Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant John Denny served at Fort Hays from January 1882 to December 1884. He and other African American “Buffalo Soldiers” are part of the rich Fort Hays history that includes names like Generals George A. Custer, Nelson Miles, and Philip Sheridan; Major Marcus Reno; William “Buffalo Bill” Cody; and James B. “Wild Bill” Hickok. Established in 1865 in the land of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, the fort protected railroad workers and travelers on the Smoky Hill Trail. See the soldiers’ clothing, weapons, and personal items, including George Custer’s dumbbell forged by the fort’s blacksmith. Learn more about the soldiers and the people they were protecting when you visit Fort Hays.By using our Hays road trip planning tool, you can arrange your visit to Fort Hays State Historic Site and other attractions in Hays.
Admission:
Adults: $5
Students: $1
Children 5 & Under and Members of "Friends of the Fort": FREE
Source
Fort Hays State Historic Site reviews
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Great stop, very well laid out and the staff working was informative and nice to talk to. There has been a lot of work to preserve the buildings, but present the area in a modern fashion,
Great stop, very well laid out and the staff working was informative and nice to talk to. There has been a lot of work to preserve the buildings, but present the area in a modern fashion, more »
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The museum explained about the fort and showed an interesting short video about the Indian wars. Loved seeing the Captain's quarters. The homes are very old but in excellent condition. The homes had..... more
The museum explained about the fort and showed an interesting short video about the Indian wars. Loved seeing the Captain's quarters. The homes are very old but in excellent condition. The homes had..... more »
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Fort Hays was originally named Fort Fletcher and was occupied 1865~1889. It reopened as a historical park in 1929, and it is now operated by the Kansas Historical Society as the Fort Hays State Historic Site. We really enjoyed our time spent at Fort Hays, it was fun seeing some of the buildings still intact. There paved walking paths to see everything and admission was $5 for adults.
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Not everything was open for viewing, but the docent was kind enough to allow me to bring my SD-in-training into the museum & indoor displays such as the Officer's Quarters. Was a very informative museum and I appreciated learning the military history of the area. If you find yourself in Hays; take the time to check out Fort Hays.
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