Disclosure: Scott City Chamber of Commerce & Tourism sponsored this post. However, all opinions and photographs are my own.
They say Scott City is where history and progress meet, and I agree after spending time uncovering the fun things to do in the rural Kansas town. Its scenic landscape experiences and hometown dining are worth visiting, and it’s only a 37-mile drive north of Garden City.
Drive to Scott City or fly into Scott City Municipal Airport to embark on a memorable adventure tour in Wild West Country.
Scott City has come a long way since 1884 when a progressive Chicago woman, Maria DeGeer, decided to found the town. In addition to serving as a stop near the Western Vistas Historic Byway, the area is also known for its Western and Native American heritage, fossil discoveries, Historic Lake Scott State Park and El Quartelejo Ruins.
MUST-VISIT MUSEUM
El Quartelejo Museum + Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection
Start your day in Scott City at the El Quartelejo Museum + Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection (902 W 5th Street) to dive deep into the town’s history, which is the best way to get to know a destination before exploring it.
Open Tuesday through Saturday, the museum’s exhibits are free to peruse and most self-guided tours require at least an hour (not including view the Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection).
The initial exhibits take visitors on a marine fossil discovery with displays, which include skeletons of huge swimming reptiles.
If bringing kids, they will love the fossil dig table. Ice age mammal fossils like a mammoth tooth and massive tusk wow visitors.
Next, well-designed exhibits illustrate the early Native American experience. A replica of the El Quartelejo Pueblo explains how the Taos and Tewa Pueblo people came from New Mexico resided in the area 12 miles north of Scott City. Evidence supports that El Quartelejo was the first White Settlement in Kansas, operated by French traders in the 1700s.
A diorama of the last Indian Battle in Kansas at Punished Woman’s Fork is a a visual representation of the actual site (more on that later).
Pioneer life and the installation of the railroad are equally remarkable. Aside from antique farm machinery, original artifacts help visitors envision what it must have been like to live on land with 360-degree views of scenic Kansas during the early 1900s.
Venture inside the Western Kansas Fossil Lab, where the paleontological timeline of the High Plains is explained and a table, showcasing an actual fossil specimen on a display table. It’s fascinating to learn how Wichitan Kristopher Super, a fossil collector and educator, excavated a Elasmosaurs (a marine reptile).
PRO TIP: Purchase a memento of your visit in the museum’s store.
Finally, the Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection, a spacious room filled sculptures and paintings depicting wildlife, landscapes, history and American West people, is a must-have experience. I was beyond impressed with the acrylic paintings on masonite board.
“The Girl I Left Behind,” a part of his Kansas series, will leave you awe-struck and seeking knowledge about the Civil War era. In particular, his depiction of the Cheyenne Indians at Monument Rocks proves why Thomas’ work earns him world-wide acclaim.
Given his immense talent, it’s hard to believe Thomas, who has a degree n Architectural Design and City Planning from Southwestern College, is a self-taught artist.
The gallery is also home to the artists’ personal collection of military artifacts, including Charles “Jesse” Buffalo Jones Springfield’s Model 1863 Rifle used on buffalo hunts and African safaris in the late 1800’s.
FANTASTIC FLIGHT FUN
Spencer Flight & Education Center
If you or someone you know wants to learn how to fly, Spencer Flight and Education (300 S. Mesquite Road) makes dreams come true. It is also the site of a nighttime air show every other year in September hosted at the Scott City Municipal Airport.
Three flight instructors guide new and experienced pilots through general aviation training.
Pilots and non-pilots can reserve time in the FAA-approved Redbird FMX Flight Simulator. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to fly a plane, this is an experience you’ll cherish.
Since 2012, the Spencer Flight Center’s 50-person classroom has served as home base for ground school and educational programs.
REMINDER: Save the date to watch the aerial performers wow hundreds of onlookers at the nighttime airshow. The event includes live music and a spectacular fireworks display.
TERRIFIC TOUR
Duff’s Buffalo Ranch
Imagine riding on the back of a truck as a stampede of buffalo approaches, looking straight at you. It’s snack time for buffalo treats. The most exhilarating feeling, and perhaps the most quintessential Kansas experience, Duff’s Buffalo Ranch offers private buffalo tours.
Better yet, you’ll likely see sacred white buffalo with her calf during Spring. The mature bulls are massive and tower about as tall as the truck. For me, the open-air tour was a pinch-me moment, and one I’m still telling others about. The tours are available after May 15 through summer by appointment.
During the one-hour tour, which ranges in price based on the group size, you’ll climb inside the land owner’s truck to ride out to meet the buffalo where they’re grazing.
I appreciated learning about the biology and behavior of the North American plains buffalo from Richard and Susan Duff as we approached the herd. Once within a safe distance, we exited the truck and climbed a step ladder to sit atop the truck’s flatbed.
Susan rustled a bag and a herd of hundreds of buffalo enthusiastically ate a trail of food as the truck rolled slowly forward through the rugged terrain. We were so close to approaching buffalo, we heard their heavy breathing and occasional moans.
