Kit Carson
Exterior of the museum
The rooms in which Kit Carson lived
The courtyard
Watching the short film about Kit Carson
Museum Gift Shop
Carson House
Open Thursday-Sunday 11:00AM-4:00pm
The Home and Museum is located one block from Taos Plaza in the four room house where Kit and Josefa Carson raised their children. Although the date of construction of the building cannot be established conclusively, the house was certainly built around or before 1825. In 1843, Carson purchased it as a wedding present for his bride. They occupied the house from then until 1867, except for a few brief absences.
The one-story house is in the Spanish Colonial style and has adobe walls more than two feet thick. The courtyard and interior remain today much as it was when the Carsons lived here.
Flying over the entry portal is a territorial flag from 1862. Inside the courtyard visitors will find an horno (adobe baking oven), drying rack and other artifacts true to the mid 19th century. Inside the museum are photos of the Carson family and other historical figures, as well as artifacts such as Josefa’s sewing box with red silk lining, Carson’s U.S. Army sabre and scabbard, his Masonic hat and a replica of his .50 caliber Hawkins rifle.
As visitors enter the first room, they can watch a 20 minute History Channel video about Carson. The museum store offers many books about Carson and the West, as well as a wide variety of other objects and gifts.
The property is owned by the Masonic lodge in Taos, Bent Lodge, AF&AM, and the museum, which receives over 20,000 visitors a year from all over the world. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963 by the National Park Service.