Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site

Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site 3403 W. 53rd Street, Fairway, KS 66205-2654
913-262-0867
[email protected] In the 19th century as Americans wanted more land, settlement moved west.

For countless American Indians, the American thirst for land meant a challenge to a traditional way of life. Shawnee Mission, like many others, was established as a manual training school attended by boys and girls from Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian nations from 1839 to 1862. Visit this 12-acre National Historic Landmark and learn the stories of those like Sallie Bluejacket who lived there.

Summer is in full swing and we are gearing up for a busy fall at the Mission! We will have a traveling exhibit, speaker...
06/25/2026

Summer is in full swing and we are gearing up for a busy fall at the Mission! We will have a traveling exhibit, speakers, events, programs and more! Make sure you follow the Mission's page to stay up to date on all of our upcoming community events and programs.

This weekend is the 29th anniversary of the construction of our living history cabin! Many think the cabin is a histori...
06/20/2026

This weekend is the 29th anniversary of the construction of our living history cabin! Many think the cabin is a historic structure, but it was actually built by site staff and volunteers in 1997. The cabin was built using techniques and tools of the 1840s, and is now used for events and educational fieldtrips.

On this day of honor, we remember the enslaved couple, Jackson and Charlotte Dempson, who lived and labored here at the ...
06/19/2026

On this day of honor, we remember the enslaved couple, Jackson and Charlotte Dempson, who lived and labored here at the Shawnee Indian Mission until 1860. Jackson was known as Thomas Johnson's body servant and head cook, and Charlotte was in charge of the dairy department, while both also helped to raise the Johnson children. In documents and oral histories, they were known to the Johnson family as Uncle Jack and Aunt Charlotte.

After being "free inhabitants" in both Leavenworth and Kansas City, Charlotte died in Kansas City, Missouri around 1864. Sometime later, Jackson returned to live with Sarah Johnson and cared for her until her death in 1873. He then moved to DC to find his first wife and adult children, and died there in 1880.

The Mission will be closed on Friday, June 19th and reopen for our regular hours on Saturday, June 20th.
06/17/2026

The Mission will be closed on Friday, June 19th and reopen for our regular hours on Saturday, June 20th.

Another successful sold out event at the Mission! All money raised tonight goes towards education at this important site...
06/13/2026

Another successful sold out event at the Mission! All money raised tonight goes towards education at this important site. ❤️

This Friday evening is our seriously fun adult field trip, and it is SOLD OUT. We can’t wait for our 60 participants to ...
06/09/2026

This Friday evening is our seriously fun adult field trip, and it is SOLD OUT. We can’t wait for our 60 participants to hop on the Trail and have a night of Oregon Trail situations, games, food and beverage. If you were thinking about it and missed your chance, plan for June 2027!

A week from today is our 2nd Annual Jump on the Trail adult fieldtrip! This fun program is based on our 4th grade field ...
06/05/2026

A week from today is our 2nd Annual Jump on the Trail adult fieldtrip! This fun program is based on our 4th grade field trip and the old-school computer game. ONLY 3 TICKETS REMAIN, so if you are on the fence, grab them before they are gone! https://form.jotform.com/261208505271147

Memorial Day has been celebrated nationally since the late 1860s, following the Civil War and became a Federal Holiday i...
05/25/2026

Memorial Day has been celebrated nationally since the late 1860s, following the Civil War and became a Federal Holiday in 1971. Did you know that during the Civil War, between 1863-1864, the Mission was the home and encampment for Union Soldiers and Generals? In addition, the North Building became a war field hospital for both Union and Confederate Troops. The history of the Mission is fascinating, and so important to the region. Visit us this summer to learn more and get a stamp in the Kansas City Passport of historic and nature sites. Happy Memorial Day!

As the school year is winding down, we are celebrating a record year of fieldtrips on site! For the 2025-2026 school ye...
05/20/2026

As the school year is winding down, we are celebrating a record year of fieldtrips on site! For the 2025-2026 school year, we had students from Kansas and Missouri, ranging in age from 2nd grade to college. We are thankful that 36 different school groups, including public, private and homeschoolers, learned directly on the oldest historic site in Kansas from Indigenous members, a wagon master, trained docents and museum professionals.

Address

3403 W 53rd Street
Fairway, KS
66205

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+19132620867

Website

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