Seton
Memorial Library

Open to the Public — Free Admission

Late May — Mid-August

Monday — Saturday | 8:00 am — 5:30 pm

Sunday | 8:00 am — 5:00 pm

Mid-August — Late May

Monday — Saturday | 8:00 am — 5:00 pm

Closed Some Holidays

If you’d like more information, please give us a call: (575) 376-1136.

About the Ernest Thompson Seton

Ernest Thompson Seton was born in England and moved with his family to Canada in 1866. As a young man, he became intrigued with the wild animals that lived in the woods outside his home. In 1882 he began systematic studies of animals while homesteading in Manitoba. An important part of his work was to draw and paint the animals he observed. 

During his subsequent career as a naturalist, Seton wrote and illustrated hundreds of scholarly and popular articles, stories, and more than forty books about wild animals. The books include Wild Animals I Have Known (1898), Animal Heroes (1905), The Biography of a Silver Fox (1909), Life Histories of Northern Animals (1909), Wild Animals at Home (1913), and Lives of Game Animals (1925-1928).

Over the years, Americans have gained a greater understanding of wild animals through reading Seton’s work.

Ernest Thompson Seton Portrait from the Library of Congress

Want To Check Out A Book From The Library?

Many books are available for checkout by current Philmont Staff Members.

For details, please contact the Seton Memorial Library at (575) 376-1136 or email us at Philmont.museum@scouting.org.

Notable Collections Pieces of the Seton Memorial Library

The Seton Memorial Library houses Ernest Thompson Seton’s personal library due to the generous donation of Julia Seton in 1967. The library is available for visitors, participants, and staff to view books about the southwest, Philmont, and the areas surrounding Philmont.

The following collections pieces are proudly on display in the National Scouting Museum.

Imagery From Seton Memorial Library