I highly recommend the tour, which is a wildlife photographer’s dream excursion. View the ranch location and reserve a tour by calling or online here. Call Richard directly at (620) 874-5120 to inquire about schedule flexibility.
HISTORIC LAKE SCOTT STATE PARK
You owe it to yourself to purchase a Kansas State Park vehicle day pass ($5) to explore Historic Lake Scott State Park (101 W Scott Lake Drive), where historic sites and picturesque views await. A 20-minute drive north on Highway 83, stop at the park ranger’s stations and pick up a map to help you navigate to must-see locations and places for recreation.
As you drive throughout the park, you’ll see rugged cliffs and open-fields jutting up to lake shoreline. Kayakers float their way around Scott State Fishing Lake, and some drop a line hoping for the day’s catch. Quiet campers mill about at designated campsites. You may see a mountain biker whizzing by on a nearby trail.
I visited the park to learn more about the history of the area at its historical markers.
I parked the car to view the Steele Home built as a simple dugout, which evolved into a four-room house from sandstone sources from surrounding bluffs. The family were the first homesteaders in the area, and the residence is preserved as a museum featuring the artifacts from the late 1800s.
Years before the Steele’s homesteaded on the land, Taos Indians escaping Spanish rule relocated to the area and built pueblos aka El Cuartelejo or “old barracks.” After 20 years, they returned to New Mexico. Later, Picurie Indians settled for a short time in the area. The El Cuartelejo pueblo ruins at this site were discovered and excavated by Steele and others in the mid-1890s.
The present site allows the visitor to see the pueblo site with its foundation reconstructed by the Kansas Historical Society in the 1970s.
BATTLE OF PUNISHED WOMAN’S FORK
On your way back to Scott City driving South on Highway 86 for a mile, look for the sign indicating the route to the Battle of Punished Woman’s Fork. It is the site of the last Indian battle fought in Kansas.
The five-minute road leading to the historic marker from the welcome kiosk is a bit rocky in areas but cars of all types should be able to make the voyage in good weather conditions. It is open from sun up to sun down, and you can view it for free.
After traversing to the the top of the bluff, I exited the car and a bit of sunshine began to force it’s way through a partly cloudy sky revealing low areas canyon and a cave. This location is where the Northern Cheyenne hid waiting to ambush the U.S. Cavalry.
I tried to envision the creek that once ran there in 1878, women and their children hiding in cave structures, and the barrage of violence that surely ensued. According to historians, the Northern Cheyenne’s rifle pits are still visible on the hilltops
The Northern Cheyenne lost the battle to the U.S. Calvary, and the surviving tribe members left their dead and moved on.
Located on the Western Vistas Historic Byway, the view from the top of the bluff is worth the drive for its the area’s historical significance and panoramic views.
PERFECT PAR PLAY
Scott City Community Golf Course
In town, the Scott City Golf Course (806 N Main Street) welcome golfers or all skill levels. The 9-hole golf course featuring bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens is open to the public for a reasonable daily green fee for unlimited play.
Each hole features three tee shot locations and most fairways are lined by trees, but the putting green pin is easily visible.
The clubhouse and golf cart garages were accessible the morning of my visit, but I didn’t meet a staff member although I spotted a golfer already playing the course.
PRO TIP: Save money on the daily fee by taking advantage of the $15 Twilight Special.
Palmer Park Disc Golf Course
If you prefer to ring chains than sink putts, you’ll want to commit to a 9-hole round at Palmer Park Disc Golf Course (1101 Jefferson Street).
The flat land course includes concrete tee pads with obvious fairways. Consider it prime for recreational play. You’re not going to compete for space with competition-level golfers.
As someone who’s accompanied other disc golfers and attempted to play a few as well, I can attest that this course is ideal for amateur play with few trees as obstacles or hazards.
PRO TIP: Use UDisc’s course map to scope out each hole.
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS
DeGeer Corner
Scott City wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Maria DeGreer, a woman with a mind of her own and steadfast goals.
A widow form Chicago arriving in a wagon with her daughter, the town’s founder camped under the stars holding strong to her faith that the area was the ideal place to establish a town in 1885. A statue at DeGeer Corner honors the Temperance Movement speaker’s life story. She also became the first lawyer of Kansas.
A stop on the town’s historic walking tour, the statue designed by Jerry Thomas, towers in the shadow of First National Bank. But Degeer’s accomplishments are worthy of the prominent statue.
As mentioned early, the El Quartelejo Museum includes an exhibit detailing DeGeer’s work as a lawyer, writer, feminist, news reporter, and the first woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association.
Historic Walking Tour
I encourage you to continue the Clio app’s historic walking tour through Scott City to marvel at some of its oldest buildings. If you’d rather use a walking tour brochure, they are available at the Scott City Chamber office.
One of the most awe-inspiring, historic building on the route is the Scott City Courthouse (303 Court Street), a red brick architectural gem of Classic Revival style built from 1924 to 1925 by Henderson & Riggs.
SCOTT COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL
One of most poignant historical stops on the tour is the Scott County Veterans Memorial (415 E. 5th Street), which recognized every branch of the U.S. military, Gold Star Mothers, and POW-MIA.
