Kit Carson Home & Museum

What an amazing man with a life full of adventure. It’s surprising that more people don’t know what a hero was Kit Carson and how much of an impact he had on the American West. He’s got a frickin’ state capitol named after him — Carson City, Nevada. I mean, WOW!
Frontiersman, trapper, adventurer, military leader and finally Indian agent, Kit Carson lived a life that can only be imagined. Except for him, it was real.
The Museum itself is a little small and you’d miss the rather ramshackle appearance if you didn’t know it was here. A bummer really. But it is his original home, which has been restored by his brother Masons due to his historical relevance. Only a four room house, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.
Watch the movie (or find it online) and tour the home, which has many of his original possessions including his saber and scabbard, brigadier general epaulettes and a number of the magazines and books of the day telling of his adventures. The small gift shop has a collection of biographies for sale as well.
What a great man. Don’t miss it.

Short your but a very interesting story. friendly staff members who display a care for his legacy. The video played shows his Great-​Grandson playing Kit they are identical twins. Beautiful story of he and his family!

A must see, gardens in the rear are compelling in and of themselves. It is a clear local treasure for historical value alone but the architecture is close up and engaging as you transport back in time.

Warning: not for three year-​olds.
The deal was: go to Taos Pueblo, then Kit Carson’s home, then ice cream. And she was down with the deal. Granted, she didn’t actually hear or care about the first two engagements, she was all about the sweet stuff, and by the time we finished the Pueblo she was pretty much fried, so our stop at this museum was brief.
We managed to watch the opening film, which was… decent. Kit’s life was insane, and it’s pretty tough to cover it in less than 30 minutes. Last summer I read «Blood and Thunder» by Hampton Sides, a massive, thoroughly researched rollercoaster of a biography, so I knew a lot about his home in Taos. The place doesn’t disappoint. Fans of this popular figure will love wandering these rooms, checking out his daily routine, understanding that those doorways weren’t small for Kit, he was a small dude.
Ten minutes after the film was done, we were lookin’ for ice cream. Fair warning.

Kit Carson’s place is small and maybe not interesting enough for some. But it’s located in downtown Taos, and only a short walking distance from the Plaza. Nearby there are a variety of jewelry stores and other shops which will make the Museum an easy stop.
If your travels also include Santa Fe, The New Mexico Museum has a few exhibits devoted to this American soldier and legend in his own time.
Some view his marriage in 1842 to Maria Josefa Jaramillothen a watershed event. It was a rare example of a well known frontiersman union to a Mexican-​American, albeit from a wealthy family. At the time, he was also baptized into the Catholic faith.

If you’re itching to know how the west was won the Kit Carson Museum is the place for that itch to be scratched. I’ve heard about Carson, but I admit as a history teacher I did not know too much about his life. The docent at the front desk was really nice and so knowledgeable about the Carson family history and the history of the Southwest in general. My bro and I tend to be pretty probing when it comes to history stuff and she was able to answer most, if not all, of our questions.
The entrance fee of $ 5 includes a short History Channel produced video of Kit Carson’s life and his years as an Indian Agent (I also didn’t know much of what an Indian Agent was before I came to the museum). The video features one of Kit Carson’s descendants portraying Carson.
All in all, I liked how the docent was very honest and balanced about the life of Kit Carson and left it up to us, the patrons of the museum, to decide how to judge the life and actions of a frontiersman that has been viewed as one who contributed the conquering of the native people of the Southwest or one that served as a liaison for two very different cultures.
If you would like to read more about this bit of history of the U.S. the museum also has a good selection of books in their bookstore.

Nice stuff interesting but don’t you think during Tourist season they wouldn’t be doing construction it made for a noisy muddy mess, though not expensive should have been discounted.

I did not knew this place existed when I came to Taos but felt like a little kid when I found out. You might very well pass the small building without noticing it if you are not paying close attention.
Stopping in is well worth the history lesson. The rooms a mostly bar with just the furniture that was in place back in the time Carson and his family lived here. You learn about Carson’s travels and life adventures, as well as the history of the local and surrounding area. The whole place takes well under an hour to go through, and since you are already in Taos, this is an ideal stop in point on a no ski day.