Background and History of Trinidad History Museum

©2001CHS

Trinidad

Explore Trinidad’s past and its place in the American West at the Trinidad History Museum. The museum features several attractions on one block in Trinidad's acclaimed historic district. Landmark homes, local treasures, and lovely gardens make the Trinidad history Museum a great place to spend the day. The complex includes:

• Baca House and Kitchen Garden – Colorful furnishings in the impressive adobe home evoke the lifestyle of community leaders and sheep ranchers Dolores and Felipe Baca and their children. Representing three cultural groups affiliated with the family--Hispanic, Pueblo and Tarahumara--herbs and vegetables thrive in the garden.
• Bloom Mansion and Heritage Gardens – This Victorian home of banker and cattle baron Frank Bloom and his family is surrounded by shade trees and beautiful gardens with heirloom flowers. Enjoy behind-the-scene tours while History Colorado restores this ornate home to its original glory. 
• Santa Fe Trail Museum – A historic adobe building houses family heirlooms, commercial goods, and photographs that tell the stories of the people and events of Trinidad’s past.
• Annual Ethnic Garden – Flowers, vegetables and herbs from countries involved in World War II are featured in the Ethnic Garden.  In 2010, Japan is featured followed by an American Victory Garden the next year.  Museum programs also focus on the featured country.
• Davenport Gallery – Exhibits related to the annual ethnic theme are featured in the gallery in the Barglow Building, which served as a medical office for five decades.
• Book and Gift Shop – Books about local history, gardening, and the Santa Fe Trail and gifts made in Colorado, including Trinidad, are featured in the store. Also open in December for holiday shopping.
• Tourist and State Byways Center – On the Colorado-New Mexico border, Trinidad is in a perfect location for exploring this fascinating region that includes the Scenic Highway of Legends and the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.

The Trinidad History Museum is located in El Corazón de Trinidad National Historic District. Founded in 1861 on the Santa Fe Trail, Trinidad quickly became a bustling frontier town. With the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1878, the town flourished as a commercial, agricultural, and coal-mining center.