Fort Garland was established in 1858, ten years after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, homelands and sacred spaces of Indigenous communities, including the Ute, Jicarilla Apache, and Navajo (Diné). Claimed by Spain in the 16th century and later governed by Mexico after 1821, the region became part of the United  States in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo forced Mexico to cede over half of its  territory, including the San Luis Valley. 

Today, the Fort Garland Museum & Culture Center invites visitors to explore this complex  history through thought-provoking exhibitions and public programs for guests of all ages. Through core exhibitions such as Unsilenced: Indigenous Enslavement in Southern Colorado and buffalo soldiers: reVision, the museum amplifies historically silenced narratives and encourages reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of the region’s past and its continuing impact on the present.