Entry No. 40 — the Wichita file — filed under: pyramid-power
The Pyradomes (Riordan Clinic)
Visible from K-96, eight geodesic domes and a 39-foot hollow pyramid rose from a 90-acre urban nature preserve in July 1984 — not as a theme park, but as a serious bioenergy research campus built on "pyramid power" theory by the Olive W. Garvey Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning. The pyramid still hosts special events for the Riordan Clinic, the holistic-health nonprofit that now owns it, while deer and wild turkeys wander the grounds. Quirky signage scattered across the property reads "Thank You for Not Jogging" and "Let The Grass Live," a vibe perfectly preserved from its 1980s wellness-utopia origins. Roadside America and Atlas Obscura both flag it — and yet most Wichitans drive past it on K-96 their whole lives without ever stopping.
The story
Drive along K-96 through North Wichita and you'll catch a flash of white geometry that looks less like Kansas agriculture and more like an abandoned 1980s sci-fi research outpost. Rising from a 90-acre urban nature preserve are eight geodesic domes anchored by a stark, 39-foot hollow white pyramid. Opened in July 1984 as the Olive W. Garvey Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning, this was never a roadside gimmick or a cult compound—it was built as a serious alternative medicine research campus grounded in the era's fascination with "pyramid power" and bioenergetic architecture.
Founder Dr. Hugh Riordan and benefactor Olive W. Garvey designed the campus around the theory that specific geometric forms—like geodesic domes and pyramid angles—could concentrate environmental energy, lowering patient stress and enhancing physical healing. Today, the non-profit Riordan Clinic still operates out of the domes, specializing in functional medicine and high-dose IV vitamin C therapy. But while most medical facilities eventually update into standard corporate brick, this 1980s wellness-utopia campus remains completely frozen in its original form.
What makes a walk around 3100 N Hillside eerie isn't just the retro-futuristic structures, but how nature has adapted to them. Flocks of wild turkeys and herds of deer graze unbothered between the domes, stepping past vintage enamel signs scattered through the grass that read "Thank You for Not Jogging" and "Let The Grass Live." You didn't hear it from us, but it is easily one of the strangest architectural time capsules in the Midwest.
What it's like
Turn off K-96 at Hillside Street and park in the main clinic lot. Keep in mind this is an active holistic health facility, not a public city park—keep your voice down, respect patients and medical staff, and stay on the open lawns and outer walking paths rather than pressing your nose against the dome windows. For a legitimate reason to step indoors without booking a medical consultation, walk into the on-site supplement store, which is open to the public during business hours. Come on a clear, mild day in spring or fall when the resident deer and wild turkeys are out wandering the grounds.
The move: Pull off K-96 at Hillside, walk the grounds to get up close to the pyramid and count all eight domes, then book an off-the-wall afternoon IV-vitamin-C appointment inside — possibly the only date in Kansas where you can discuss "bioenergetic architecture" while attached to a drip.
📍 Before you go You'll find it in North Wichita just off the K-96 freeway at the Hillside Street exit; watch for the glint of domes and the pyramid's peak, then turn in at 3100 N Hillside. Remember this is a working holistic-health clinic on a private nature preserve, not a public park — park in the clinic lot, keep your voices down around patients and staff, and stick to the open lawns and paths rather than wandering up to the buildings. The on-site supplement store is generally open to the public if you want an excuse to step inside. Come in daylight and fair weather; the grounds are best in mild spring or fall, when the deer and turkeys are out and the walk is pleasant.
- 📍 North Wichita
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 3100 N Hillside St, Wichita, KS 67219
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Celestial Mechanic (buried spaceman sculpture, WSU campus) — Pair 1980s pyramid-power architecture with another bizarre outdoor dome: head 1.5 miles south to WSU's campus to see a retro spaceman sculpture buried under glass.
- House of Tank Museum — Trade holistic bioenergy domes for heavy armor just two miles west at this neurosurgeon-owned warehouse packed with roughly 25 battle tanks.
- Original Pizza Hut Museum — Balance high-concept 1980s fringe science with Wichita's most famous commercial export at the original 1958 brick Pizza Hut building on the WSU campus.
Good to know
Can you go inside the 39-foot pyramid?
Not for casual walk-ins. While the public can visit the clinic's supplement store located inside the main facility, the hollow pyramid itself is reserved for special events, lectures, and clinic functions.
What is the story behind the 'Thank You for Not Jogging' signs?
The signs date back to the facility's 1984 opening under Dr. Hugh Riordan. The campus philosophy prioritized low-impact movement, tranquil surroundings, and protecting the native prairie grass over high-impact exercise.
Do I need an appointment just to walk around the property?
No appointment is needed to view the exteriors from the outdoor paths or visit the supplement store. Just remain respectful of the active medical practice, stick to open areas, and keep your distance from patient rooms.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Roadside America · Yelp · visitwichita.com
last checked: 2026-06-09