Trinidad History Museum on the Historic Santa Fe Trail

Trinidad History Museum on the Historic Santa Fe Trail Trinidad History Museum, a Community Museum of History Colorado, occupies a city block in historic T Located on 312 E. Main Street, U.S.

El Trinidad History Museum ocupa una cuadra entera en el centro histórico de Trinidad, Colorado. El museo incluye la Casa Baca, la Mansión Bloom, el Edificio Barglow, el Museo del Camino de Santa Fe, y jardines bonitos apoyados por la comunidad.
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Step back in time at the Trinidad History Museum, a unique complex overlooking the Santa Fe Trail. Enjoy four attractions all located

on the same historic block. The adobe Baca House and Santa Fe Trail Museum are official sites on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. Also visit the Bloom Mansion, a Victorian mansion built in 1882. The Baca-Bloom Heritage Gardens, which are a Plant Select site, contain native plants, century-old trees, Victorian flowers, and two vegetable gardens. Historic photographs, family possessions, and commercial goods on display evoke the lifeways of early inhabitants of southeastern Colorado in the Santa Fe Trail Museum. The museum gift shop features Trinidad apparel, coffee mugs, postcards, pottery, soap, and books about local and regional history. Highway 350/160 in Trinidad, CO.

Don't forget to apply for our Guest Services Internship! Spend the summer at Trinidad History Museum and support museum ...
03/18/2026

Don't forget to apply for our Guest Services Internship! Spend the summer at Trinidad History Museum and support museum operations, tours, gift shop sales, and more 🏛️

If you love local history - don't miss out on this opportunity to build professional skills while contributing
meaningfully to the museum’s mission and daily operations! Stipend Included 🤑 Apply by April 1!

Learn more about applying at:https://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2026/THM%20Guest%20Services%20Internship%20-%20Summer%202026.pdf

A goofy group portrait 🤪 Taken in 1901 at Aultman Studios.--Studio portrait of a group of men. They pose with a harp and...
03/17/2026

A goofy group portrait 🤪 Taken in 1901 at Aultman Studios.
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Studio portrait of a group of men. They pose with a harp and a cane. They wear their hats upside down on their heads. History Colorado 85.1.6

On the corner of South Chestnut and East Main Streets in downtown Trinidad sits an unusual two-story building. It has a ...
03/16/2026

On the corner of South Chestnut and East Main Streets in downtown Trinidad sits an unusual two-story building. It has a large patio, a second-story balcony, and a widow’s walk at the very peak of the roof. It was constructed almost entirely out of adobe on a foundation of stacked stone, making it a rarity even in southern Colorado.

And it’s over 150 years old, making it one of the oldest still-standing buildings in the state, even older than the Bloom Mansion right next door.

Join us at Main Street Live for a Sharing Performance from CU’s Impact Playback Theatre! Impact Playback Theatre returns...
03/15/2026

Join us at Main Street Live for a Sharing Performance from CU’s Impact Playback Theatre! Impact Playback Theatre returns with their impactful, improvised theater and music, to bring to life your stories from our community.

📆 March 28 | 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Audience members and invited guest storytellers will be invited to share true stories of life in Trinidad – from days of yore to yesterday – and witness them turned into theater by professional improvisers and musicians, on the spot.

Don't miss out on participating in local history and living stories! Come to share, to learn, or to witness and connect.

Event held at MainStreet Live, 131 W. Main St., Trinidad, CO. Tickets sold at the door. $10/person.
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🇺🇸 In recognition of America's 250 - Colorado's 150 Anniversary

Eppie Archuleta could often be found weaving in the quiet, still hours of the night from dusk until dawn. With her child...
03/13/2026

Eppie Archuleta could often be found weaving in the quiet, still hours of the night from dusk until dawn. With her children asleep and the Valley silent, Eppie would transform wool—dyed by the plants of the earth—into designs that echoed the patterns of her Native American and Spanish ancestors. Her work told the stories of people through portraits and illuminated the beauty of landscapes and animals. Her love for the loom bloomed later in life, but her weaving skills were cultivated at a young age. Eppie inherited the art of weaving from the generations of artisans before her.

While weaving was initially just an extra source of income, Eppie began to discover a love for the loom and her own creative style. In 1983, Eppie received the Colorado Governor’s Award, and she was awarded the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1985. In folk and traditional arts, this award is the highest honor. In 1991, she was profiled in a National Geographic magazine article. In the article, she described weaving as an integral part of her life. “It’s part of my soul,” she proclaimed.

