Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site - Visiting the Hubbell Trading Post

The historic Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona was established in 1876 and is still a functioning trading post today. It is a National Historic site. You can tour the Trading Post, barns,and enjoy the shop and Visitor's Center. Specially guided Ranger tours will take you through the original Hubbell home behind the trading post. Hubbell Trading Post hosts two Native American art auctions each year.
Hubbell Trading Post is located one mile west of Ganado, Arizona and 55 miles northwest of Gallup, New Mexico. It can be reached by Arizona 264 from the east and west and by US 191 from the north and south. It is well-marked. Map
Hubbell Trading Post NHS
P.O. Box 150
Ganado, Arizona 86505
Phone: (928) 755-3475
Summer hours are 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily from April 30th to September 8th. Winter hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., daily beginning September 9th to April 29th.

Something to Remember: The Navajo Nation observes Mountain Daylight Savings Time and the rest of Arizona observes Mountain Standard Time all year round.

Hubbell Trading Post is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day.

• Go to the Visitors' Center first. Pick up a brochure and pay $2.00 for a Ranger-led tour of the Hubbell home. The Visitors' Center also houses a fantastic bookstore.
• Hubbell Trading Post - When you enter the trading post, you will think you are in a functioning old-fashioned store, which it is. Look around.
• Grounds - Be sure and have a look at the grounds which include a barn and blacksmith's shop.
• Don't forget to take the tour of the Hubbell home. You WON'T regret taking time to do this.

In the days of John Lorenzo Hubbell, traders provided a link for the Navajo to the goods of the more modern world. Navajo people would bring their rugs, sheep, wool, for example and trade for lanterns, tools, tobacco and coffee. It was a true trading economy. Today, you can visit the trading post and step to a side room where you can purchase some very nice Native American jewelry and rugs.
By now I have mentioned the Hubbell Home tour at least 3 times. And, there is a reason. Not only can you visit the home and see what life was like for a trader and family, you can visit the home just as it was left by the Hubbell Family. There are books, beautiful rugs, paintings and, within these pieces of art, a great deal of family and local trading history. The tour is short, about an hour and is available for $2.00. Your visit to the Hubbell Trading Post is not complete without taking this tour.
Not only can you gain a greater appreciation of the Hubbell Trading Post history at the Visitors' Center, you will have an opportunity to purchase some fantastic books about local Native American history and arts and crafts. There is a wonderful section for children's books, some of which are not available widely. Restrooms are just outside the Visitors' Center. There is a friendly dog and cat that live there!
While I was on the home tour, I spied a brightly colored Navajo rug. I was used to the natural colors of the Two Grey Hills weavings and asked about the rug. I found out that it was termed a "Germantown" colors rug and there was a surprising history. The Navajo, driven from their ancestral lands during "The Long Walk," in 1864 had no natural resources for their traditional weaving. During that time, rugs were woven with machine-spun yarn. Since the yarn was manufactured in Germantown, Pennsylvania, the bright rugs were termed "Germantown" rugs.
John Lorenzo Hubbell was quite a person. He was known for his language ability, his fairness in trading and for establishing or taking over many area trading posts. He was supportive of the Navajo people. If they did well, so would he.

To visit the Hubbell Trading Post is to immerse yourself in the days of the reservation trading posts which were where the Native Americans and Anglo traders came together in a mutually beneficial relationship. The Hubbell family brought some comforts of the more civilized east with them but melded their culture withe culture of the Southwest.

Recommendations:

• Allow at least two hours to fully enjoy all that the site has to offer.
• Take the Hubbell Home tour.
• Remember that this is a functioning trading post. Do not take photos of the Native American people who are working or trading there.
• Look for the twice annual Native American Art auctions put on by the Friends of Hubbell.
• Visit a variety of trading posts such as the Trading Posts of Gallup and the more rural Toadlena and Two Grey Hills Trading Posts north of Gallup. You will come away with a greater understanding of the Native American - Trader culture as well as have the opportunity to purchase authentic Native American hand work close to the source.

After enjoying the history of the trading posts and learning more about authentic Native American jewelry, weavings and crafts, I have become more determined to buy locally, from the respected trader or from the Native American artisan. I highly recommend a visit to Hubbell Trading Post.

More information: Hubbell Trading Post Website and Friends of Hubbell Website