Lowell D Holmes Museum of Anthropology

05/14/2026

The museum staff, along with help from professional movers, are moving the Asmat collection and getting it set up in the new space in the library.

05/11/2026

We are starting to move collections to the basement storage area today. Who knew crocodile wrangling was part of the job!
*This is not the actual storage space but more of a holding area.

05/08/2026

Construction is moving along!

05/01/2026

Happy May Day!

This photo is of a May Day Celebration at Fairmount College in 1929.

Photo is Courtesy of Wichita State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives. Wichita State University Libraries

04/30/2026

Some items are too large and awkward to fit into boxes for moving. Thankfully Dr. Alvarado has been kind enough to let us use his lab space as a temporary holding space for some of the oversized objects.

04/28/2026

Good News!!! The Exhibit "Service Beyond Barriers" will be on display at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum until August 30th. When you visit, please take time to look through the whole museum. It's a wonderful collection of artifacts that tell the story of Wichita and Sedgwick County.

04/25/2026

It was a beautiful evening and wonderful crowd for the Museum Exhibition class exhibit opening at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. Thank you to Jami Frazier Tracy and the staff at the WSCHM and Brittany Beck from TKAAM - The Kansas African American Museum for helping to make this exhibit a success.

04/24/2026

Today is the day!!

Join us tomorrow for extended hours, at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, as we welcome a special exhibit – "Service Beyond Barriers: Bravery & Sacrifice in the Face of Adversity" – An Exhibit by WSU Students.

Friday - April 24th: Exhibit Opening - Service Beyond Barriers: Bravery & Sacrifice in the Face of Adversity

Students from the Museum Exhibition class at Wichita State University, under the direction of Lowell D Holmes Museum of Anthropology Director and Instructor, Rachelle Meinecke, have created an exhibit project entitled "Service Beyond Barriers: Bravery and Sacrifice in the Face of Adversity".

This exhibit is a collaboration between TKAAM - The Kansas African American Museum, the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. It explores the powerful and often overlooked stories of minority men and women who have served in the military.

In this exhibit, they focus primarily on African Americans, Native Americans, and women. In the spirit of , this exhibit is a reflection on patriotism, sacrifice, and the meaning of service in America. This exhibit honors those who defended a nation that did not always defend them and recognizes their essential role in shaping both military history and the broader American story.

On temporary view in our 2nd Floor-Special Exhibits West Gallery

April 24, 2026
5:00-7:00pm

Free Admission
Open to the Public

204 S Main Street; Wichita, KS 67203
2nd Floor – West Gallery

04/24/2026

Even though the museum is closed, you can still learn some "fun facts" about some items in our collection and the cultures they represent.

Here are some bonus facts about our highlighted items:

Coat from Afghanistan: Both functional and luxurious, this coat must have belonged to someone tall! It measures almost 6ft from the shoulders to the hem. This object is a fan-favorite of the Holmes Museum’s student curators.

Salakot: This traditional hat’s ultra-wide brim provides elite sun protection to farmers and fishermen, and it can be made out of a wide variety of natural materials. The diverse flora and fauna of the Philippines has led to hats made of bamboo, rattan, ferns, gourds, and even turtle shells.

Inuit seal coat: The nature of sealskin makes products such as this jacket not only insulating, but waterproof. Due to the importance of this material to Inuit ancestral survival and the religious significance it holds, modern communities have pushed back against limitations on sealskin acquisition.

Fulani Hat: Many African American communities have carried over or adopted elements of Fulani culture due to their historical connection to West Africa. Examples of this include the Fulani style of braids trending in the U.S., as well as the presence of these hats in Kendrick Lamar’s All the Stars music video.

04/22/2026

Some of the students in the Museum Exhibition class shared about their new exhibit for the Senior Wednesday Program and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. They all did a fabulous job!

04/21/2026

The Museum Exhibition students have worked hard this semester and the hard work has paid off. The exhibit looks amazing!