Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site preserves a 19th-century trading post on the Navajo Nation near Ganado, Arizona. The site commemorates long-term trade relationships between Navajo weavers and Anglo traders centered at one ranch-style compound.

The historic complex includes the original trading room and adjacent family buildings with many original furnishings and displays of Navajo rugs, jewelry, and trade goods. Interpreters and exhibits explain the trading post’s role in commerce, craft exchange, and cultural contact.

The post was established by John Lorenzo Hubbell in 1878 and became an important local center for trade and supplies on the Navajo reservation. Over time the post functioned as both a commercial business and a social hub linking Navajo producers with wider markets.

The trading post is located near the town of Ganado on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona, set within a high desert landscape of mesas and juniper.

• Founding date: Founded by trader John Lorenzo Hubbell in 1878, the site remained in continuous operation as a trading post for many decades.

What to See#

• Trading room: Original trading room where Navajo rugs, jewelry, and trade goods were bought and sold; much of the historic interior and furnishings are preserved.
• Hubbell family buildings: Hubbell family residence and ancillary structures adjacent to the trading room that reflect the post’s role as a family-operated business on the Navajo Nation.

• Visit early in the morning or in the shoulder seasons (spring/fall) to avoid desert heat and the busiest visitor hours-the site is on Navajo Nation and mid-day in summer can be very hot.
• Stop at the visitor contact/entrance area first to orient yourself to the historic compound and ask staff about the trading post's history and any on-site sales of Navajo weavings; the post is a working historic trading place as well as a museum site.
• Be mindful that you are on Navajo Nation territory-check the National Park Service site or call ahead for current opening hours, admission details, and any visitor guidelines before you go.