Kansas Tourism is excited to announce the opening of the 2026 Sunflower Summer program and is inviting Kansas families to enjoy a season packed with unforgettable adventures. Created for Kansas students and their families, the Sunflower Summer program offers complimentary admission to more than 230 attractions across the state. The 2026 season opens Thursday, July 9, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 2.
“While Sunflower Summer is a fantastic benefit for Kansas families, it’s also an investment in our future,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Providing affordable access to our state’s historic, cultural and natural spaces helps young generations connect to and fall in love with Kansas. At the same time, real economic impact is being delivered to communities by generating spending at local retail, dining and lodging businesses.”
The Sunflower Summer program is open to all Kansas school-aged students, pre-K through 12th grade, including public, private and homeschooled. Out-of-state students and families are not eligible to participate. The program covers admission costs for eligible students and one adult guardian per attraction, per season. Tickets can be claimed through the free Sunflower Summer mobile app and redeemed at the venue upon arrival. The Sunflower Summer app can be downloaded through the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or the webpage here.
“We’re excited to welcome Kansas families back for another summer of exploration through our Sunflower Summer program,” Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe said. “There are participating attractions in every part of the state, making it easy for families to discover new experiences and create lasting memories right here at home.”
Participating attractions include museums, discovery centers, historic sites, arboretums, zoos and more. To view the full list of participating attractions, visit here or download the Sunflower Summer mobile app.
To share your Sunflower Summer experiences on social media, use the hashtags #ToTheStarsKS and #SunflowerSummer as you post your travels.
For more travel inspiration and tips about exploring Kansas, visit TravelKS.com.
About Kansas Tourism
The mission of Kansas Tourism is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. Kansas Tourism works hand in hand with other Commerce community programs to elevate and promote Kansas as a tourist destination. Kansas Tourism oversees all tourism marketing and PR for the state, produces travel publications and advertising, manages state Travel Information Centers, manages both the Kansas By-ways program and the Kansas Agritourism program, approves tourist signage applications, produces the KANSAS! Magazine, and provides financial and educational support to the tourism industry in Kansas through grants, education and support.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.