History road trip: Hubbell Trading Post

The past and present stand side by side at Hubbell Trading Post.

The oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Reservation is equal parts museum, art gallery and general store, a place where Native Americans come to sell or trade blankets, rugs and jewelry for groceries, tools and clothes. Many of today's customers are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who traded with John Lorenzo Hubbell, who bought the trading post in 1878.

Much of the post looks just as it does in century-old photographs, giving visitors a sense of stepping through a portal in time. Creaky wooden floors and a functional wood-burning stove add to the experience.

High counters and long shelves in the main room hold blankets and baskets, clothing and kitchen utensils, while harnesses and hardware hang from the wood beams that run the length of the ceiling.

A couple of side rooms hold Navajo rugs, cases of jewelry, paintings, kachinas, sculptures and other works of art. There's a good chance you'll see customers negotiating trades.

The trading post is the centerpiece of the 160-acre site. Visitors also can tour the Hubbell house; browse the visitor center (built in 1920 and used originally as a school); and see barns, corrals, wagons and other historical farm equipment, as well as lots of farm animals, including Churro sheep and their prized wool.

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

When: Spring, summer and fall are best. The visitor center is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. The trading post is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

Where: In Ganado, off State Route 264 about a mile west of U.S. 191 on the Navajo Reservation.

Admission: Free to see post, visitor center and grounds. $2 to tour the home; free for age 15 or younger.

Details: 928-755-3475, nps.gov/hutr.

Art auctions

The post hosts two art auctions each year. The next one will be Saturday, Sept. 13. The auctions feature works from many tribes.