Now is the time when families are considering how to spend their summer vacations, and after COVID-19 basically wrecked last summer the open road is beckoning. But what if there was something really cool close to home that the whole family could enjoy?

Well, there is such a thing.

It’s the Fort Museum and Frontier Village here in Fort Dodge.

There, people can explore a row of historic buildings, including a general store, a carpenter’s shop and an old newspaper office. Kids can pretend to lock each other up in an old jail. There’s a stable full of antique wagons. Within the walls of the stockade are a couple of log cabins and other buildings filled with exhibits. One of those exhibits tells the story of Darrell Lindsay, a Fort Dodge Senior High School graduate who received the Medal of Honor during World War II for staying at the controls of his doomed, burning bomber so that his crew could bail out.

A replica of the infamous Cardiff Giant and an old windmill are among the other treasures to be found at the museum.

It should be noted that the original Fort Dodge military post was not located where the museum is today. In fact, none of the buildings were originally on that spot. But that doesn’t lessen their value. Each of the buildings, and the artifacts in them, have been carefully preserved to enable visitors to see what life in the Fort Dodge area was like decades ago.

The site is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. It is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for students, members of the military, veterans and seniors; and $5 for children between the ages of 5 and 7. Children under 4 are admited for free.

We encourage everyone to spend a day at the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. It will be both fun and educational.