Goulding’s Trading Post Museum.
Goulding’s Trading Post Museum.
4.5
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4.5
684 reviews
Excellent
330
Very good
261
Average
80
Poor
12
Terrible
1
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,761 contributions
Sep 2022
No visit to Goulding's Lodge is complete without visiting Goulding's Trading Post Museum. If you have watched some of the seven motion pictures that director John Ford filmed in Monument Valley from 1939 to 1964, you probably caught a glimpse of the building, which was built in the late 1920s with the first floor serving as a trading post for the Navajos and the second floor serving as home to Harry and Mike Goulding. The museum opened in 1989 as a showcase of artifacts and a bygone era. It is comprised of several areas. The Trading Post Bull Pen is the original trading post, where all the trading action for canned food, kitchen supplies and threads happened in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The original scales are on display. The Ware Room served as the supply room for saddles, bags of raw wool an crates of coffee and today features photos from the early days and cases filled with historic Navajo pottery and other crafts. The Joseph Muench Room displays a variety of artwork and photos made by the famous photographer and close Goulding friend. The Movie Room, originally built as a mess hall for the crew of The Harvey Girls, is filled with movie stills, call sheets, posters and other memorabilia from Hollywood's Golden Age. The upstairs living quarters have been restored to how the Gouldings' home appeared in the 1940s and 1950s. Behind the museum is the Captain Nathan Brittles Cabin, or John Wayne's Cabin, a potato cellar used for exterior shots in She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.
Written September 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mini6322
Coppell, TX126 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This little museum is packed with various historical items. You get out of it what you put into it. Found the Trading Post room very interesting and told that many items there are original. Also spent a lot of time in the next room (think ‘Ware Room l’) which is filled with photographs of the Goulding’s and many local Navajos artifacts. The adjacent room was dedicated to artwork and photography of Goulding’s friend, Josef Muench.
Then went upstairs and viewed the restored living quarters of the Goulding’s. There is also a room (up & back) dedicated to Monument Valley movie locales with pictures, call sheets, posters, and major nods to Ford & J Wayne. Museum staff member was very nice and willing to answer questions. Visit made me want to do more outside reading and learning.
Then went upstairs and viewed the restored living quarters of the Goulding’s. There is also a room (up & back) dedicated to Monument Valley movie locales with pictures, call sheets, posters, and major nods to Ford & J Wayne. Museum staff member was very nice and willing to answer questions. Visit made me want to do more outside reading and learning.
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
danamc01
Branchville, SC660 contributions
May 2022
This museum has tons of history about the area. It has history also about many movies that have been filmed there. I felt like it was a little dated inside. Just the museum itself. It was good to see once. There was no fee just a donation box.
Written November 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pearleco
Columbia, MD51 contributions
Sep 2022
The food choices were underwhelming, especially for non- meat eaters. Even for the meat eaters in our group, the quality of the food left us unsatisfied--in particular the quesadilla and the Navajo taco. The dinner at the View Restaurant the night before was much tastier.
Written September 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dena J
Norco, CA73 contributions
Aug 2021
Museum was closed and girl in gift shop would not open it. Same with the John Wayne cabin, which I had been really looking forward to seeing. The girl in the gift shop was so rude that we left without buying or seeing any of the sights we had planned on seeing
This had been on my bucket list for years and was just a giant disappointment. Will never go back there.
This had been on my bucket list for years and was just a giant disappointment. Will never go back there.
Written August 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy S
Los Angeles, CA105 contributions
Oct 2022
Staff member on duty during our visit is a granddaughter of one of Harry & Mike Goulding's friends, pictured in the book, "Tall Sheep" by Sam Moon. She showed us around, and opened the upstairs so we could visit where the Gouldings lived. Great exhibits overall. She was kind enough to confirm the dates when Knox College (Galesburg, Illinois) owned Gouldings - from 1962 through 1981. If you're in Monument Valley, this museum is not to be missed!!
Written November 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
talk2planes
Athens, AL1,203 contributions
Sep 2020
Really neat little museum packed full of history. Had a guided tour, small admissions fee. Nice gift store in the grounds too. It was fun to learn the history and see the artifacts. Worth the stop.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edward
Santa Rosa, CA1,970 contributions
Dec 2021
This is a nice museum with some buildings from the original Goulding's trading post. It has some information about the Gouldings and Monument Valley. It is on the grounds of the lodge. It has a stagecoach as well, nice views, and the lodge and another building were used during filming of westerns here. One, called "John Wayne's Cabin," was used for the exterior of the cabin of John Wayne's character in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. This is especially worth a visit for anyone interested in westerns or cinema on general.
Written November 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frankie H
Gibraltar35 contributions
Nov 2021
We dropped in rather than heading out of the Valley on recommendation because my wife likes fry bread. Didn't disappoint at all, tasty and perfect fry bread, chilli, and white bean stew. We would go back if we didn't live about 4000 miles away!
Written December 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JimmyJackk
San Marcos, CA5,183 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
Museum is closed but if you purchase ticket at the gift shop they will get a staff member to open the museum and provide a short tour. Small but well done.
Written November 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are dogs allowed in the museum
Gregg M
Tucson, AZ45 contributions
Sorry, dont know
MaxxyHampshire
Hampshire60 contributions
Can you watch a film all the wAy through? Any particular time?
Linda L
North Vancouver, Canada1,683 contributions
The films were on in the evenings and yes, you can watch one all the way through. They offer different films each evening.
kimtrialv
Arcata, CA
Are you open in December?
Felixstowe2016
Felixstowe, UK5,011 contributions
Can't answer this as we visited in September but suggest look at their web site @ Goulding’s Trading Post Museum and they will answer your questions.
good luck
In 1921, Harry Goulding and his young bride Leone (nicknamed Mike) purchased 640 acres next to Monument Valley. They spent their first years trading with the Navajo people out of their tent. In 1928, the Gouldings completed construction of an old stone trading post with an apartment in the upstairs. The building has been converted over to a museum where you can see photographs and memorabilia during the Gouldings stay.
The depression years made things very tough for the Navajo's and the Gouldings. Harry and Mike caught word that a movie director, John Ford, was looking for a place to film a western movie. Harry took photos of the Monument Valley area to John Ford who fell in love with the area. Within a couple of weeks, filming of the classic, award winning "Stagecoach" movie began. The lead actor of the film was the young John Wayne. Both John Ford and John Wayne returned again and again to this area for other films.
Harry and Mike were lifelong friends of the Navajo people. Even today there are many services on the Gouldings property that assist the Navajo people. Donations from the Gouldings Museum go toward a scholarship fund for Monument Valley Students.
Jennette G
Sudbury, Canada4 contributions
Can a motorcoach park at the Holy cross church Sedona AZ
Sharon D
Columbus, OH
Where is the museum in Monument Valley with all of John Ford and John Wayne info - did not have time to stop during last visit...there was a fee to get in and lots of tour buses. THANKS!
Tim D
Brighton, MI271 contributions
It's on the same property and right next to the Gouldings Lodge. It's a small museum but well worth the time to stop. There is no fee to get in but donations are welcome. Bummer about the tour busses. I was there off season, no tour busses. My wife and I were the only ones there.
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Claim your listingGoulding’s Trading Post Museum. - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Goulding’s Trading Post Museum.
- Hotels near Goulding’s Trading Post Museum.:
- (0.04 mi) Goulding's Lodge & Campground
- (0.85 mi) Monument Valley Tipi Village
- (5.15 mi) The View Campground
- (5.74 mi) The View Hotel
- (1.12 mi) Tear Drop Arch B&B