Fort Stanton Live Roars Back to LIfe

On Saturday, July 8, Fort Stanton Live will come to the fields, walkways, and buildings of Fort Stanton Historic Site (FSHS) for the first time since 2019. 

“My staff and I are all excited to experience Fort Stanton Live,” said Kari Richards, manager of FSHS.  “This will be the first Fort Stanton Live for more than half of the staff, and even veteran staff are excited to experience a new and different version of the event. It’s sure to be a fun event and I can’t wait to experience it firsthand.”

“Fort Stanton Live will look a little different this year,” said Steve Duffy, president of Fort Stanton, Inc. “There will be no cannon fire or cap-gun reenactments, but there will be living history—including demonstrations, lectures, Live tours, and music. There will be much to see, hear, and eat at the event, and we hope to still please the many history lovers and visitors visiting our region this July 8th.”

History has left its mark on Fort Stanton, from the U.S. military’s encounters with the Mescalero Apache through its time as a tuberculosis hospital, and even to the present day. Fort Stanton Live, planned by Fort Stanton, Inc. with support from FSHS, celebrates that history.

Visitors can expect a day full of activity. There will be performances from Indigenous artists and dancers and military bands, plenty of food, guided tours of the site, and lectures from professional and amateur historians, as well as living history cavalry, infantry, and artillery non-firing demonstrations. The lecture subjects include the Arizona and New Mexico railroad system, Fort Stanton’s time as a hospital serving tuberculosis patients, the Fort Stanton cave system, and much more.

Tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child. Purchase tickets here.

About New Mexico Historic Sites

New Mexico Historic Sites is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its donors. The New Mexico Historic Sites system was established in 1931 by an Act for the Preservation of the Scientific Resources of New Mexico. The eight Historic Sites include Coronado, Fort Selden, Fort Stanton, Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site, Jemez, Lincoln, and Los Luceros.