Gunn Park

From Fort Scott

1010 Park Ave, Fort Scott, KS‎

(620) 223-0550‎

Gunn Park is an expansive and beautiful park where visitors can play frisbee golf, fish, enjoy the 2 lakes or just relax on a park bench. The Marmaton River flows serenely through this 132 acre park that contains majestic hundred year old oak trees and stone walls. Camping facilities are also available for those with tents or RVs, and during the summer months, canoes and paddle boats are available for rent.

Originally the park was called Fern Lake Park after the name of the first lake and was opened in 1905. On June 3rd 1910, W.C. Gunn gave the park along with Stewart Farm to the city of Fort Scott. He stipulated that it was always to be kept as a free public park. Toward that end, he gave some money to help keep it in good repair. Later that year, the first shelter house was built on the lake. At that time the park featured a theater building and there was a steam powered boat went up and down the Marmaton River.

At one point, visitors could rent boats at Fern Lake. There was also a high dive, beach area and concession stand.

In 1927 the miniature doll house was built near the entrance to the park. It was either built by the park's care taker E.V. Kelly or by a railroad machinist from the Pacific Railroad. The sign on the doll house indicates it was built by the caretaker as a winter project and that the rocks were brought from Mapleton, Kansas.

By the late 1920's the park was in considerable disrepair and there were no city funds available for maintenance. In response to the Great Depression, the government created Works progress Administration (WPA) and the National Youth Association (NYA). These programs provided jobs paid for by the government for public improvement projects. These two organizations did the following at Gunn Park from 1936 to 1942:

• Created the second lake.
• Built the stone shelter on the second lake.
• Built the shelter house on the hill.
• Ran water and put in drinking fountains and restrooms.
• Brought in electric lights
• Put ducks in the lakes

For the past half a century or so, the park has been maintained by the city. In the 1960s the city built a number of playground areas and paved the roads.

The park currently has a number of playscapes and a popular 18-hole frisbee golf course. During the summer months, canoes and paddle boats are available for rent at the second lake. There are also a number of enclosed shelter houses with running water and electricity in addition to the older open stone structures. The first lake is stocked with trout.

Gunn Park Entrance	Map of Gunn Park	Miniature House	Shelter House On Top Of Hill
Fern Lake Early Spring	Playscapes Near First Shelter House	Fern Lake and Shelter House