On October 19 , 1978 , Fort Scott became a National Historic Site under the supervision of the National Park Service , encompassing 17 acres ( 69 @,@ 000 m2 ) . Today the fort is open throughout the year , save for Thanksgiving , Christmas , and New Years Day . Visitation has declined in recent years . In 2005 visitation was 25 @,@ 528 ; in 2007 it was 22 @,@ 314 .