Setting Sights on Building the nEW Frontier Museum of the U.S. Army
The new Frontier Museum of the U.S. Army will be a best-in-class museum where America’s frontier expansion history is not only seen through a military or Hollywood lens, but experienced through the legacy stories of the multiple, diverse groups who explored, settled, fought, thrived, struggled, and ultimately shaped our country and its pioneering spirit.
Why Fort Leavenworth?
If There was an Order Issued FROM THE ARMY, It Went Through Here
Established as an isolate outpost in 1827, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is the oldest continuously operating military installation west of the Mississippi River. Positioned along the Missouri River, it became a vital staging ground for pioneers, military forces, and settlers journeying west. If an order from the Army was issued regarding the West, it went through this post.
In the early 1800s, Fort Leavenworth sat on a physical frontier, an expanding, conflict-prone geographical border between the eastern United States and the western Native Indian settlements and uninhabited prairies, mountains, and deserts.
Fort Leavenworth became more than just a military post. From the eastern United States to the Pacific Coast, its influence can still be felt today. In present day America, Fort Leavenworth supports professional military and civilian education and innovation. Choosing this site as the museum’s home is a tribute to this legacy.
A New Museum for a New Frontier
The new frontier exists, exploring the limits of what is known and advancing new ideas as we head into the future. The Frontier Museum of the U.S. Army will serve new generations by sharing the stories of those who lived through America’s Westward Expansion years from 1773 to 1917. The museum features:
- Multiple perspectives weave together to reveal themes of history, culture, and communities.
- Diverse exhibitions take visitors on a multi-voiced journey.
Banding Together for a Worthy Cause is the American Way
The museum will represent our country’s renewed commitment to present the fullest versions of complex and sometimes painful histories. Visitors will experience stories of American history and American potential — stories of a country in formation, inclusive of all perspectives.
96% of the historical artifacts safeguarded at Fort Leavenworth cannot be displayed due to lack of space and protective display options.
A Museum Rooted in Preservation and Education
Native Indian tribes, explorers, trappers, settlers, the women who held their families together, military leaders and soldiers, religious groups, and more — every every story deserves to be carried into the new frontier, our nation’s future.