Fort Whipple was established in 1863 as the first United States Army post in what is now Arizona. It was built to protect settlers in the territory and to provide a base for campaigns against the Apache and Yavapai peoples. The fort served as the seat of the Arizona Territorial government in 1864, and the city of Prescott grew from the civilian settlement that gathered around it.
The fort operated continuously until 1913. It was reactivated during World War II and eventually became the site of the Prescott VA Health Care System — the campus is still an active VA medical facility and public access to most of the historic grounds is limited. However, the exterior of several early 20th-century buildings can be seen from the road, and the Veterans Administration campus preserves the general layout of the old military post.
The site connects directly to the Sharlot Hall Museum, which tells the story of Prescott's territorial years in more accessible detail.