Fort Stanton's Later Years, 1966-Present

Use of Fort Stanton subsequently waned, but nevertheless continued into the twenty-first century. From 1966 to 1995, it served as a branch of the Los Lunas Hospital treating patients with intellectual disabilities. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Curry School, Rio Bonito Club were added to the site. In 1986, the Food Service Center was constructed on the site of an old officer's quarters on the northwest side of the parade ground. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the site served as a low security women’s prison and a drug rehabilitation center. In 2007, Fort Stanton became a state historic site and has since been open to the public. It has also continued to evolve. In 2017, the State Veterans Cemetery, an outgrowth and expansion of the existing Merchant Marine Military Cemetery, opened at the Fort Stanton Historic Site.

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