Hutchinson, Kansas — The Greater Wichita YMCA and Cosmosphere are proud to announce the launch of a joint project to bring a space-themed climbing structure to the new Hutchinson YMCA location, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2026. The collaboration reflects both organizations’ commitment to youth development, family engagement and community wellness.
The fully customized climbing structure, which is being built and designed by Boss Display, a national leader in interactive exhibits, will feature engaging and themed elements inspired by the Cosmosphere’s mission of inspiring the future through space exploration. It will be located prominently in the Hutchinson Y’s Family Center, offering kids of all ages a playful mix of physical activity and STEM exploration.
“We’re very enthusiastic to collaborate with the Cosmosphere to provide Hutchinson-area families with a unique feature that will most certainly deliver the ‘wow factor,’ ” said Ronn McMahon, President and CEO of the Greater Wichita YMCA. “The Cosmosphere is an iconic Hutchinson organization whose partnership represents a shared commitment to strengthening community pride and making the Hutchinson YMCA a welcoming and inspiring place for all.”
The Cosmosphere plans to kick off its fundraising campaign in the coming weeks to give community members, donors and local businesses the chance to be part of this initiative. Donations collected by the Cosmosphere will help bring the climbing structure to life and ensure that families across Reno County can benefit from this imaginative, educational space.
“The new YMCA that is being built in Hutchinson is a fantastic project that has the potential to impact our community in a variety of ways,” said Jim Remar, President and CEO of the Cosmosphere. “To be a small part of this project is quite an honor for the Cosmosphere. For me personally, it is exciting to bring two community partners together to create a new opportunity for Hutchinson. I am very proud of the partnership that we have developed with the YMCA.
Construction of the 75,000-square-foot Hutchinson YMCA began in January at the intersection of 20th Street and Lorraine on land that was donated to the Y through a partnership with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System. It will include a first-class destination aquatics center, indoor track, gymnasium, expanded gymnastics center, fitness center with studios, community room, additional places for families to connect and programs that provide safe spaces for youth.
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ABOUT THE GREATER WICHITA YMCA
Since 1885, The Greater Wichita YMCA has been volunteer-led and mission driven to promote healthy lifestyles, strong families and positive youth development for all in South Central Kansas. Today, we employ more than 1,400 individuals and serve well over 300,000 of our neighbors in Butler, Harvey, McPherson, Reno and Sedgwick Counties. We support a healthy spirit, mind, and body through community development, education and wellness initiatives, youth and family programs, licensed child care and camp, and physical activity. Our more than 190,000 members have access to over one million square feet of fitness space across our 12 area branch locations in Andover, El Dorado, McPherson, Newton, Hutchinson and Wichita as well as four seasonal, outdoor water parks, three indoor/outdoor sports complexes, Camp Hyde and Camp Hiawatha. Our annual Strong Community Campaign, which funds our free and reduced-cost programs and enables scholarships, grants and income-based member and program pricing for those who qualify, allows us to honor our commitment to serve all, regardless of their ability to pay. Learn more at ymcawichita.org.
ABOUT THE COSMOSPHERE
The Cosmosphere inspires the future through space exploration. Since 1962, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas has preserved the legacy of space exploration through our world-class collection of U.S. space artifacts – second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum – and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. Learn more at cosmo.org.
