Part of our in-depth series exploring the forts of Apacheria
Photo from NPS
Fort Union was an 1800s fort guarding the Santa Fe Trail. A military museum on the grounds features exhibits/artifacts. In the summer the Living History Portrayal of Frontier Garrison Life features lectures and demonstrations about muskets, women on the frontier, the infantry, the cavalry, Fort Union and the Civil War, and the Santa Fe Trail.
Photo courtesy of Ty Dodge
This is a picture of his great-grandfather, Second Lieutenant Lea Febiger,
relaxing in the bachelor's quarters at Fort Union, Indian Territory
in the 1880s.
The two main branches of the Santa Fe Trail, the Cimarron Cutoff and the Mountain Branch, joined at Watrous, the site of Fort Union. A significant collection related to Fort Union National Monument is stored at the Western Archaeological and Conservation Center in Tucson; contact Stephanie Rodeffer, 520-670-6501, ext. 252.
Wagon in Mechanic's Corral
Photo by Harry Frank, Red River, NM
Hours: 8am - 6pm daily (summer); 8am - 5pm daily (winter)
Admission: free
Location: NM 161 (8 miles north of Las Vegas on I-25)
Fort Union, NM 87753
Phone: 505-425-8025
Fax: 505-454-1155
Address: P. O. Box 127
Fort Union, NM 87753
Post Hospital
Photo by Harry Frank, Red River, NM
Special Programs: Living History Portrayal of Frontier Garrison Life (summers), self-guided trail with audio stations, outdoor interpretive programs (summers), guided tours (pre-arranged)
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Nearby Points of Interest
Museums
Arrowhead Lodge, Pecos, Daily 505-757-8870
Roughrider Museum, Las Vegas, Daily 505-454-1401
Walking Tours
Historic Las Vegas Walking Tour, Year Round, 505-425-8631
Pecos National Historical Park, Year Round, 505-757-6414