Fort Scott National Historic Site

It took us ten months, but we finally made it to our first Kansas National Park Service site. We took a day trip to explore Fort Scott National Historic Site and the George Washington Carver National Monument. Fort Scott is about an hour and a half south of Kansas City. It and Fort Leavenworth protected the frontier of white settlement during the mid 1800s.

Address and Location

You’ll find Fort Scott National Historic Site at Old Fort Boulevard in Fort Scott, Kansas. It sits just off the exit on US 69 and is about 20 minutes north of Pittsburg. You’re also in the heart of downtown Fort Scott, so you can take a stroll there when you leave the fort.

Cost

Exploring Fort Scott National Historic Site is free.

What to do

Start in the Visitor’s Center. They have a few displays and a map of the whole complex. Fort Scott played an interesting role in the history of 1840s to 1860s. It started off of a frontier outpost, provided a lot of soldiers for the Mexican-American War, then had a front row seat for the Bleeding Kansas crisis.

Next, head to the Barracks / Western Hotel. This building has been restored and houses a very comprehensive exhibit on the Bleeding Kansas conflict. After the Army left, these former barracks became a hotel. It served as a headquarters for the area’s pro-slavery movement. Some of the former officers’ barracks across the parade ground housed the anti-slavery crew. Things did not go well.

The other buildings have been restored to show Army life on the Kansas frontier. They have some good exhibits and information. We also took a stroll through the captain’s quarters. These were honestly larger than the military quarters we’ve lived in, so that’s cool. Overall, Fort Scott is a worthwhile place to explore and to learn more about the pre-Civil War era.

Have you visited Fort Scott?