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Great Bend, Kansas

Great Bend, Kansas

The Santa Fe Trail brought oxen-pulled Conestoga wagons to the big bend of the Arkansas river (from which Great Bend was named) carrying people with a vision. The Plains Indians, primarily Cheyenne, Pawnee and Quivira, brought early civilization to the Arkansas River Valley and early white settlers wrote of driving their wagons through throngs of buffalo.

The Great Bend Town Company was organized in 1871. Less than a year later, the Atchison, Topeka ans Santa Fe Railroad laid track into Great Bend. Like the hub of a giant wagon wheel laid on the prairie, Great Bend's commerce attracted people from all around the area, including cowboys who brought cattle to ship out on the train. Cowboys also had money to spend in the end-of-the-trail towns. Money allowed the town to grow and attracted other merchants and settlers.

To further explore the history of our area we recommend a visit to the Barton County Historical Village and Museum.


Barton County has 4,676 acres of walk-in hunting.

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Kansas Oil & Gas Hall Of Fame And Museum

The Museum was founded in 1990 by a group interested in preserving the history of the oil and gas industry.

Great Bend, KS Museums

Barton County Historical Museum & Village

The Barton County Historical Society Museum & Village lets you take a fascinating walk into the past. The Village is located on a five-acre tract of land that is south of Great Bend.

Nine buildings are part of the Village including an 1871 Pioneer Rock Home, an 1898 Church, a 1910 Depot, a 19

Great Bend, KS Museums

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge

There are 650 bird species in the United States, 417 in Kansas, and 320 in Cheyenne Bottoms! Besides birds, there are 23 species of mammals 19 species of reptiles and nine species of amphibians.

Great Bend, KS Wildlife Refuges


Shafer Art Gallery

The L. E. "Gus" and Eva Shafer Memorial Art Gallery has been referred to as the "Gem of the Campus"

Great Bend, KS Arts

Things to do near Great Bend, KS

Medicine Lodge City Park

Located on Hiway 160 East. Stop and relax on your travels through Medicine Lodge. Enjoy camping (with hook-ups), picnics, and...

Petrified Tree Stump

A five foot high exemplary sample of petrified wood. Over 24 inches in diameter, stands imbedded in the sidewalk on Main Stre...