fort reno

So much history especially if you have a history loving guide and time to view the museum..the chapel..the grave yard and OSU research center..or visit when an event is taking place. Check out web site.

I had no expectations when I went to visit this historic site. I have read about the colorful history, I really wanted to experience it.The grounds are nicely manicured and it is basically set up as a driving tour. There are several buildings on the grounds, but they are not open to the public. The museum costs two dollars and is housed in the visitor's center. Other than that, the only open building is the chapel, which is beautiful inside.The other attraction that I thought was worth seeing, was the POW cemetery. This is open to the public and you are allowed to walk through it. I found the grave markers fascinating. There is a lot of history there. The German section was interesting. Their markers are lined up in a neat row. A great thing to see if you are on your way to do something else. It is not something to do all day.I think if they operated narrated tours, it would be much more interesting, but they just hand you a cheaply printed brochure and send you on your way to navigate around the buildings.Nevertheless, I am glad it is still around due to the historical value.

To be perfectly honest, my wife and I had just visited the fort for the first time last January. We were suprised to find so much history almost in our back yard. Fort Rena is well worth a visit from anyone who wants to learn more about the State Of Oklahoma. D.J.Julian

We had some time to kill, so we made the short drive up to old Fort Reno. Some interesting history here. It will take some time and money to really develop this into the historical park that it should be, but for now its a quaint stop. Start at the museum to register, for directions and exhibits. It free to drive the park, but a fee to see the museum exhibits. It was a cold, windswept day so we drove the loop. Went inside the chapel and looked outside of some of the other buildings, interesting. Took the drive up to the cemetery, kind of a lonely spot with the wind blowing and the sun setting; again interesting. Its all worth a stop if you're in the area

I think it might have been neat to just tour Fort Reno, but the Ghost Tour was led by people who had no idea what they were talking about. There was no actual history. They just read from a script and knocked on doors, expecting someone to knock back, which never happened. I asked what the sources for these stories were and was told "the people who worked here over the years." It was a joke and thankfully, only $10, but I suppose I got some exercise. Skip it and just tour Fort Reno with someone who knows what he's doing.

Interesting museum of early days out on the prairie. Several buildings have been restored and more are in the works. Museum is in one of the old buildings. Old buildings of the fort are signed so you can drive around and see what was there. Admission fee is one dollar for seniors. I think two dollars for adults.

Be sure to visit the US Cavalry cemetery on the hill; the historic Indian scout, Ben Clark, is buried there. WWII POW's are interred there, too.

Positives: Beautiful setting, significant history, many intact buildingsNegatives: Out of the way, limited operating hoursI've known about Fort Reno nearly forty years but until recently had never taken time to visit. That was a mistake!My wife and I decided to correct that oversight by spending a Saturday afternoon touring the place. Another mistake, as there was more to see than we'd allowed time for.Abundant History -This fort served several missions before closure in 1952. An Indian Agency representing the US government to Arapaho and Cheyenne nations opened at nearby Darlington in 1874. The next year a full-fledged fort was authorized and Fort Reno was constructed. Soldiers garrisoned here were instrumental in keeping the peace in Western Oklahoma in the latter 1800s.Surrounded by abundant grasslands, the post was an ideal place to raise livestock. It became a "remount station", providing horses and mules to all branches of the military until the mid-20th century. Today, the US Department of Agriculture conducts research on over 6,700 acres of pasture, much formerly used by the Army.While open, this post was home to many significant residents. African-American "buffalo soldiers" served here from until the mid-1880s. German prisoners of war were kept here during World War II. Favorably Impressed -We were amazed to see so many original structures in salvageable condition. Most facilities of this type decayed into dust years ago. (Their web site says 25 buildings remain.) Remaining structures come in many shapes and sizes, including officer's quarters, a guard house, enlisted quarters and an impressive brick commissary.The visitor's center is nicely restored inside and out. It features an eclectic collection of authentic uniforms, old publications, art works and more. Upstairs, you'll get a good sense of what it was like to live in one of the nicest buildings on the post as an officer or member of his family.One of the newer buildings, a church constructed by German prisoners during World War II, is arguably the most interesting. It follows Gothic design but adobe walls give it a certain "southwestern feel." Inside, the decor is strictly Old World, with heavy studded doors, rich wood and fine craftsmanship.Most buildings sit along the perimeter of the original quadrangle. Only the Visitor's Center and church are open to the public but others appear in generally good condition from the outside.A non-profit agency operates the facility; it'd be nice if they can raise enough money to restore and open other structures in the future.Several agricultural buildings sit behind the quadrangle. I'm not sure how many are original to the institution, but most are quite old and make interesting photographic subjects. The Bottom Line -We had a great time visiting this attraction, but wish we weren't so rushed. Fortunately we live relatively close so can easily return during different seasons. At $2.00 per person ($1.00 for children and seniors) admission is not just inexpensive...it's cheap.The fort is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, the heat of the day if you visit during the summer. We plan to return in the autumn. Late September and October are often good touring months in Oklahoma. Temperatures moderate, colors are still vivid, sun angles are good (for pictures), and best of all, few thunderstorms occur during the fall.For sightseers and history buffs, the fort is worth visiting any time of year. If you're a local resident, or plan travel through the area, don't make the same mistakes we did...include this historical site in your plans and allow enough time to savor the flavor of the location.

