The park is open; the reconstructed fort is open for plaza accessEntry into the reconstructed fort is limited to the central plaza. For your safety, respect all closures and restrictions. Guided tours provide access into furnished rooms.
The public is invited inside the reconstruction of Bent’s Old Fort and into the plaza. For your safety, respect all closures.
Guided tours allow for an exploration of furnished rooms within the reconstructed fort.
Construction of the original Bent’s Old Fort was started in 1833 and completed probably in the spring of 1835 and modified in around 1845.
Bent’s Old Fort was completely reconstructed by the National Park Service and was dedicated on July 25, 1976.
Photographs of the 1976 Reconstruction showing current conditions and construction images from the 1970s.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Reconstructed Fort Updated September 2026
Entry into the reconstructed fort is limited to the central plaza when open. For your safety, respect all closures and restrictions.
See the event calendar for scheduled plaza access days. Guided tours provide access into additional areas; see the event calendar for scheduled tours. Park grounds and trails remain open daily. Access to the reconstructed fort is restricted due to safety issues stemming from nearly 50 years of use and deficiencies in the 1970s design and construction of the Fort. Park staff conducted stabilization work in the spring of 2025 and continue to monitor the condition of the structure for further change. An Information Center is now available at the parking lot as a place to begin your visit. The center features a Western National Park Store.
Guided tours of the fort are scheduled depending on time of year and availability of park staff. Each tour will last approximately forty-five minutes and begin in the plaza. Tours are limited to fifteen participants and will explore the historic use of the site and the reconstruction of the fort in the 1970s by entering some furnished rooms. Please see the event calendar for more information about upcoming tours.
At this time, guided tours are conducted on a first come, first serve basis the day of the tour.
Larger groups must contact the park at least 60 days in advance to discuss arrangements to accommodate more than 15 persons through the Special Use Permitting process.
Pets are permitted in the plaza of the replica fort, and must be leashed at all times, kept close at hand and away from fort livestock. Pets are allowed inside the fort plaza only. Learn more about our pet policy.
The passport stamp is available at the Information Center.
Access to the reconstructed fort is restricted due to safety issues stemming from nearly 50 years of use and deficiencies in the 1970s design and construction of the reconstructed Fort. Park staff conducted stabilization work in the spring of 2025 and continue to monitor the condition of the structure for further change.
When the reconstructed fort was designed in the 1970s a choice was made by the architects to “be concerned about safety protection, but … not over-do to the detriment of the historical preservation authenticity.” This choice means that the present building meets a historic appearance but fails to meet fire and life-safety requirements and comply with the National Park Service (NPS) adopted fire code. A lack of code compliant components such as emergency lighting, illuminated exit signage, panic hardware on doors, and outwardly swinging exit doors results in a limitation of 49 occupants for visitor operations.
Given the varying condition of the structure and associated areas of concern, we do not have a timeline for fully reopening the reconstructed fort.
No repair work is being conducted at the structure at this time. Staff continue to monitor the condition of the structure for further change. The park is currently engaging in a process to explore different options for the future of the reconstructed fort.
Historical records indicate that that William Bent abandoned the original fort after 16 years due to a series of personal tragedies (the 1847 deaths of his wife, Owl Woman and his older brother and business partner Charles Bent), disruptions to the business model of the fort and the region resulting from the US-Mexican War. Its location relative to the Arkansas River threatened the fort with flooding every spring, and the severe wind and rain common to the climate of the area deteriorated the unprotected adobe at a rapid pace. By 1853, William Bent finished construction of a different fort to the west and travelers along the Santa Fe Trail describe the 1833 fort in “ruins.” However, portions of the remaining structure were used from 1860-75 as a post office and stagecoach station. In the 1880s and 1890s, a rancher used the remaining structure as a line camp. Ruins of the fort survived into the early 1900s; however, all aboveground ruins were washed away by flooding on the Arkansas River in 1921. After an archeological dig in the 1960s, the remaining historic fabric of the fort was destroyed in June 1975 as construction of the replica fort began.
No matter how well conceived or executed, reconstructions are contemporary interpretations of the past rather than authentic survivals from it.
There is nothing authentic about the reconstruction of Bent's Old Fort. There is a lot that is accurate about it.
The reconstruction of Bent’s Old Fort was designed in 1973-74 and constructed on site in 1975-76 to coincide with America’s Bicentennial and the Centennial of Colorado Statehood.
No. Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site was not one of the National Park Service units designated as a National Park Service Bicentennial area by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. No funding was included for the fort as part the National Park Service's Bicentennial appropriation.
Planning for the reconstruction had begun more than a decade earlier after Congress authorized the site as part of the national park system. The reconstruction's completion in 1976 was good timing but was not the result of Bicentennial or Colorado Centennial planning.
Construction of the reconstructed fort by the National Park Service began in 1975 and was completed in 1976. The new fort was envisioned to be an “authentic” and modern reconstruction of the original fort rather than an “accurate” representation of the fort that was built in 1833 by brothers Charles and William Bent. Often, the “design of the new structure diverged from the evidence available on the appearance of the original fort to meet modern safety, engineering needs” and “despite these modifications, it was believed that the reconstruction of Bent's Old Fort was ‘a historical project with the maximum authenticity.’” Although archaeological excavation of the site in the early 1960s found evidence of the 1833 fort’s foundational footprint, construction of the building above ground level was based on limited documentation.
In 1968, the National Park Service managed to obtain an 1845 sketch of the fort which included several interior and exterior details that were previously unknown. Even so, architectural data was still limited, leaving approximately forty percent of the new fort to be constructed based on speculation and guesswork. The new fort was built over the foundation of the original fort, and the walls were constructed of a Portland cement brick inner wall and an outer wall of stabilized adobe brick clad in adobe render. This resulted from an effort to reduce immediate and long-term costs and maintenance, by utilizing a mixture of Santa Fe adobe and contemporary masonry design. Over time, stucco was applied over the adobe render before the exterior walls were later “repaired” utilizing concrete block and cement stucco. Because of this hybrid design, special attention was required for structural continuity, finishing, and drainage of the walls and roofs. Other design components of the reconstructed fort consisted of concrete foundation, floors, and roof decks, concrete bond beams, insulation and water proofing, radiant heating, exhausting ventilation, plumbing, lighting, and power. These changes to the design aimed to improve the durability of the new fort, yet quickly led to significant engineering and design failures. The high cost of maintenance and upkeep of the reconstructed fort in the years after its completion led to a push for finding alternative materials that were more resistant to climatic and structural factors. This legacy of ad hoc repair has further complicated the conditions within the reconstruction. |
Last updated: September 29, 2026