Fort Scott National Historic Site

Fort Scott National Historic Park is a national historic site in the state of Kansas. Established in 1978, the historic park is named after the general Winfield Scott, a man who fought during the Mexican-American War. Once a military base, the site is now open to the public. Tours of the site are held regularly and a visitor center can be accessed where people can learn about the area and purchase books and other items related to the fort.

History of the area
Fort Scott was built in 1842 in Kansas due to the sudden rise in immigration to the west from the eastern side of the United States. The fort wasn't intended to protect against the immigrants, but rather the Indians who might have attacked the immigrants. Fort Larned National Historic Site, also located in Kansas, was established for a similar reason: to protect against indians who might have attacked mail men or travelers.

Visitor information
There are twenty buildings at the historic fort. Interestingly, there are also five acres that preserve the tallgrass prairie, making it only one of two units of the National Park Service that do so (the other being Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, also in Kansas. However, Tallgrass Prairie has over 10,000 acres of the tallgrass ecosystem). Visitors can participate in self-guided and guided daily tours that take them around the fort. Schools can arrange guided tours for both elementary and middle school classes.

Fort Scott is open all year long, though the hours depend on the months. From April to October, the fort is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., while in November to March, months that are much colder, the site is open from November to March, while the site is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas day and New Years.