We ended up at Fort Reno by accident. We were following Route 66 coming out of Oklahoma City and the road was blocked off for a drag racing event. (yes, Route 66 was blocked off for drag racing). After looping around to get back to Route 66, I accidentally crossed it and continued on what turned out to be the access to Fort Reno. We didn't spend a lot of time, but explored the visitor center and drove around the grounds. The amount of history that passed through here is pretty incredible. It includes the "taming of the west" all the way up to its use as a POW camp during the Second World War. All in all it is a very interesting spot, and one I have already made plans to go back to next time I am in the area.

This summer taking a Route 66 road trip with a different group, I knew we couldn't miss Fort Reno. This fort is a history lesson, not a tourist trap. The Cemetery is a highlight and shows a snapshot of the history of the fort. Each summer I've visited the staff in the Visitor Center added details with their story of the fort and easily answered our questions. I also bought the locally-written booklets to learn more.There is a good chance that a nationally known association will move in here and help with an influx of monetary support. I hope this happens because they are obviously struggling, but have a great group of people keeping this site alive.I'll continue introducing friends and family to Fort Reno because it is such a great piece of our country's history.

We always enjoy visiting old forts but Fort Reno was just average. Only the visitors center and the chapel were open for a look inside. We had to look through the windows to see the inside of the rest of the other seven or eight buildings. So, it's obvious that what's left is in serious disrepair and it's going to take a lot of donations to bring the old Fort Reno back to life. I've seen other Forts in this shape also, that's why I rated it average. But I've seen better.... There is an old cemetery about a mile away which is carefully preserved on a tree filled hillside; it's tastefully maintained.

We arrived in plenty of time only to see they had closed their gates to the Govt' SHUT DOWN..we have seen so many of those signs along the way. We were planning to visit this little bit of history while we were on Route 66.

I planned our Route 66 trip so that we could spend the night close and get up early to visit Fort Reno for the 2nd summer in a row. Yep, that's how much I enjoyed touring the Fort. The Post Chapel and Post Cemetery are the most interesting locations in the Fort. There is so much history at Fort Reno I wish I could spend a week!

Once each month, during April through October, the fort hosts a ghost walk. Our family recently attended. The walk was scheduled to begin at 8;00pm, and convened in the post chapel. We first had to sit through a Powerpoint presentation by the Director of the historic fort, which attempted to give a history of the fort and some general current information. The presentation was full of mispronounced and misused words and some historical inaccuracies. Next we suffered through a presentation by a local "paranormal investigations" group that attempted to explain how they go about their investigations and some of their various findings (all at sites other than the fort). The total time spent in these presentations was about an hour and twenty minutes. Extremely boring. Next we split up into three large groups for a walking tour of the grounds guided by the "paranormal investigators". We stopped at a number of buildings to listen to the guide read from a paper script, first giving a history of the building. Again, mispronounced and misused words and historical inaccuracies. The guide then read a list of the alleged "paranormal activities" associated with the building. There was no attempt to create a mood or to weave a story, common themes in most ghost walks. The final phase of the walk was a tour of the old fort cemetery. The guide was a local student, who again read from a script, with mispronunciations, etc. We were back in our car at about 11:50pm.We have been on ghost walks in the U.S., Canada, and England. The Ft Reno was by far the worst presented we have attended and was completely unenjoyable. It was unprofessionally and uncreatively presented. Don't waste your time on this.

Now that they have received some restoration funds the visitor's center & museum are looking great. A trip to the cemetary is a must do event for anyone with even a passing interest in history, both Oklahomian and for World War II (believe it or not). Along with settlers, scouts & soldiers there are German and Italian POW's buried at the Fort Reno Cemetary. The WW II POWs built a chapel at Ft Reno that is still used to this day. Incredibly interesting - if you find it interesting as well, you might also want to read "Extreme Justice" by Vincent Green, which covers the true story of German Corporal Johannes Kunze who is buried at Ft Reno, and was killed by his fellow POWs at the Tonkawa POW camp.