fort garland museum

We have stopped at Fort Garland Museum twice in the last several years as we were traveling to other states which were many hours down the road. This stop was a welcome break in our trip and we enjoyed our time inside the gate. The bathrooms are extremely clean, the gift shop is filled with interesting and lovely items and the clerks are very sweet.

Exhibits here are really well done. They address many big ideas from the indian wars and Kit Carson to the Civil War and Buffalo Soldiers. Even the non-history buff enjoyed this museum!

I have toured many frontier outposts, but few have been restored and enhanced like Ft. Garland. Knowing the difficulties of funding and maintaining a remote location, I was certainly impressed by the amount of artifacts, and the interesting diorama displays on site. One in particular stands out. A painter was commissioned to recreate a Confederate campsite background with full size tents,equipment,horses, soldiers etc.posed in front. Re-enactor volunteers provided a recording of period camp conversations,sounds, and music to deepen the impression. It will make you feel as if you were there in 1862. The gift shop is large and very well stocked with books for the period. Whatever you wish to learn about Kit Carson can be found here.

Fort Garland was used for 25 years from 1858-1883. Kit Carson was commander of this post from 1866-1867 and his family lived there with him during this time. The fort was built of adobe and mud bricks . The main reason this fort existed was to keep peace between the settlers and the Indians. Several buggies, wagons and replicas of military uniforms and the way of life is represented her. The barracks show how the men slept, worked and did daily chores. It's very interesting and worth the visit. Allow about 1-2 hours for the entire site. Fee was $3 per person.

The self-paced and interactive tour was very informative and interesting. The gift shop prices were a little steep.

This was an interesting museum and much of the history explained here was new to us. Kit Carson, the Buffalo Soldiers, and life on the frontier were featured. The jail was interesting, especially that the guards shared the one overcoat available. The restored adobe buildings featured some original components. The entry fee was reasonable and the gift shop was extensive.

I am a member of the Friends of the Fort and highly recommend this history soaked fort and it's exhibits to the public. The admission price is minimal and the photo op's are plentiful. Located right below the center of town, and next to where the historic train passes, the area is surrounded by scenic mountains. You and your kids will love the old stagecoaches and the Fort jail... Throughout the year there are a number of reenacted events and even a concert held on the grounds.

they have no food but history is very good kit carson and the old west bring the family then go to dels diner for a burger

We called in on the way from visiting Great Sand Dunes NP and had a very interesting hour touring the fort. Our visit was part of a fly drive holiday in Colorado and Utah, and the fort and its frontier history added another fascinating aspect to a superb trip. Well worth calling in.

We stopped at the convenient visitor center in Fort Garland, mainly to use the restroom, which was very clean. In talking to the host, we learned that the actual fort was just down the street so we decided to visit there as we had some extra time. The museum does not look like much from the outside so we thought we'd be there only a short time. But, once we got in, we found it fascinating. We especially enjoyed the exhibits on Kit Carson, who headed the fort for a while, the Buffalo Soldiers who were stationed there, and the Civil War activity which we had never heard about. We ended up there for a couple of hours. Great find.

Lots of information in this place - you could easily spend several hours there. It is very educational, I leaned a lot about Kit Carson. NIce little gift shop of course - well worth a visit.

We learned a lot about kit Carson, buffalo solders, the civil war on this area, and even about building with adobe.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but everyone in Alamosa, where we're staying, loved it. So we drove out and we were impressed! Theres a small entrance fee of 5 bucks, or a little less if you're a senior. Take time to read! You'll learned remarkable things about Christopher "Kit" Carson. I grew up on Carson Street in San Diego and knew nothing about this remarkable man. He's way more interesting than the fiction written about him. Then learn about the Buffalo Soldiers. What a life they led. We've seen the movies where the calvery comes over the hill to rescue the settlers, but in reality, those heros in blue were likely black. Then comes the Civil War room with the sights and sounds of the camp and of battle. The soldiers at this fort fought the Texans in the Civil War. This fort was almost lost to the ravages of time, as you'll learn if you start your trip by reading the brochure you're given when you enter. This place is a treasure. They make learning so much fun!

I was on my way to Taos, NM and stopped at this museum. Entry fee was ~5 bucks for an adult and was better than I expected. An old, actual adobe U.S. Calvary fort that is now a museum that does not have all the buildings it once had, but many of the main buildings. My experience was a self-guided tour through the buildings which was efficiently laid out and informative. Included information on Kit Carson and the garrison life he and his family experienced there – so one gets a good idea of how the commanders lived in frontier posts. Barracks of the enlisted soldiers depicted the same. There were dioramas that could have been on display in more high fluetin museums that depicted the above and some of the actual battles of the Civil War in the area. There was information on the Buffalo soldiers and old wagons too. I’d say about a hour would be enough time to check this out and in total I’d recommend this stop if you’re in the area. Though combing it with another attraction in the area is what motivated me to give this 4stars – otherwise maybe a 3star. For me, I then headed south ~16miles to San Luis (Colorado’s oldest city) and explored the Stations of the Cross. Combined the two were a greater experience than the sum of the two.

This small museum is full of neat exhibits, and one can learn much about the Civil War in the West. I did not realize, before my first visit, that the Civil War had come this far West - shame on me! A visit to the Museum taught me otherwise. This Colorado location was important for lots of reasons, and one learns much about Kit Carson and other heroes. Friendly volunteers welcome you in the small gift shop; books, cards, photos, maps, brochures, and souvenirs are available for purchase. Restrooms are down the hall. There is a small fee to tour the grounds (a donation so they can maintain the old structures). You freely walk through several buildings which have interesting exhibits. Like the Military Post it once was, the buildings are around the Parade Grounds in a rectangle, the American Flag waving in the breeze in the center. Picnic tables are there, people were enjoying a picnic when I last visited. The buildings are marked: Commandant's Quarters, or West Officers' Quarters, Mess Hall, or Theater or Buffalo Soldiers. The bunks look as if the soldiers just made them up! My first visit here was with a friend, some years ago; when the weather got messy at the Sand Dunes, we ended up at the Museum and had a wonderful afternoon. We quickly became mesmerized for hours, absorbing all the wonderful Civil War information. It was not until later that I heard about the Museum's special event over Memorial Day - they have a Civil War Reenactment! Wow. I marked my calendar, but when Memorial Day arrived, I was out of town. Finally this year, seeing the Reenactment was on my list. However, timing is everything. Reenactment volunteers spend a holiday away from family entertaining complete strangers, and in the heat! - when I expected them to be there Monday, I'd just missed them. They were anxious to get home. So, the Fort's Reenactment is still on my Do List! It's obvious that many people are involved keeping this historical Museum up and running. The Colorado Historical Society restored the 19th Century military post, and many volunteers are involved day to day. On this recent visit, I was told they'd worked hard to finish some new exhibits in time for Memorial Day, and they are a wonderful improvement. Sound - noises and voices - is used, and you feel right in the middle of some long-ago situations, like you're in the camp eavesdropping. As I said before, this can easily be included with a visit to the Sand Dunes - two totally different experiences. And the new, improved displays make it even more fun for children. For the size of it, Fort Garland has a nice choice of restaurants, gas stations, and is just 75 miles north of Taos. This is well worth the time, definitely worth the small price, and a fun way to learn history. It's a great place to share the Civil War with family and friends.