The above memorial inscription lists the fallen soldiers from the Scott County community. I paused to read each name as is customary for me when visiting a memorial.
The memorial, which is illuminated at night, honors community members who paid the ultimate sacrifice for others’ freedom. A single American flag flies above the plaza.
AMAZING ART
Mural Tour
First-time travelers should take time to locate each of the colorful murals and one-of-a-kind statuary that shares the spirit of the plains. While some of the public art installations are viewing on foot walking downtown, a few murals require using a vehicle to drive to them.
Scott City is a small town bursting with art, history, and heart. As mentioned earlier, I’d start your tour at the El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection for some background, and then go on a hunt to spot murals and statuary.
If you’re familiar with Mindy’s Murals, a Kansas-based street artist, you’ll recognize her work at the Scott County Fairgrounds (Follow Your Dreams) and on Main Street (Welcome to Scott City).
Adjacent to Main Street, take a moment to get out of the car and admire the mural at Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center (212 E. 5th Street), and note the children’s hands added to its frame.
The All-American City Mural (400 W. 5th Street) was painted by volunteers to depict a typical Kansas wheat harvest with a nod to the cattle industry. Grain elevators protrude through the blue skyline. The mural was a paint-by-number project.
Did you know that 37 murals were completed in 14 Kansas communities in 2022 through a grant program? Scott City’s welcome mural is a recipient of the art initiative by Office of Rural Prosperity’s Rural Mural and Public Art Grant Programming.
DINING DISCOVERIES
Scott City, a community of less than 4,000 residents, has a number of restaurants to enjoy. Ranging from Mexican food and steak dinners to grab-and-go breakfast fare, you’ll find it.
TruNorth Cafe
Start the day at TruNorth Cafe (1313 Main Street) for an early-morning caffeine boost. I love it when a rural community’s coffee shop is open on a Monday, and TruNorth is a locals’ gathering place.
A group of locals chatted about the weekends happenings as conversation turned to coin collecting as I savored a breakfast burrito and hot coffee.
The café’s menu features espresso drinks, smoothies, frappes, and teas. Ask about the selection of freshly baked bierocks, ham and cheese pockets, and fruit scones.
PRO TIP: A small retail inventory includes faith-based books, candles, and handcrafted gifts.
The Original Grande
The Original Grande (1201 Main Street) serves fast casual Mexican food meant to “fuel your inner fiesta.”
One of two locations in Kansas, The Original Grande’s menu features menu items such as taco burgers, macho tacho, and my favorite, the nachos supreme.
I loved the concept of adding my selection of condiments from the Keep It Saucey station, adding pico de gallo and hot sauce to my heaping mound of nachos.
The Grill House
At The Grill House (702 E. 5th Street), expect a duality of menu choices from American cuisine to Mexican fare. You’ll find chicken wings, sandwiches, steaks, as well as lunch and dinner specials catering to a locals and people passing through town.
People came in to pick up call-in orders while I watched American Ninja from the dining room’s TV. My beef fried steak dinner was made fresh-to-order served with homemade mashed potatoes and a dinner roll. Dinner entreés come with a house salad.
PRO TIP: Pay in cash to avoid a 3% credit card fee.
I visited Scott City from Sunday through Monday, so I look forward to returning to Act Two at the Majestic for a dinner show. Mom and Pop’s Burger Stand, which was closed both days, serves comfort food and yummy pie – I’ll be back!
RESTFUL RETREAT
Best Western El Quartelejo Inn & Suites
The Best Western El Quartelejo Inn & Suites (1610 Main Street) is the premier hotel in Scott City, offering overnight guests a restful retreat after a full day of exploring. Considered a 2-star hotel, amenities include a complimentary full breakfast, indoor swimming pool, and fitness facility.
I rely on speedy internet to get work done from the road, and the hotel’s free Wi-Fi was flawless. I could work from the provided desk or kick back with my laptop from an oversized chair.
PRO TIP: Best Western Reward Members earn flexible rates and bonus points.
BONUS PLACES TO EXPLORE IF YOU HAVE TIME
If you have the time to stay two nights in Scott City, I’d recommend driving to Monument Rocks, Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, and Keystone Gallery. Each location appeals to outdoor explorers who appreciate the area’s natural beauty, and fossil hunters find it fascinating.
Traveling with kids? Check out the Scott City Municipal Pool, catch a ballgame at the Scott City Recreation Sports Complex, or a rodeo at the Scott County Indoor Arena and Activity Center. Park on the Plains at Patton Park features a elaborate playground the littles love to climb.
ONE MORE PLACED I LOVED
I can’t resist a locally owned hardware store in a rural Kansas town. The personable service and wide selection of products, which always includes Kansas-made goods, is a draw.
Visit Ace Hardware Scott City (1320 S. Main Street) to support local while stocking up on home and garden supplies. I came home with tomato plants, and I’ll always remember Scott City at harvest time.
I’m so glad you’re considering an day trip or overnight stay in Scott City, Kansas. It’s a delightful community featuring plenty of historical museums and sites for life-long learners, celebrated artwork, and comfortable charm.
