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Geary County, KS

Geary CountyWe invite you to share the magic that our forefathers experienced as they discovered this land we call home.


A tour through Geary County will inspire thoughts of the early settlers who journeyed westward on the trails of yesteryear. In the very heart of America's heartland, the pioneers discovered majestic vistas and rolling waves of tallgrass priaire lands characteristic of the picturesque Flint Hills. It is a region full of stories about courage, greed, determination, and innovation, where spritis of soldiers, Indians, and immigrants join scientists, students, and nature lovers.


Forts were built along major trails to protect white settlers from the Indians, and Fort Riley went on to play a key role in American military history. It was Cavalry Headquarters after the Civil War ... a story well told at the U.S. Cavalry Museum. Since World War I, members of Fort Riley's First Infantry Division, the "Big Red One," have been prominently protecting us aginst modern marauders, from Germany to Iraq.


Kansas' soldiers are honored at the Kansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Junction City, the county seat and metropolitan center of Geary County. While in Junction City, visit the Geary County Historical Museum which houses three galleries focusing on the history of the area in a native limestone structure dating back to 1903.


Visitors are surprised to see all the water in our region. Milford Reservoir is the largest lake in Kansas. It is a great tour stop where the Nature Center studies Kansas' wildlife, and the Fish Hatchery is among the country's finest.


Geary County, originally bore the name "Davis County" in 1855. For several years the citizens of Davis County complained about living in an area named for the President of the Confederate States of America, even though he was a Secretary of War when the county was named for him. In 1889, the county's name was changed to Geary after John W. Geary, Governor of Kansas Territory.

Explore Geary County

First Baptist Church

The First Baptist Church was organized in Junction City on November5, 1865. This building was dedicated January 27, 1867, and served as the Baptist Church until the adjacent building was occupied in 1917. Under the stucco exterior are the original native limestone blocks.

Junction City, KS Historic Churches

Trolley Station

The Trolley Station was used as a baggage storage and waiting area for soldiers and families riding the inter-city trolley between Junction City and Fort Riley from 1901 until 1907. In 1907

Fort Riley, KS Historic Buildings

Post Headquarters - Summerall Hall

Constructed in 1889, this building originally served as the post hospital until after World War II, when primary medical facilities were moved to Camp Whiteside. It is named after General Charles P. Summerall, who was an early commander of the 1

Fort Riley, KS Historic Buildings

Territorial Capitol

In 1855, the nation wept for "Bleeding Kansas"

Fort Riley, KS Historic Buildings

Post Cemetery

Beyond the Ogden Monument is the Post Cemetery. In the area nearest the Ogden Monument are mass graves of persons who died in two cholera epidemics which struck the post in 1855 and 1867

Fort Riley, KS Cemeteries

Geary County Historical Society Museum

The three-story, native limestone building which houses the Geary County Historical Museum, has been described by architects as a "unique and magnificent structure and an outstanding example of the stonecutter's art."

The building, originally the Junction City High School, was constructed in 1

Junction City, KS Museums

St. Mary's Chapel

As the first stone church in Kansas, the original building was constructed by the Episcopalians in the mid 1850'

Fort Riley, KS Historic Churches

Starcke/Henderson Period House Museum

The Starcke/Henderson Period House museum located just south of the Geary County Historical Museum was developed to showcase the Historical Society museum's growing collection of vintage household furniture and accessories. The main portion of this brick cottage was built in 1885

Junction City, KS Museums

Wainwright Hall - Fort Riley

Wainwright Hall is named for General Jonathan Wainwright who served as the assistant commandant of the Cavalry School during the 1930s. The building was constructed in 1889

Fort Riley, KS Museums


Polk Hall

Known in its early years as West Riding Hall, this building was completed in 1908 and served until after World War II as one of two indoor riding halls.

Fort Riley, KS Historic Buildings

Historic Opera House

The Junction City Opera House and City Offices/Fire Station opened in January, 1882, in a stately red brick structure featuring a tall pointed tower with a four-faced clock. In January 1898, almost 16

Junction City, KS Opera Houses

Explore Geary County