Skip to content
Fort Stanton, Fort Stanton, NM

Photo: AllenS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

Fort Stanton

A well-preserved 1855 military post near Lincoln, New Mexico, with a museum, guided and self-guided tours, and living history events.

104 Kit Carson Rd, Fort Stanton, NM 88323 · Fort Stanton, NM

About Fort Stanton

Founded in 1855, this former army post sits on 240 acres just outside the historic town of Lincoln, surrounded by Lincoln National Forest. It is often described as among the best-preserved 19th-century forts in America and as New Mexico's finest example of its kind. Its story reaches from frontier conflicts and the Civil War through the Lincoln County troubles, a tuberculosis era, Civilian Conservation Corps work, and the wartime internment of German sailors. Visitors can view the parade ground with its twelve buildings, tour the site on their own or with a guide, explore the museum and visitors center, and attend living history programs.

  • #military history
  • #fort
  • #Civil War
  • #Indian Wars
  • #Billy the Kid

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Stanton, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Ruidoso

    No admission fee

    Visitor guide to the mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, covering lodging, dining, and outdoor recreation.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    14 mi awayMore like this

  • Stay
    Family Favorite

    Dan Dee Cabins

    $50+

    Stay in rustic forest cabins with wood fireplaces in Ruidoso's Upper Canyon, open since 1938.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Nightlife
    Outdoor Adventure

    Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino

    No admission fee

    Visit the casino, golf or book the spa at a Mescalero Apache resort on Lake Mescalero in New Mexico.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Museums

    New Mexico Museum of Space History

    Under $25

    A museum and planetarium complex in Alamogordo focused on New Mexico's role in the U.S. space program and the Space Age.

    46 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing

    Weed Lookout Tower

    Check prices

    A historic fire lookout tower within the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico.

    48 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Quirky Fun

    McGinn's PistachioLand

    Under $25

    A working pistachio and grape farm near Alamogordo with guided farm tours, wine tasting, and the World's Largest Pistachio statue.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    48 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

Near Fort Stanton

More of the same kind

Keep exploring