Rate Fort Scott National Historic Site
Learn and Explore
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Our Mission
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I obtain a park entrance pass?
Only 118 of your 417 park sites charge entrance fees. You can obtain park entrance passes by visiting a park site that charges an entrance fee. Entrance fee sites have passes available; we recommend calling a park prior to your visit. (See the park search to locate a specific park.) There are a number of entrance passes available, including park-specific passes as well as passes that offer entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites in addition to the national parks (Annual, Military, Senior, 4th Grade, Access, and Volunteer passes). Learn more about the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
About this location:
National Historic Site
Operating Hours & Seasons
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Visitors may walk the grounds from sunrise to sunset except during periods of snow, ice or other inclement weather conditions that make the grounds unsafe
Standard Hours
- Sunday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Monday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Tuesday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Wednesday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Thursday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Friday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Saturday:8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Additional Information View More
- Thanksgiving Day:
- –
- Christmas Day:
- –
- New Year’s Day:
- –
- Summer Hours:
- April 1 – March 31
- 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Fees & Passes
Entrance Fees:
- $0.00 – Entrance Fees
The site does not charge an entrance fee.
About
The site does not charge an entrance fee.
Forging a Nation: Fort Scott in the Mid Nineteenth Century
Promises made and broken! A town attacked at dawn! Thousands made homeless by war! 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.
Directions
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. Highway 69 between Fort Scott and Kansas City is a four lane highway,
Visitor Centers
Post Hospital-Visitor Center
The visitor center for the site is located on the ground floor of the post hospital which is located at the entrance to the site near Old Fort Blvd. The visitor center includes a park store, restrooms and orientation desk. Upstairs is an exhibit of a hospital room of the 1840s.
Weather
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.
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