Kaw Mission State Historic Site

Kaw Mission State Historic Site gives Council Grove’s history a necessary human dimension. Completed in 1851, the building served as a mission school for thirty Kaw boys between 1851 and 1854. The museum is operated by the Kansas Historical Society and places that brief institutional history within the wider story of the Kaw people and the Santa Fe Trail.

The Kaw gave Kansas its name, yet their relationship with this landscape cannot be reduced to a chapter in the trail’s commercial history. The United States government forcibly removed them to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma, in 1873. Reading the exhibits with that chronology in mind helps visitors connect the mission with the nation’s continuing presence and its heritage park outside town. The building became a state historic site in 1951.

Admission is free. The published visiting schedule runs Wednesday through Sunday, with shorter Sunday hours and closures on state holidays. Groups of ten or more should arrange a visit at least two weeks ahead. Accessibility varies by building and floor: the visitor center and lower museum level are accessible, while the upper floor, Kanza Government House and Last Chance Store are not. Accessible film alternatives are available. Visitors who need step-free access should discuss their intended visit with site staff so that the physical limitations of the historic buildings are clear before arrival.

Verified: 2026-09-26 · Official website · Address: 500 N Mission Street, Council Grove, KS 66846 · Phone: +1 620-307-2754 · Email: kshs.kawmission@ks.gov · Facebook · Official logo (Kansas Historical Society, operator of the historic site)

Sources: Kaw Mission - Plan your visit - Kansas Historical Society · Kaw Mission State Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) · The Return of Iⁿ‘zhúje ‘Waxóbe to the Kaw Nation | www.kawnation.gov