Entry No. 32 — the Wichita file — filed under: dala horses
Wild Dala Horse Herd
Since 2000, Lindsborg has maintained a publicly displayed herd of 30+ life-size fiberglass Dala horses — each uniquely painted by local artists — scattered across storefronts, yards, and parks throughout "Little Sweden USA." A free scavenger-hunt map from the visitor center sends you chasing them all down on foot across a charming, walkable Swedish-heritage downtown.
The story
In 2000, Lindsborg took the traditional Swedish folk symbol—the carved wooden Dala horse—and scaled it up into a herd of life-sized fiberglass shells. Rather than line them up in a quiet gallery or a civic courtyard, local artists were handed more than 30 of these blank horses and given free rein to hand-paint them. The finished herd was then released directly into the wild, planted along sidewalk curbs, outside shop entrances, and inside public parks across town.
The result is an open-air scavenger hunt built into the downtown street grid. Each horse serves as a unique canvas for whatever visual idea its painter cooked up, ranging from classical Swedish folk motifs to outlandish, customized art jobs. They are not neatly corralled in a single location, which means you have to actively search store fronts, yards, and side streets if you want to track down every single one.
What it's like
Drive an hour north of Wichita off I-135, park near Main Street, and make your first stop the Travel Information Center at 118 N. Main Street (or the Convention and Visitors Bureau on East Lincoln) to pick up the free Wild Dala map. The hunt is flat, entirely on foot, and takes about two to three hours if you are thorough. The catch for completionists: a few horses reside inside private shops, so showing up on a Sunday leaves those specific horses uncheckable behind locked glass. Plan for Monday through Saturday, pair the walk with pastries at a local Swedish bakery, and don't miss the horses hiding indoors or tucked just off the main strip.
The move: Pick up the free Wild Dala map at the Travel Information Center on Main Street, then spend 2-3 hours on foot tracking down all 30+ horses together — photograph yourselves with the most outlandish paint jobs, grab fika (coffee and pastries) at one of the Swedish bakeries mid-hunt, and finish with a tally of who spotted more.
📍 Before you go This is a day trip: Lindsborg sits about an hour north of Wichita off I-135, so build in drive time. Grab the free hunt map at the Travel Information Center on Main Street (the Convention and Visitors Bureau on E. Lincoln also stocks them), then park on the downtown square and work both sides of Main Street, where most of the herd lives. A couple of horses stand inside shops, so come Monday through Saturday if you want the complete set; Sundays leave a few uncheckable. It's flat and walkable, best in mild, dry weather. Pair the hunt with the Swedish bakeries and Hemslojd gift shop right downtown.
- 📍 Lindsborg
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 118 N. Main Street, Lindsborg, KS 67456 (start at Travel Information Center for the free map)
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Red Barn Studio Museum (Lester Raymer) — Located two blocks from Main Street, this studio lets you step inside an obsessive, handmade world created out of salvaged metal, toys, and wood.
- Rock in a Cage — Walk 0.6 miles to the Old Mill grounds to inspect a pipeline-excavated boulder literally locked behind spike-topped steel bars.
- Coronado Heights Castle — Drive less than three miles outside town to climb a 1930s WPA-built stone castle crowning a 300-foot sandstone bluff.
Good to know
How much does the scavenger hunt map cost?
The map is completely free and available at the Travel Information Center on Main Street or the CVB on East Lincoln.
Where is the best place to start looking?
Start at 118 N. Main Street to grab your map, park nearby, and work both sides of Main Street on foot where the highest density of the herd lives.
Can you see all 30+ horses on a Sunday?
No. While most are outdoors in parks and along sidewalks, a couple sit inside local businesses, making Monday through Saturday the only window to check off the full herd.
How far is this from Wichita?
Lindsborg is about an hour's drive north of Wichita straight up I-135, making it an easy half-day trip.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Roadside America · visitlindsborg.com
last checked: 2026-06-07