fort gibson historic site

The old fort is a great place to introduce children to Oklahoma's rich history! I visited the fort in my childhood and have taken my children throughout the years. The fort has been undergoing an extensive refurbishment. We can't wait for the new opening and to see the improvements!

They were in the middle of re-doing the garrison, so we weren't able to see that. However, the workers there were very friendly, helpful giving info (even looking up info on an iPhone) taking time to talk, etc. they've done very well on a limited budget.

On the edge of the western expansion, this fort played an intricate role in addition to support of Fort Smith. Rebuilt and preserved it is an outstanding example of a federal fort of the mid 1800's. Stop and talk with the rangers and learn what school did not.teach you.

The fort is spread out over two hills. Unfortunately during our visit the main fort was under construction. It looked like new logs were being installed. There are lots of structures to explore.

The large structure that you will see is actually the stockade and not the fort proper. It's a good tour and is accurate. Jack O is in error. The fort was not messed up by the locals. It was build with untreated, unpainted local lumber. So Jack...don't not opine what you do not know.

If you enjoy old forts, you'll like Ft. Gibson. Jefferson Davis served as an adjutant here at the original fort. The WPA rebuilt the buildings now visible between 1935 and 1938. There is a nice 1-lane bridge just north of the fort and a parralell bridge for trains. Scenic little town, too. At the dam just a ways from Ft Gibson, we saw a guy land a 4 ft (at least) spoonbill! Lots of pelicans and cormorants below the dam too for bird watching.

I was doing research on my great-grandfather, who was in the U.S.Army and was stationed at Fort Gibson in the 1830's. The staff was very helpful. The original fort was rebuilt in 1935, and they did an excellent job of reconstruction. There is a mixture of buildings from different eras.

it is a rebuilt structure, as many of the historic sights in Oklahoma seem to be, which is a shame, as they have such a large number of historic sites available, too bad the folks of the area messed everything up...

The history of this place amased me I had no idea of the importance of the fort.Some of the officers quarters are original buildings.The fort was located on three rivers.

A very nicely kept piece of Oklahoma history. They have several special events throughout the year. A must see if you are in the area.

My mother was born in Ft. Gibson so I grew up coming here as a kid. It is a neat place to visit. Although now there is a charge for coming where is it used to be free. But there is a lot of history here and just a neat place to learn about Ft. Gibson, the oldest town in Oklahoma!

We had a great time and caught a reinactment that was really fun. Fun for the whole family and bring a friend.

The people that work here are friendly and it is a well preserved fort. It was hot outside so the workers were in the office in the fort.

When I was a kid, we usually made an annual summer Saturday trip to Fort Gibson to tour the stockade and surrounding site. Back then, the admission was free and the entire complex was ran by volunteer workers, usually local retirees who wanted to stay active and cared about the place. If it wasn't very crowded, they would take you on a personal tour of the stockade, adding colorful illustrations to what you saw. There wasn't much to it, I admit, but it was a well-spent half-day with your family. The place was in decent shape and kids could get their picture taken in the old prisoner stockade or elsewhere on the premises. A decade later admission was being charged, although if you showed up on a weekend you didn't have to pay because there was nobody there to take your money. The site was still still wide-open with few areas locked up and inaccessible.Today, admission is still charged but my most recent experience is that you can guarantee someone will be at the register to collect your admission fee, although you will be hard-pressed to ever see them again for the duration of your stay, unless another paying tourist happens to stop by. The place has been in continual renovation for at least the past 20 years, although admission (not a miniscule amount, by the way) has been charged routinely for at least 25 years, without a great deal to show for that length of time. Most of the site is locked up for the continual renovation or blocked off for something deemed hazardous.It is my opinion that the Fort Gibson Historic Site is less than it used to be. Now, they do have a self-tour museum and other things to see, but the solemn, reverent ambience that I recognized even as a young boy is no longer evident. No longer do you see the local volunteer, working out of loving care and admiration because the site has become an integral part of their lives. That has been replaced by the lackluster enthusiasm of the Oklahoma State Employee, who is working for a paycheck and matching-funds retirement pension, and at least in one instance, they do not even live in the same town or county where this Historic Site is located.I sincerely hope you saw the Fort Gibson Historic Site in its heyday, prior to the mid-80's, when it was a gleaming jewel of the Three Rivers area. If you did not, then I'm afraid you missed a very unique and memorable experience.

Not much happening at the site, but the kids enjoyed running around the Fort and there is something to learn. There are opportunities nearby for camping, fishing, eating (Ft Gibson and Muskogee), etc. The right time of year would make this a better excursion, I would prefer the fall or spring. The Batfish Submarine memorial is close enough to double the learning and adventure for the kids.