museum there in town. During the last visit, I went downtown to The Kansas African American Museum, or as they refer to it TKAAM. It's located in the beautiful and historic former home of Calvary Baptist Church. It's more than a century old and I could feel the energy that still lingers in the air. The space is filled with so much to see. I saw modern art, African tribal art, Kansas history, American history, church history, and information about the people that have shaped the Wichita community.
We were greeted by Pam and I had a great chat with volunteer Monita, who is a transplant to Wichita, but has fully embraced both her new home and TKAAM. I was very excited to talk with her because she had a lot of information about displays in the museum. I told her about some of the exhibits I have seen in Oklahoma museums that TKAAM also referenced in some of their displays. I love history, and I find if very cool when I find things that overlap from area to area. One particular instance was their photos of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, which I had first learned about at the Oklahoma Indian Territory Museum of Black Creek Freedmen. Cool to make connections like that.
As you can see in the photos below, the church building is amazing. TKAAM has been in the space for quite a while building community, having lectures and events to help bring awareness to Wichita history and African American history. They've done such a good job, that they have outgrown the church. They are in the process of moving to a new spot that used to be a fairly large bank, which you can see in the last photo. I'm so happy that I got to visit them while they're still in the church, but I'm excited to see what their new digs are going to look like. They have much more art and exhibits that they will have the room to display, while they continue all their community work. Go check out TKAAM if you're in Wichita. Well worth the trip!
601 N Water St, Wichita, KS
316-262-7651
Entry Fee: Free
Hours: Tue-Fri: 10:00-5:00, Sat: 12:00-4:00
Jonathan Elmore ©2026
