NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere got a huge boost from the Kansas State Department of Education's Sunflower Summer program.
"Sunflower Summer visitors, adults and children total, we had over 16,000 visitors," said Maria Kelson with Cosmosphere. "We had more people from out of town, more families with young children coming and we just love the idea that people who might not be normally coming to Cosmosphere were able to come as part of the program."
Sunflower Summer provided school-aged kids and up to two accompanying adults access to Cosmosphere's Hall of Space Museum at no charge. Over 204,000 admissions to Kansas attractions were a part of the statewide program.
"In terms of revenue for the Cosmosphere, it would have been around $210,000," Kelson said.
A reminder that Reno County residents already get in for free to the Hall of Space, so this should almost all be those from the state's other 104 counties. The program was funded by federal COVID dollars.
"It helps us continue throughout the slower months, to have had that big boost during the summer."
The city's sales tax that helps Cosmosphere and Strataca will be on the ballot in November.