National Historic Site

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Midwest

About Fort Scott

Promises made and broken! Who deserves to be free? The fight for freedom! Soldiers fighting settlers! Each of these stories is a link in the chain of events that encircled Fort Scott from 1842-1873. All of the site's structures, its parade ground, and its tallgrass prairie bear witness to this era when the country was forged from a young republic into a united transcontinental nation.

From the National Park Service.

Region: Midwest
State: Kansas
Designation: National Historic Site
Entrance fee: None listed

Trail data for this park is still being added.
Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Fort Scott.

Entrance fees

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for this park.

Hours

Mon: Sunrise to Sunset
Tue: Sunrise to Sunset
Wed: Sunrise to Sunset
Thu: Sunrise to Sunset
Fri: Sunrise to Sunset
Sat: Sunrise to Sunset
Sun: Sunrise to Sunset

Park Visitor Center and historic building hours listed under 'Visitor Centers.' Visitors may walk the park grounds, walkways, and parking lot from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset, except during periods of snow, ice, or other inclement weather conditions that make the grounds unsafe.

Weather and when to go

Spring and autumn are pleasant with mild temperatures. Summers are generally hot and humid, while winters are mild with periods of cold weather, snowfall, and ice storms. Thunderstorms, some severe, are common throughout the spring and summer. During periods of severe weather, visitors should seek shelter, as the area is prone to lightning strikes. Visitors are advised to check the weather prior to traveling.

Getting there

Fort Scott National Historic Site is located in downtown Fort Scott, Kansas. U.S. Highways 69 and 54 intersect here. Fort Scott is about 90 miles south of Kansas City and 60 miles northwest of Joplin, Missouri. It is 4 miles from the Kansas-Missouri border. Signs directing visitors to Fort Scott are posted on Highway 69 for visitors coming from the north and the south and on Highway 54 for visitors coming from the east and the west.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address: 1 Old Fort Blvd., Fort Scott, KS 66701
Phone: (620) 223-0310
Email: fosc_interpretation@nps.gov
Official site: nps.gov/fosc

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Fort Scott

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

Plan your park trip Free. No account needed.

Things to do in Fort Scott

The park service's own list, with how long each takes.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People

Self-Guided Tours - Walking · about 15 min

Fort Scott encourages outdoor exercise to improve health. Get out and walk to help reduce stress, improve brain function, and instill a sense of well-being. Take advantage of a ge…
Discovering Life at Fort Scott

Living History · about 50 min

Living History Programs