Visiting Goulding's Museum, 9/11/2019

This is our last day in Monument Valley, so after we did our chores (laundry, cleaning, pack up to travel, etc.) we took a drive south a few miles to visit Goulding’s Museum.

Goulding’s was established in the 1920s, when Harry and his wife, Leone (nicknamed Mike) Goulding acquired a plot of land in Monument Valley. The Paiute Reservation was relocated and land became available for purchase. Harry and Mike quickly set up a trading post while living in tents for several years. Trading food and other goods for handcrafted Navajo rugs and jewelry, they next built a permanent structure that houses the Goulding’s Museum today.

This is the view of Monument Valley from the original trading post. 

During the Great Depression, the Navajo people suffered terribly. Harry learned that a movie production company was looking for a location in the southwest. He and Mike (supported by the Navajo Nation) travelled to Hollywood and were able to meet John Ford, the renowned director. After seeing photos of Monument Valley (black and white, of course), Ford decided to film Stagecoach (1939) featuring John Wayne shortly thereafter in the valley. Ford went on to direct 11 movies on location here. Many other directors have filmed 50+ movies here in the last 80 years!

Inside, the first room is furnished in period merchandise. The Gouldings hosted John Ford, John Wayne, and many others in the early days in their home. They subsequently built a lodge and dining hall to house the film stars and crews, and to attract tourists. 

The next room is dedicated to Native American artifacts found in the valley, some dating to over 1,000 years ago.

The back room was once used for film editing and has exhibits about some of the movies filmed here. 

John Wayne rose to fame performing in John Ford movies here. And, Monument Valley became an iconic image of the Old West. 

Some of the more recent films include ones shown below plus Thelma and Louise, Mission Impossible II, and more. To see a complete list, go to: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_appearances_of_Monument_Valley_in_the_media.

The second floor of the museum was originally Harry and Mike’s residence. Mike prepared meals for the film crews and stars of the early Westerns in her small kitchen. (She was known for her homemade bread.) And, the Gouldings entertained their guests in their living room. Also shown is the master bedroom. The rooms have been restored to their original appearance. 

Once a safe, this part of the museum displays family photos (Harry and Mike) and some of Mike’s jewelry. 

Behind the museum is a cabin featured in the 1946 film, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, starring John Wayne. In reality it was Mike’s potato cellar where she stored vegetables, but only the exterior of the cabin was used in the movie. The interior was created on a set in Hollywood for the movie.

A gift shop nearby has a wide array of Navajo handcrafted items, as the Goulding’s Trading Post has since the 1930s.

In addition to the museum, Goulding’s has a lodge with indoor pool, campground (RV, cabins, and tent sites), dining room, grocery store, gas station, laundromat, and food court. Their RV park is comparable in price to the KOA and is located in a beautiful canyon with hiking trails. We preferred the wide-open spaces of the nearby KOA, but both are in a beautiful setting. Goulding’s and the KOA are the only two options for tent camping or RV sites in Monument Valley. 

Various tours of Monument Valley can be arranged for pick-up at Gouldings. Local Navajo guides provide interesting insights into their homeland.

For additional information about all that Goulding’s has to offer, go to www.gouldings.com.