Fort Hays State Historic Site

Fort Hays State Historic Site Fort Hays was a US military post at the height of the Indian Wars from 1867-1889. Today the site has

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 la

nd 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. Admission:
Adults: $5
Students: $1
Children 5 & Under and Members of "Friends of the Fort": FREE

Saturday, August 1st at 2pm we have a presentation by Adam Conkey. Leadership at Fort Hays: A Look at Post Commanders fr...
07/29/2026

Saturday, August 1st at 2pm we have a presentation by Adam Conkey. Leadership at Fort Hays: A Look at Post Commanders from 1865-1889.

6th US Cavalry Colonel James Oakes' dress coat, per Army regulations of 1872, is shown below as part of the collection in the Kansas Historical Society at Topeka. Oakes, a Civil War veteran of brevet Brigadier General rank, was acting commandant of Fort Hays in 1873 and 1874. He retired from the service in 1879. To learn more about his life and the lives of many others, visit our museum at Historic Fort Hays at 2pm on August 1st.

Final presenters in our summer presentation series: August 1: Leadership at Fort Hays: A look at the Post Commanders fro...
07/16/2026

Final presenters in our summer presentation series:

August 1: Leadership at Fort Hays: A look at the Post Commanders from 1867-1889 by Adam Conkey.

September 5: Healthcare and Service at a Frontier Army Hospital by Sherrie Smith.

Photo pictured here: The Blockhouse at Fort Hays photographed from the east side in the foreground, in the background to the right a wagon and the Surgeon's Quarters directly west of the Blockhouse. In later years, the regimental band of the 18th Infantry also took quarter in this building. Both buildings still exist, though only one is located on site grounds. The Surgeon's Quarters is now a half mile east at the KSU Agricultural Research Center. Photo was taken in the interim period between the Fort closing in October 1889 and the Western Branch of the Kansas Normal School opening in June 1902.

Bring your lawn chairs with you, we have an evening of events scheduled for you celebrating America's 250th and the bes...
07/03/2026

Bring your lawn chairs with you, we have an evening of events scheduled for you celebrating America's 250th and the best vantage for a fantastic fireworks show at 10pm!

Col. Sam Sturgis, Lt. Col. Geo. Custer, Lt. Tom Custer, Ft. Hays Post Trader Hill Wilson hunt bison in the late summer o...
06/27/2026

Col. Sam Sturgis, Lt. Col. Geo. Custer, Lt. Tom Custer, Ft. Hays Post Trader Hill Wilson hunt bison in the late summer of 1869 southeast of Hays City. In their party include Henry Cavendish 4th Baron Waterpark, Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey, among many, and in one day on expedition killed 80 bison, G. A. Custer claiming 9. Among the horses situated hounds, difficult to discern out of the group in photo, and 11 men. Both Custer brothers and Sturgis' son Lt. Jas. Sturgis, graduate of West Point 1875,were killed on June 25 at Little Bighorn.

On this day, 150 years ago, the remains of Custer's command were discovered by Gen. Alfred Terry arriving on site June 27 to link up with Maj. Marcus Reno's and Capt. Fred. Benteen's remaining companies of the 7th Cavalry. Both of these men are not listed on the Sturgis Expedition but were serving at Fort Hays contemporary to the photograph. Lt. Will. Cooke, also accompanying the expedition perished at Little Bighorn. James Sturgis' body was never discerned from the dead. -photo courtesy Kansas Historical Society.

Historic Fort Hays Honors Juneteenth and will be Closed Friday, June 19th 2026
06/18/2026

Historic Fort Hays Honors Juneteenth and will be Closed Friday, June 19th 2026

We have a long standing tradition of volunteerism at Historic Fort Hays and happily continue that tradition today. Here ...
04/09/2026

We have a long standing tradition of volunteerism at Historic Fort Hays and happily continue that tradition today. Here are a few of a familiar faces from years past. Feel free to join us on April 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM to learn how to become a volunteer at the museum. We will offer an overview of our mission and a guided tour of our grounds for those interested in signing up. All ages welcome!

Address

1472 US Highway 183 Alt
Hays, KS
67601

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+17856256812

Website

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