Medicine Lodge connects the history of the 1867 treaty with museums, memorial sites, and destinations in the Gypsum Hills. The city is in south-central Kansas, surrounded by scenic rolling hills. When choosing destinations for your trip, you can focus on both insights into local history and activities on the water and outdoors.
Treaty History at Several Sites
The Treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed in 1867 by the U.S. government’s peace commission and the five Plains tribes: Kiowa, Comanche, Kiowa-Apache, Arapaho, and Cheyenne. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Statue also commemorates the signing of the treaty between the U.S. government and five Southern Plains tribes. It stands at the intersection of First and Main, near Wisner Fountain.
Visitors can also encounter the treaty’s history in the area around the city: the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant commemorates the 1867 peace council. It is held in a natural amphitheater in Memorial Peace Park, east of Medicine Lodge. The pageant also includes a reenactment of the treaty signing by descendants of the original tribal signatories. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Festival takes place every September. If you’re planning your trip around the festival, check the specific event dates in advance.
At the Stockade Museum, on the south side of U.S. Highway 160, one admission ticket also includes entry to the Carry Nation Home Museum. The Carry Nation Home is next to the Stockade Museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark in May 1976. This lets you include two neighboring museums in your exploration of Medicine Lodge’s history, while the site, statue, and pageant each offer their own connection to the treaty.
Museums, Art, and Local Discoveries
The Heritage Center is at the corner of U.S. 160 and Isabelle Road. There, the Heritage Players perform musicals and plays several times a year; if you have a particular visit date in mind, check the current schedule. The Sagebrush Gallery of Western Art offers a different kind of art: it’s a small gallery featuring Earl Kuhn’s watercolor paintings. The main floor of Maker Mercantile features handmade visual art, photography, textiles, pottery, and jewelry. You may be able to watch the creative work in the working pottery studio.
Other distinctive features include Wisner Fountain and the Equatorial Sun Dial. Wisner Fountain was built in the early 1900s as a water source for people and horses, and today it stands on the grounds of Medicine Lodge Middle School, next to the Peace Treaty Statue. The Equatorial Sun Dial is on the lawn in front of the high school: visitors can tell the time by its shadow. These places add different perspectives on the cityscape alongside the museums and treaty memorial sites, without serving the same historical role.
The Gypsum Hills, Water, and Time Outdoors
Barber State Fishing Lake is on the northern edge of Medicine Lodge, in northeastern Barber County. Camping, picnicking, and fishing are permitted throughout the area. Two boat ramps are available; boats may be used there for fishing only. If you’re planning activities at the lake, you can choose between picnicking, fishing, and camping, but keep in mind that boats may be used only for fishing.
Nearby, Memorial Peace Park offers a different view of the landscape: the Red Rock Trail leads to an outcrop of red Flower-pot Shale. Basic tent sites are set among trees and prairie. Medicine Lodge City Park has a free campground with access to drinking water, public restrooms, and picnic tables; fishing is also available there at Elm Creek. The two parks therefore differ in the features described: the City Park has specific facilities, while Memorial Peace Park is noted for the location of its basic tent sites and the trail to the rock outcrop.
The Medicine Lodge Intertribal Powwow also offers a window into centuries-old Native American traditions. Vendors at the powwow offer Indian tacos and fry bread; offerings may vary from year to year. This adds another cultural topic to explore alongside treaty history. As you plan your trip, you can weigh these events, museums and art venues, and waterside destinations according to which aspects of Medicine Lodge interest you most.
Discover more destinations: Isabel, Hardtner.
See the broader travel guide: Barber County.
