Top Ten reasons to visit Fort Scott and Bourbon County

Like David Letterman, Fort Scott and Bourbon County now has its own Top Ten list.

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Tourism Cynthia McFarlin and Tourism Committee Chairwoman Martha Scott collaborated and came up with the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Fort Scott and Bourbon County.

The list was created to draw attention to the sites and attractions within the county.

"Our motto is 'Simple pleasures, hidden treasures" and we wanted to follow with that," Scott said. "We thought it would be nice to show all there is to do here."

McFarlin said the list was developed along the same lines as The 8 Wonders of Bourbon County and The 8 Wonders of Kansas. Scott said the process of developing The 8 Wonders of Bourbon County and the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Fort Scott and Bourbon County was a tremendous learning experience.

"We learned so much about Fort Scott," Scott said.

McFarlin said a goal of the list is not only to encourage tourism in Fort Scott, but to also educate local residents about what Fort Scott has to offer. She said it is important for residents to know what there is to offer so they may be "our greatest ambassadors."

The Top 10 Reasons to Visit Fort Scott and Bourbon County, according to the FSACC Tourism Department, are:

10. To know a True Renaissance Man Gordon Parks (photographer, poet, film director, composer and writer) who grew up and was buried here. Visit the Gordon Parks Center at Fort Scott Community College and view an exhibit of his photographs and poems at Mercy Hospital.

9. See a park being built with pennies. Hear about our three Guinness World Records and how our community came together to raise money for Ellis Park.

8. Visit a National Cemetery designated by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. See the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers, Buffalo soldiers, and Indian Home Guard members.

7. Stop in at the Lowell Milken Center. Find out how the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler" was made because of a Uniontown High School History Day project.

6. Walk down our historic brick streets. You'll see an authentic turn of the century town with beautiful residential and commercial architecture.

5. Go fishing, canoeing, hiking and picnicking or play Frisbee golf at our 100-year-old (in 2010) Gunn Park. So much to do in our 132-acre park which is open all year round!

4. Ride Dolly the Trolley. You'll see and hear about the history of Fort Scott and our many famous and infamous residents and visitors.

3. Learn about "The 8 Wonders of Bourbon County" and visit them all. Barnesville and the Magic Mile, Bandera Stone Quarry, Fort Scott National Historic Site, Fort Scott National Cemetery, Victorian Homes of Fort Scott, Historic Churches of Fort Scott, Legacy of Gordon Parks, Historic Downtown and Brick Streets.

2. Spend an afternoon touring Fort Scott National Historic Site. Stand on the ground trod by soldiers and Native Americans, travelers and settlers, free-staters and pro-slavers and bear witness to the era when our country was forged from a young republic into a united transcontinental Nation.

1. Visit with a friendly local resident. Find out why Fort Scott isn't just a great place to visit -- it's a great place to live, too!