Fort Bayard, site of an important frontier fort and home to the famed Buffalo Soldiers, is now home to Fort Bayard Medical Center. This state facility provides a variety of care specialties and a large new state hospital, to be constructed just north of the existing Medical Center, promises to keep Fort Bayard a healthcare magnet for all of southwest New Mexico.

During frontier days, Fort Bayard played an integral role in protecting settlers and miners in the Los Pinos and Silver City mining districts. Copper, silver, and gold mining spurred economic development of this region of southwestern New Mexico.

Soldiers from the fort battled many of the most famous apache war leaders, including Victorio, Nana, and Geronimo. The first all-African American regular army units made up of enlisted personnel, referred to as Buffalo soldiers, were organized in 1866 in the close of the Civil War. Fort Bayard was home to hundreds of black soldiers, who fought Apaches with distinction and who participated in the chase for Geronimo. His capture by Brig. Gen. Nelson A. Miles in 1886 effectively ended the Apache wars.

An unusual sequence of events has helped preserve the integrity of Fort Bayard. The post buildings were transferred to the Surgeon General of the Army, then the Veteran's Administration, and finally to the State of New Mexico as a hospital. Continuous use has ensured its good state of preservation. Its layout and many of the buildings date to the late 19th century and offer the visitor a rare opportunity to see a military fort as it would have appeared in the 1800's.

Today, the fort maintains many historic buildings and monuments, including the life-sized monument to the Buffalo Soldiers stationed here. Fort Bayard also hosts an annual historic re-enactment of fort life in the 1800's.