This site has so much historic information & such a rich history of its own. We loved visiting & would come again. This is a great place to stop off for a little free stretch of the legs or to spend all day listening to the stories of pioneers & settlers. Don't forget to stop at the parlor for some delicious ice cream & tasty treats! We had the lime swirl. It was SO good - especially on a hot June day. We hope to come back again soon. read more

Random pit stop on our Utah adventure. I love stopping at remote/small towns. I'm writing this review to just let y'all know that the museum guide, tall older gentlemen, was really kind and friendly. He explained how the early settlers/LDS/Mormons had to trek across rough terrain such as the Comb Ridge (this was my fave), hills, and cliffs to reach the Four Corners. BUT ALSO. Their soft serve is amazing!! I think the 80 degree weather made it tastier, but we all really thought it was just amazing on its own. We speculated if it was just Dole Whip soft serve. Worth the pit stop! read more

Great job setting this place up. Stop here if you can. Free and lots of great things to see.

Educational! On a visit to nearby four corners we figured why not take a drive through all four states. On the drive through bordering Utah we stumbled upon this and decided to stop. We met a very nice tour group visiting from Germany. In addition to other tourists with renter campers to "see the Wild West!" Judging by the number of visitors from Europe this is a big Utah draw. All the audio aids were in English, Spanish, German, and French. Pretty standard but considering where we were that's impressive! Seems like some church money helps fund this settlement/village but who can say. Clean bathrooms, nice activities for the kids, friendly staff, tours, and a few animals were about. Very weird to stumble upon this without signage but I'm glad we took walk around to see what it was all about. read more

Bluff Fort Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Bluff, Utah

Fort Bluff is a diamond in the rough! Very nice docents, very professional, knowledgeable and easily share their knowledge. Sarsaparilla float was excellent compliments of Wayne. Items for sale in the gift shop were extremely reasonable. We were fascinated by the story of these pioneers. We have never heard if this story before which seems strange. Their story would make a great western movie. A story or true grit and perseverance. We would like to go back someday to check out some of the remaining trails that these pioneers used and made. Well worth the stop. Plan on spending several hours there. Even though there is no admission charge it's nice to leave donation to help defray the cost. read more

Outdoor museum. Very educational for all, even kids will like this. Staff were very friendly & informative. Each building had a button at door, press it hear a history of that individual family. Just remember this is the story as the Mormons tell it. No native input. Dogs were allowed outside just not in store. Site is free with donation points if you wish. The store is really big with many crafts. No true RV parking, but there are areas you can park. read more

This was a really fun unexpected surprise. We found this place on a road trip to CA. The kids really enjoyed learning about a part of history. Cute historic village. Great history lessons. Prices were a little steep for the store but other than that it was awesome. read more

This was an unplanned stop but a great choice. We were greeted by a nice gentleman who gave us a brief introduction before taking us to watch short film. We walked around and entered cabins and Native American housings both at this site. My daughter loved the gold panning. Our dog loved spreading out to sleep. read more

Bluff Fort Site is nice little stop on your way to Colorado. The Bluff is full of history with old cabins and wagons. It's old school and kind of Western. What more can be said? Get out of your car and stretch your legs at The Bluff. read more

Bluff Fort Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Bluff, Utah

This museum almost doubled in size from my first drive by during 2006. The exhibits are cleaner and much more organized/commercialized. Region: there is nothing here. Its just a town off of HWY 191. The museum is located on the west side. You cant miss it. Southeast Utah is desert but cold with snow during the seasons. And prone to flooding during the spring so tread cautiously. Bluff is the largest town within 100ish miles and gateway to Moab/I-70, I-40 nestled between flagstaff and petrified forest, and east is Durango and Ancient Canyons. South is Mexican Hat, a cool rock formatiom and southwest-ish is Monument Valley. Since ma mny yelpers have a boner for horseshoe bend in Page, AZ, Bluff is roughly three hours from there (five hours if your an Asian women :P). The museum central figure is on John Taylor. He is a mormon folk hero, and author, and politician and intellectual, and possibly #3 in the mormon G.O.A.T category (behind young and smith). Other features are honesteading, life/culture, and remnants of time gone by. I have great admiration for pioneers and settlers. These old pioneers in the utah and mountain region are mormons fleeing religious persecution but the irony... These mormons fled to practice thier cult (cult by definition not like scientology) freely yet perpetuated the same tyranny they faced on others that were inferior *scratch head* anyhooo. Main portions had apox 15-20 refurbished settler homes with some of their personal belongings, artwork and gear (guns not present). Many were donated by their future generations like great grandson who is close to age 80. One of the things my eyes sought was what these folks considered artwork or decor 150 years ago since the way they lived is now art to us. Amazingly, across generations, across religious differences, culture/ethnicities and on different world and continents, we view art or decor or history similarly. There were too many homes to visit and examine. I was on a time scheduled and blew my budgeted time here from 30 mins to almost two hours. Keep in mind folks, mid American hotels and lodging are not open 24/7. There is a gift store and section to dress up like old pioneers which is cool for families and lovebirds. Very little mention of natives however they provide a dwelling situation that defeats the depicted imagery that native americans all lived in the cone shaped tents we can tee pees. Aaaaand this round hut they constructed was beautifully weathered compared to the blistering 90 degree heat i walked around in. Really cool how wood and mud and stuff kept dwelling units naturally air conditioned. There is so much more. Historians can get lost here easily!! I couldve easily spent over four hours examining each hut and speaking to the caretakers. Safe traveling my friends. read more

