Fort Scott National Historic Site

A field of sunflowers adds a splash of color to a view of the parade ground at 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.
Map showing location of park.
group of reenactors marching in two lines, dressed in blue Union Army uniforms.
Experience Life at Fort Scott During the Civil War
Fort Scott National Historic Site is hosting its Annual Civil War Encampment, April 12 and 13, 2025. Join us each day to experience cavalry and infantry troops drilling, preparing for battle, and sharing stories of life during the Civil War. Talk to a blacksmith as he brings raw metal to life with his hammer, learn the process of crafting lead musket balls, and speak with volunteers portraying some of the women who provided support to the troops and operations during the Civil War.
A field of sunflowers next to a stone building. Wood frame structures in background.
Photo by NPS Pnoto
Picture of the post hospital with the parade ground and trees in the background.
Photo by NPS Photo
Wood frame structures with stairs next to a stone walkway. Structures reflect afternoon sunlight.
Photo by NPS Photo
Four soldiers on horseback in a line riding through prairie grass.
Photo by NPS Photo/Michelle Martin
Women dressed as laundresses with laundry buckets and scrub boards stand on a stone porch.
Photo by NPS Photo
Picture of rows of flags across the parade ground with trees in the background.
Photo by NPS Photo: B. Boyko