Last updated: May 5, 2026
Place
Barton County Historical Society Museum
Photo/Barton County Historical Society
Quick Facts
Location:
85 US-281, Great Bend, Kansas 67530.
Significance:
Museum features exhibits on the Santa Fe Trail.
Designation:
Certified Site; Historic site on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
4 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Restroom
The Barton County Historical Society Museum consists of exhibits (including the Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Site), a research library, and an administrative area. Behind the building is a historical village consisting of a church, 1-room school house, windmill, post office building, railroad depot, barn, residences, and other structures.
From Plum Buttes to the Walnut Creek Crossing to Pawnee Rock, the area that is now Barton County played a major role in the history of the Santa Fe Trail. Collections and displays maintained by the Historical Society tell the story of this region from the American Indians of the Paleo Period through the development of the trail, the trading posts and Fort Zarah, to European settlement.
Site Information
Location (85 US-281, Great Bend, Kansas 67530.)