Fort Douglas

Fort Douglas is a former military post east of Salt Lake City, now located on the campus of the University of Utah, where barracks, officers' quarters and a museum remain. The buildings come from different construction periods and show post-Civil War architecture along with later additions through the 20th century.

Colonel Patrick Connor founded Camp Douglas in 1862 with volunteers from California and Nevada to secure mail routes and monitor the Mormon population. After World War I the post became headquarters for reserve units before transferring to the University of Utah in the 1960s.

The name honors Stephen A. Douglas, an Illinois senator known for his debates with Abraham Lincoln before the Civil War. Today the grounds belong to the University of Utah and serve as a venue for memorial ceremonies and military history tours.

The museum opens Tuesday through Saturday and displays weapons, uniforms and documents from several wars without charging admission. The cemetery remains accessible year-round and sits quietly among old trees near the museum buildings.

A small military cemetery in the northeastern section holds graves of German and Italian prisoners of war who died during World War I and World War II. The headstones bear names and hometowns from Europe, making the grounds a rare witness to international fates on American soil.

Location: Salt Lake City

Website: https://fortdouglas.org

GPS coordinates: 40.76528,-111.83306

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31