Martin Jagers
Kit Carson House Inc. Board President

Welcome to The Carson House & Museum.

Hello explorer, welcome to The Carson House & Museum. I hope that you find kitcarsonhouse.org an informative guide and insightful look into the amazing experience you will have when visiting the home, grounds, and museum.

New Mexico is the ancestral home of myriad Native peoples, and part of the last geographical region formally incorporated into the continental United States. As such, there is not one history of the region much less one modern culture. There are multiple histories of the peoples of the land now known as New Mexico and the encounters within and among them, stretching back millennia to the modern day.

The Carson House & Museum will preserve the National Historic Landmark, the Kit Carson Home while developing a museum with exhibits dedicated to the critical exploration of the complicated history and consequences of the cultural encounters of the American Southwest and particularly the history and ongoing story of Native Communities for whom this region was and continues to be home.

The Carson House & Museum will increase the current museum’s historical artifact collection to better match the museum’s updated mission. Our vision statement, guiding principles, collections management policy and ability to adequately care for, house and display artifacts will dictate the types of artifacts the museum will collect. The goal is to acquire historical artifacts for the initial displays with a collections plan in place to continue to grow the collection accordingly.

The Carson House & Museum serves as an educational institution where visitors can look to the past for cues and experiences that serve as meaningful lessons for better understanding the history of the American Southwest.

See you soon!

Mission

The Carson House & Museum will be operated exclusively for charitable purposes to protect, preserve, and maintain the National Historic Landmark site, Kit Carson House, adjacent buildings, and grounds, located in Taos, New Mexico, consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

Vision

The Carson House and Museum shall serve as an educational institution where visitors can look to the past for cues and experiences that serve as meaningful lessons for better understanding the history of the American Southwest.

Guiding Principles

  • Authenticity

    We are committed to presenting the history of the Taos area in an engaging, honest, authentic, and historically accurate manner.

  • Inclusiveness

    Inclusive systems and processes shall be at the forefront of our work to ensure that all aspects of our mission are informed, supported, and accepted by diverse populations, including those whose history and life trajectories have been impacted by the US expansion in the West.

  • Partnership

    We are committed to advancing our vision through partnerships with members of the Taos community as well as with curators, historians, scholars, and community advocates who can support our mission.

  • Stewardship

    We shall be unwavering in our stewardship of the knowledge, stories, and resources bestowed upon us in the advancement of our mission. We shall adhere to all professional standards relating to the preservation, display and interpretation of the buildings, structures, and artifacts in the museum’s collection.

  • Impact

    We are committed to ensuring a relevant, significant, and positive impact on the lives of those we engage in everything we do.