The TV show Gunsmoke was on from 1955 to 1975. It was set in 1870s Dodge City, Kansas. Several other Kansas towns had a “role” in the show, as they were mentioned from time to time. While none of the TV shows were actually filmed in Dodge City or any other Kansas towns, the Gunsmoke Trail takes you through four of those towns and introduces you to slices of life from that era. Here, we will tell you about just a few places to visit. There are many more!
Dodge City, Kansas
We started our tour in Dodge City, Kansas.
- Dodge City Trail of Fame – In front of the visitor center, there is a life-size bronze statue of James Arness. He was a big guy! He played U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon in the TV show, and his friend, Miss Kitty, played by Amanda Blake, ran the Long Branch Saloon. There are more statues to see around town.
- Gunfighters Wax Museum – See life-size wax figures of old west characters.
- Boot Hill Museum – We toured the old town which is also a museum of items from around the 1870s to the 1920s. We drank some sarsaparilla, then returned later for the gunfight, dinner, and variety show. The show was funny, and the food was very good. Thanks to Visit Dodge City for hosting our visit to the museum.
Fun fact. The Long Branch Saloon was once owned by a Chalkley (Chalk) Beeson, and in the variety show the main character was Chalkley – it turns out that he is David’s first cousin, four times removed! Learning this kind of personal connection always makes seeing and touching history even more powerful and interesting.
Fort Hays, Kansas
Next, we moved north to Hays where we appreciated being hosted by the Days Inn.
- Fort Hays – Not much is left of the fort but what there is, is worth seeing. Especially the two officer-quarters houses depicting life back then. Also, the gentleman, Adam, running the museum is a wealth of historical knowledge. He and David had a wonderful, long conversation.
- Historic Hays Walking Tour – Pick up a brochure in the visitor center or download the brochure online and you can go on a type of scavenger hunt all over the old part of town, searching for the plaques that talk about the historical sites in that area. We had a great time looking for them.
- Limestone Sculptures – Limestone is everywhere, and it is gorgeous! Many stunning buildings as well as skillfully crafted sculptures are all around town.
- Bison Herd – If you’ve never seen bison, you only have to look across the street from Fort Hays.
- Hickok’s Steakhouse – you might think it’s just another restaurant, but in addition to good food, the historical photos on the wall are amazing. And the biggest surprise is a painting, several sections painted by hand, with tributes to various important things in Kansas. The only other copy of it is in the state capitol.
Abilene, Kansas
Our next stop was in Abilene.
- Dickinson County Heritage Center. A beautifully created museum, I thought the most interesting part was the history of telephones. There are old switchboards and phones that you can try, and I can tell you that it was great for families. Several were there and all the kids were enthralled with operating the old phone equipment.
- World’s Largest Belt Buckle. (19 feet 10.5 inches high, 13 feet 11 ¼ inches tall). You can climb up a spiral staircase to the top.
- Big Spur. Yep, it’s big. 28 feet high and weighs one ton.
- Cowboy Boots. The beautifully colored boots are placed all around town, taking you through neighborhoods and historical sites, while honoring the city’s history.
Wichita, Kansas
Our final stop was in Wichita. While we typically try to stay out of cities and stick to back roads, this one is a must-do as part of The Gunsmoke Trail.
- Keeper of the Plains – This 44-foot tall, 5-ton steel structure is set in a park with easy parking and fully accessible. If we had had more time we would have liked to stay to see it at night when fire pots placed below the sculpture are lit.
- Old Cowtown Museum – Another old west town, but one that is skillfully recreated. You can watch some people performing tasks the way they were done back during the time period. For instance, one woman was working on a sewing project, and a gentleman was in the blacksmith’s shop working on a metal project. Some of the items he makes are for sale in the gift shop, so we made sure to buy one to support the museum.
Tips for Visiting the Gunsmoke Trail:
- Download the Gunsmoke Trail App! It has a list of things to look for, so it can help to keep you from missing something you really wanted to see. Also note that you need to “check in” for each item while you are at its location. You can’t do it later because it accesses the GPS information.
- Don’t try to do it all. There is so much to see and do that you can’t do it all in just one day or even two. If you’re on a short stay, plan to see the things that are most important to you.
For more information about all the other activities in each area, check out:
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