Learn more about Eppie Archuleta’s legacy at: https://www.historycolorado.org/story/borderlands-southern-colorado/2021/05/24/master-weaver-san-luis-valley
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Image 1: Eppie with her raw wool and spindles of yarn in 2000. Courtesy Ruben Archuleta
Image 2: "Rain Cloud" by Eppie Archuleta. Courtesy Ruben Archuleta

Trinidad History Museum has all your spring garden and outdoor activities covered 🌱Whether you are interested in plantin...
03/12/2026

Trinidad History Museum has all your spring garden and outdoor activities covered 🌱

Whether you are interested in planting rare heritage seeds, or creating habitats for pollinators, stop by the Trinidad History Museum gift shop and get ready to grow.

Studio portrait of two women taken at Aultman Studio, 1897. They wear print dresses and hats decorated with feathers 👗 H...
03/10/2026

Studio portrait of two women taken at Aultman Studio, 1897. They wear print dresses and hats decorated with feathers 👗

History Colorado purchased Aultman Studio negatives from Glen Aultman during the 1960s. Glen Aultman later donated additional materials including photographs, studio equipment, and furniture.

Today, the collection includes approximately 50,000 negatives, as well as studio registers, which provide a record of many individuals and families who sat for and purchased Aultman photographs.
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History Colorado 85.1.26

Don't forget about Free Family Day on March 14 at Trinidad History Museum 🫧 Join us from 10:00am - 3:00pm and receive fr...
03/09/2026

Don't forget about Free Family Day on March 14 at Trinidad History Museum 🫧

Join us from 10:00am - 3:00pm and receive free museum admission, play lawn games, and receive a discount on select gift store items! Attendees will also receive 10% off Hands-On History Summer Camp tuition at the Trinidad History Museum ✏️

RSVP at: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8683631/Free-Family-Day-at-Trinidad-History-Museum-March-14

Please note the Bloom Mansion is currently closed for planned maintenance, but the Baca House and Santa Fe Trail Museum, as well as all grounds, will be open for visitors!

Hey historians! Applications are now open for the 2026 Miles and Bancroft Awards! If you or your organization are worki...
03/04/2026

Hey historians! Applications are now open for the 2026 Miles and Bancroft Awards!

If you or your organization are working on a historical project, or if you know of local historians or other institutions who deserve recognition—consider applying today! Both awards reward and celebrate individuals, organizations, or museums in Colorado that have made a major contribution during the year to the advancement of Colorado history.

Learn more at: www.historycolorado.org/miles-bancroft

🏆 Awards will be announced by Colorado Day, 2026 (August 1, 2026).

*Submissions must be emailed by June 1st, 2026.
**To qualify for a 2026 award, the project must have occurred, been presented or been completed between August 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026.
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Image: The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities was chosen for the 2024 Josephine H. Miles Award, for its Colcha Embroidery of the San Luis Valley project, which highlighted historic and contemporary artworks depicting the landscape and history of the San Luis Valley in a narrative embroidery style unique to the region.

The Corazon de Trinidad District, or “Heart of Trinidad,” embodies some of the best examples of Late Victorian commercia...
03/03/2026

The Corazon de Trinidad District, or “Heart of Trinidad,” embodies some of the best examples of Late Victorian commercial architecture in Colorado. Dating back to 1876, Trinidad quickly became the financial, retail and cultural hub of southern Colorado with the development of nearby coal fields and the arrival of the railroad.

The area is a 132-acre National Historic District in downtown Trinidad, listed in 1973. It features one of the state's best collections of both Late Victorian commercial architecture and adobe buildings, located along the historic Santa Fe Trail.
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View of Commercial Street in Trinidad (Las Animas County), Colorado. Photo by Aultman Studio. Circa 1890-1900. History Colorado 93.322.1687

Girls can fruits and vegetables at a school most likely in Trinidad, CO, 1890-1910. Photo by Oliver Aultman.--History Co...
03/01/2026

Girls can fruits and vegetables at a school most likely in Trinidad, CO, 1890-1910. Photo by Oliver Aultman.
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History Colorado 93.322.1727

Join us for Free Family Day at the Trinidad History Museum 🥳 10:00am - 3:00pm on Sat. March 14. Receive free museum admi...
02/26/2026

Join us for Free Family Day at the Trinidad History Museum 🥳 10:00am - 3:00pm on Sat. March 14. Receive free museum admission, play lawn games, and receive a discount on select gift store items!

Attendees will also receive 10% off Hands-On History Summer Camp tuition at the Trinidad History Museum.

RSVP for the fun at: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8683631/Free-Family-Day-at-Trinidad-History-Museum-March-14

Please note the Bloom Mansion is currently closed for planned maintenance, but the Baca House and Santa Fe Trail Museum, as well as all grounds, will be open for visitors!

Address

120 S Chestnut Street
Trinidad, CO
81082

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(719) 846-2361

Website

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