Fort Gibson Historic Site | Oklahoma Historical Society
Source: https://www.okhistory.org/sites/fortgibson
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:17
Fort Gibson Historic Site | Oklahoma Historical Society
Fort Gibson Historic Site | Oklahoma Historical Society
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Fort Gibson Historic Site
Visit Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson Historic Site hosts living history events, Bake Days using the historic bakehouse, and educational programs throughout the year. Visitors can view original buildings from the 1840s–70s and a reconstruction of the early log fort and the stockade. Our new visitor center is located inside the historic hospital, and the fort’s history is explored in exhibits in the visitor center and commissary.
The site features a renovated historic hospital and a log stockade reconstructed under the Works Progress Administration in 1937. The stockade underwent extensive restoration in 2013 and reopened in 2016.
Fort Gibson is a National Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Upcoming Events
“Camp Life of Washington Irving and the Mounted Rangers”
April 25, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 2, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 9, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 16, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
The History of Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson served a pivotal role in the political, social, and economic upheaval that marked the westward expansion of the United States.
Built at the critical crossroads of the Three Forks where the Arkansas, Verdigris, and Grand Rivers converge south of the Ozark Plateau, Fort Gibson was key to river navigation. It also served as an outpost on the Texas Road connecting settled Missouri with the new country of Mexico after independence from Spain in 1820.
Fort Gibson was established in 1824 to keep the peace between the Osage and the Cherokee. It figured prominently in the Indian removals and was home to many of our nation’s leaders during the 1840s and 1850s. Fort Gibson served as a starting point for several military expeditions that explored the West. It was occupied through most of the Indian removal period, but then abandoned in 1857. The post was reactivated during the Civil War. It was renamed Fort Blunt and served as the Union headquarters in Indian Territory. The army stayed through the Reconstruction and Indian Wars periods, combating the problem of outlaws and squatters.
Abandoned in 1890, the fort was later the headquarters of the Dawes Commission for their work enrolling members of the Five Tribes. At Fort Gibson, the commission members focused their attention on Cherokee Freedmen.
Explore More
Read more about Fort Gibson in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
View
“Feeding An Army,”
about the Civil War–era oven and the history of the fort
Operating support is generously provided by the Cherokee Nation.
Fort Gibson Historic Site
Plan Your Visit
Historic Hospital
Oklahoma Historical Society
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-2491
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Fort Gibson Historic Site | Oklahoma Historical Society
Skip to Main Content
Oklahoma Historical Society
Menu
Fort Gibson Historic Site
Visit Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson Historic Site hosts living history events, Bake Days using the historic bakehouse, and educational programs throughout the year. Visitors can view original buildings from the 1840s–70s and a reconstruction of the early log fort and the stockade. Our new visitor center is located inside the historic hospital, and the fort’s history is explored in exhibits in the visitor center and commissary.
The site features a renovated historic hospital and a log stockade reconstructed under the Works Progress Administration in 1937. The stockade underwent extensive restoration in 2013 and reopened in 2016.
Fort Gibson is a National Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Upcoming Events
“Camp Life of Washington Irving and the Mounted Rangers”
April 25, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 2, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 9, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
“Arkansas Volunteers: the ‘Casual’ Soldiers and Regular Infantry at Fort Gibson”
May 16, 10 a.m.
–
4 p.m.
The History of Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson served a pivotal role in the political, social, and economic upheaval that marked the westward expansion of the United States.
Built at the critical crossroads of the Three Forks where the Arkansas, Verdigris, and Grand Rivers converge south of the Ozark Plateau, Fort Gibson was key to river navigation. It also served as an outpost on the Texas Road connecting settled Missouri with the new country of Mexico after independence from Spain in 1820.
Fort Gibson was established in 1824 to keep the peace between the Osage and the Cherokee. It figured prominently in the Indian removals and was home to many of our nation’s leaders during the 1840s and 1850s. Fort Gibson served as a starting point for several military expeditions that explored the West. It was occupied through most of the Indian removal period, but then abandoned in 1857. The post was reactivated during the Civil War. It was renamed Fort Blunt and served as the Union headquarters in Indian Territory. The army stayed through the Reconstruction and Indian Wars periods, combating the problem of outlaws and squatters.
Abandoned in 1890, the fort was later the headquarters of the Dawes Commission for their work enrolling members of the Five Tribes. At Fort Gibson, the commission members focused their attention on Cherokee Freedmen.
Explore More
Read more about Fort Gibson in
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
View
“Feeding An Army,”
about the Civil War–era oven and the history of the fort
Operating support is generously provided by the Cherokee Nation.
Fort Gibson Historic Site
Plan Your Visit
Historic Hospital
Oklahoma Historical Society
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-2491
Site Index
|
Contact Us
|
Privacy
|
Accessibility
|
Press Room
Get Updates in Your Inbox
Keep up to date with our weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe Now