Download GPX file for this article
37.7500-100.0167Full screen dynamic map

From Wikivoyage
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Dodge City is a town in Western region of Kansas.

Understand

In 1865 Fort Dodge was constructed along the Santa Fe Trail to help protect travelers from Indians. Dodge City was formed near the fort in the years that followed. In the 1870s it exemplified the spirit of the Wild West portrayed in American television and movies, most notably in the American television show "Gunsmoke," which was set in Dodge City and popularized the phrase "Get the hell out of Dodge."

The town had its heyday during the cattle drives of the late 1800s as quarantines made it one of the few places along the railroad where Texas ranchers could bring their cattle. This quarantine, created to protect other breeds of cattle from a parasitic tick carried by longhorns, was extended to Dodge City in 1885, essentially ending the town's run as the "Queen of the Cow Towns". By 1886 the gambling saloons, brothels, and other notorious establishments that had built the town's reputation had mostly closed.

Get in

The most common way of getting to Dodge City is by car, and is a worthwhile stop for anyone road-tripping along the US-50.

  • Dodge City Regional Airport (DDC IATA). Great Lakes Airlines has nonstop service to Denver and Liberal.
  • Amtrak has a station here, which is served by the daily Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief line. This stop has no ticket office and no Quik-Trak ticket machine so tickets must be purchased at another station or online.
  • Bus. Dodge City is also served by Bee Line Express.

Get around

See

  • Boot Hill Museum, Front St, +1 620 227-8188. Hours: Memorial Day through Labor Day, 8AM-8PM daily. Off-Season hours: M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Sunday 1PM-5PM. The Boot Hill Museum contains a reconstruction of 1876 Dodge City and Boot Hill Cemetery, so named because most of the deceased were buried with their boots on. Between Memorial Day and the end of August, visitors can see gunfight re-enactments, a variety show, and have a chuckwagon dinner. Summertime Admission: $8 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens and students, children six and under get in free. Off-season admission is 50 cents less.
  • Depot Theater Co., 201 E. Wyatt Earp, +1 620 225-1001. A historic Santa Fe Depot theater with dinner theater productions.
  • Carnegie Art Center, 701 2nd Ave., +1 620 225-6388. Tu-F 12AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-3PM, Su-M Closed. Art gallery in the historic Carnegie Library building. Listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
  • Coronado Cross, East Highway 400 (east of the city, near Fort Dodge), +1 620 227-6791. 38-ft tall cross marking the spot where Spanish explorer Francisco Vasques de Coronado crossed the Arkansas River in search of the fabled "Seven Cities of Gold" in 1541.
  • Dodge City Cowboy Band, Wright Park, toll-free: +1-800-653-9378. Tuesday nights in June and July only. The oldest municipal band west of the Mississippi River.
  • Dodge City Legend (Dodge City Civic Center). Semi-pro basketball team.
  • Fort Dodge, East Highway 400 (5 miles east of Dodge City), +1 620 227-2121. Fort Dodge served as a supply depot and a base of operation while fighting the Indians from 1865-1882.
  • Mueller-Schmidt House (Home of Stone), 112 E. Vine, +1 620 227-6791. The 1881 house of a bootmaker with original furnishings and a gallery dedicated to local pioneer women.

Do

  • Dodge City Days. Dodge City Days will occur from July 28 - August 6, 2006. Events include a barbeque contest, the Dodge City Days Rodeo, an arts and crafts show, a parade, and a classic car show.

Buy

While the cowboy-era downtown buildings were unfortunately torn down in the 1970s, the "new" downtown maintains a frontier feel and offers dozens of shops ranging from vintage photos and art galleries to the more utilitarian.

Eat

Drink

  • Cup of Jones, 909 W. Wyatt Earp, +1 620 789-5282, fax: +1 620 371-7065. Located in a nifty old build complete with leather couch and vintage plumbing fixtures, this establishment offers standard coffee drinks, homemade pastries (the cinnamon rolls are massive), sandwiches, and other cafe fare. Free wireless internet is available, and there is more than enough space to hang out and enjoy your beverage. The staff is friendly and attentive, and a drive-thru accommodates those in a hurry.

Sleep

Go next

  • Wichita, the largest city anchored in Kansas, is about 150 miles east of Dodge City.
Routes through Dodge City
AlbuquerqueGarden City  W  E  HutchinsonKansas City
PuebloGarden City  W  E  HutchinsonKansas City
Boise City ← Jct N S  W  E  LyonsMcPherson
WaKeeney ← Ness City ←  N  S  CheyenneSayre
LamarGarden City  W  E  GreensburgWichita



This city travel guide to Dodge City is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!