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Really well maintained site with wonderful volunteers, a movie and recreated cabins that have been furnished by family members of the original settlers. Great gift shop with nice and reasonably priced souvenirs. The volunteers here love talking about the site, their lives and journeys. Everyone is super nice and meticulous about maintaining this interesting site. We loved visiting, worth a stop if you're passing through Bluff, Utah! read more

This a must, when stopping through Bluff. The site is so peaceful, informative and fun to walk through replicas and an original cabin of the 1800's. The gift shop is lovely and the team that works there is so helpful. We spoke to Scott and Bill who shared a lot of information and tips on sites to visit. read more

A MUST SEE, ACCIDENTAL FIND on our way to Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon- this is WORTH STOPPING AT, if even for at least 30 minutes (but you'll be sucked in for more!) FREE!!!! Awesome, welcoming docents BEST BROWNIES EVER!!!! So many different sights and activities in this area: hands on - try on costumes to take pics in...lasso...living quarters to check out...an informative movie...inexpensive souvenirs Did I mention that this the admission is FREE and that kids can touch about 90% of what's available here AND that the team members are uber friendly...oh, btw, THEY HAVE THEY BESTEST MOISTEST BROWNIES HERE!!!! Thank you! read more

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Stop and take a moment to reflect. Wonderful historical site to study how this town and region came into existence. Great ice creme, brownies, toffee, sodas and other sweets for a $1. Pan for gold, listen to stories, and walk in the footsteps of those that blazed the trails we walk today. All free of charge. Learn how a peaceful collaboration of cultures can be achieved with the right purpose. read more

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The volunteers at the Bluff Fort are so welcoming and informative. Definitely stop! They have an interesting film about the San Juan pioneers and the challenges they faced. The facility also has ice cream and air conditioning and nice bathrooms. It is absolutely worth stopping at - there are replica cabins and an original cabin built by one of the pioneer familes read more

We were passing through Bluff when we saw the "Bluff Fort" sign. Since we had about 1/2 hour to spare before heading home, we decided to check this place out. What a welcome surprise!! This place is rich with history of how the Mormon pioneers trekked across Southern Utah to establish a mission in the San Juan River area. Travelling through the Hole in the Rock, the harsh winters cut short their trip and this area was where they ended up. Recorded message of how life was like back in those days can be played back with a push of a button around the many replicated log cabins in this Fort. Their visitor centre was rebuilt as the original Co-op in this area was burnt down as a result of a robbery. There were many people who work/run this place and although the Fort is free for all, a donation is appreciate to preserve this well kept grounds. read more

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We stopped here on our way to Monument Valley. It is an awesome museum, covering the history of the pioneers that settled the area. read more

Bluff Fort Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Bluff, Utah

An LDS theme-park about the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition (see John Ford's WAGON MASTER - 1950) that founded Bluff. I love it! The elaborately reconstructed pioneer cabins and materials are amazing -- almost too much to see in just one visit. Tells many amazing human stories of the pioneers, and life in an unforgiving desert. Great play areas for kids, nice gift shop, helpful staff. Complements the Four Corners area other sites devoted to geology & nature, the Ancestral Puebloans, the modern Native Americans, the cowboys & the trading posts & movie makers, to give a full portrait of the many traditions that makeup the modern southwest. read more

An Interesting interpretive center about this remote part of Utah and the Mormon Settlers. If passing through, check out the short film about the Hole in the Rock Trail and the pioneers that came over from Ceder City. Added bonus they have clean bathrooms and super friendly staff that were raised in the area and have answers for just about any question. read more