SANTA FE TRAIL CENTER MUSEUM & RESEARCH LIBRARY
1349 K-156 Hwy
620-285-2054 www.santafetrailcenter.org
A certified site on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, the Santa Fe Trail Center two miles west of Larned on K-156 offers visitors a glimpse into the nation’s past. Museum exhibits depict the Santa Fe Trail as a transportation route blending American Indian, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo cultures. Displays include prehistoric Indian artifacts, a Wichita Indian grass lodge, a full sized mounted buffalo, a commercial freight wagon and an exhibit showing the Spanish and Mexican influences on the trail.
The story of settlement along the ruts of the old trail is told through a series of rooms in the museum showing pioneer life in the early 1900’s. Outside on the grounds visitors can explore both sod and dugout homes as well as a one-room schoolhouse, limestone cooling house, Santa Fe Railroad depot and an African-American church. The Dale and Melba Woods Farm and Auto Museum Addition offers visitors a chance to learn more about rural life on the plains.
A trip to the Santa Fe Trail Center will prove to be an enjoyable and educational experience for the whole family. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is closed on Mondays the remainder of the year. It is also closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. A small admission fee is charged.
