0201. Plaza - Start Your Tour

The Plaza marked the Southwestern end of the 900 mile Santa Fe Trail that stretches from Santa Fe to Old Franklin, Missouri. It was also the north marker for the old Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the 650 mile trail that continues down to Mexico City.

The 33 foot tall Soldiers’ Monument, a granite monolith built in 1868, honors Union soldiers who died at the 1862 Civil War Battle of Glorieta, as well as Santa Fe Trail pioneers and travelers.

Placed in 1901, the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR’s) backpack-sized Kearny monument is on the northeast side of the plaza facing the sidewalk. The large grey stone honors General Kearny, the man who led a 1,600 man 'Army of the West' across the Santa Fe Trail in 1846. He claimed then-Mexican land for the US, and seized New Mexico without firing a shot.

The four foot End of the Trail monument near the Plaza’s southeast corner was erected in 1911. It is one of the DAR’s 170 surviving Santa Fe Trail markers erected in 1905-1914.

The Full Itinerary Tour takes several hours. The Top 10 tour takes about one hour.