Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site commemorates the November 29, 1864 attack on a Cheyenne and Arapaho encampment in southeastern Colorado. The site interprets one of the most significant and contested episodes in 19th-century Plains history.

The site includes a visitor center with exhibits and a short orientation film, plus a marked landscape and memorial area at the location of the attack. Interpretive trails and wayside panels explain the events, the people affected, and the wider context of Plains Indian and U.S. Army relations.

U.S. Army forces under an expeditionary commander attacked the encampment on the date above, resulting in the deaths of many Native American men, women, and children. The event has been the subject of investigation, commemoration, and federal preservation efforts.

The site sits on the high plains of southeastern Colorado near the town of Eads in Kiowa County, on shortgrass prairie characteristic of the region.

• Date: Occurred on November 29, 1864, when a U.S. Army force attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho village, resulting in large numbers of deaths including non-combatants.
• Visitor tip: Facilities are limited and interpretive features are primarily outdoors, so check seasonal hours before visiting and plan for prairie weather.

What to See #

• Site of the attack: Marks the location of the 1864 attack on a Cheyenne and Arapaho encampment; contains a landscape with interpretive markers and a memorial area where the event took place.
• Visitor center: Operated by the National Park Service, the visitor center provides interpretive exhibits, a short film, and wayside panels explaining the events and their legacy.