Entry No. 26 — the Wichita file — filed under: mural
Psychedelic Beatles Mural
A massive, vivid psychedelic-era Beatles mural covers the exterior wall of a furniture warehouse in downtown Newton — commissioned by building owner Kelly Hayes simply because he loved the Beatles and wanted something memorable for his 60th birthday. Artist Mark Pendergrass brought the Fab Four to life in full swirling color, making it one of the more gloriously pointless and delightful roadside detours in Kansas.
The story
Most public art in small-town Kansas comes tied to an official civic narrative—a pioneer centennial, a nod to wheat farming, or a memorial to the railroad. This one exists purely because building owner Kelly Hayes turned 60 and decided he wanted John, Paul, George, and Ringo exploded across the side of his furniture warehouse on 2nd Street. There is zero historical link between Newton, Kansas, and the Fab Four. Hayes simply loved the music, possessed a blank brick wall, and hired local artist Mark Pendergrass to blast it with full psychedelic late-60s color.
Unsurprisingly, dropping a massive neon-hued dreamscape onto a downtown warehouse wall sparked some bureaucratic ripples. The city reportedly gave Hayes a fair amount of grief after the paint dried because the project didn't navigate the proper municipal channels or committees beforehand. But the wall remains intact: an unsanctioned, gloriously self-indulgent birthday gift that turns a quiet downtown side street into a hallucinatory British Invasion shrine.
What it's like
Drive thirty minutes north from Wichita up I-135, pull up to 2nd Street just east of North Main, and grab an easy curb spot right in front of the wall. The entire piece wraps the exterior of the Furniture Warehouse building, accessible anytime on the public sidewalk. Aim for morning or late afternoon light to avoid harsh midday glare when taking photos. Once you've walked the length of the brick and picked out the era details, you can stroll one block over to Main Street for dinner or drinks without having to re-park.
The move: Park on 2nd Street and spend time walking the length of the mural, picking out each Beatle and debating which era is best — then grab food or a drink nearby in downtown Newton and keep the "which Beatles album?" argument going over dinner.
📍 Before you go This is in Newton, not Wichita proper, so plan on roughly a half-hour drive north up I-135. The mural wraps the exterior of the Furniture Warehouse building on the south edge of downtown, on the north side of 2nd Street just east of where it meets KS-15/North Main. It's a free, outdoor wall you can view anytime; come in daylight if you want the swirling colors to actually pop for photos, and aim for softer morning or late-afternoon light to dodge glare. Curbside parking along 2nd and Main is easy. Make a loop of it by strolling Main Street's downtown shops and restaurants a block over.
- 📍 Newton
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 100 E 2nd St, Newton, KS 67114
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- World's Tallest Mennonite (Mennonite Settler Statue) — Located less than a mile away in Newton, this 17-foot limestone pioneer statue makes for a surreal cultural pivot right after viewing psychedelic rock icons.
- Theorosa's Bridge (Crybaby Bridge) — Head eleven miles south toward Valley Center on your way back to Wichita to swap neon art for local urban legends at a lonely creek crossing.
- Karg Art Glass — Seventeen miles south in Kechi, you can watch molten glass handled in a working hot shop to extend your visual art detour.
Good to know
Where exactly is the mural located in Newton?
It covers the exterior wall of the Furniture Warehouse building at 100 E 2nd St, on the north side of 2nd Street just east of KS-15/North Main Street.
How much does it cost to see, and what are the hours?
It is a free outdoor mural on a public sidewalk, so you can view it 24/7, though daylight is required to see the colors clearly.
Why is there a Beatles mural in Newton, Kansas?
Building owner Kelly Hayes commissioned artist Mark Pendergrass to paint it for his 60th birthday simply because he was a huge fan of the band.
How far is this drive from Wichita?
Newton is roughly a 30-minute drive north of downtown Wichita via I-135.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · Official site · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-07