News Release

Trading Post Open House and Exhibit Unveiling

The trading post that is home to the new exhibits!

NPS Photo/Stan Ford

News Release Date: May 2, 2023

Contact: E.E. Fogelson Visitor Center, [phone]

Pecos, NM:  Join us on Sunday, May 14^th between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. for an open house and exhibit unveiling at Pecos National Historical Park’s recently rehabilitated Trading Post. Interactive, family-friendly exhibits will be sure to appeal to visitors of all ages. Come get a sneak peek at this long-awaited addition to the park, enjoy some refreshments on the front porch, and enjoy a 10% discount at the park’s Western National Park Association bookstore.  

The Trading Post has a storied past.  A Polish immigrant named Martin Kozlowski originally constructed the Trading Post along the Santa Fe Trail in 1858. It served as one of the last stage stops before trail-weary travelers arrived in Santa Fe after months on the dusty trail. During the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass, this building served as a Union hospital. In 1925, rodeo-promoter and entrepreneur Tex Austin purchased the building and turned it into ranch headquarters for his famous Forked Lightning Ranch. In the 1940s,  E.E. "Buddy" Fogelson bought the ranch and then brought his Hollywood actress wife, Oscar-winning Greer Garson, to the Forked Lightning Ranch. Together, they worked the land as a hobby ranch and entertained many Hollywood guests. In 1990, the National Park Service acquired the ranch and Trading Post and used it as office space, until 2006, when the building was deemed unfit for occupancy. The rehabilitation of the Trading Post also addresses a notable portion of the park’s maintenance backlog. 

For more information about the park in general, contact Pecos NHP at [phone] or visit our website at www.nps.gov/peco.. Please like on us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PecosNHPnps or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pecos_nps). 

From I-25 N: Take the Pecos/Glorieta Exit, #299. Left onto overpass, right onto Route 50; proceed on Route 50 for eight miles. At the village of Pecos, take a right at the four-way stop onto Route 63. In 2.75 miles, the Trading Post will be on your left. From I-25 S: Take the Rowe Exit, #307. Follow signs. From Highway 63, the Trading Post will be on your right.