When I first discovered that there was a community in the U. S. that has been continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years, I knew that I had to visit. This is the Native American community of Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico.
Let’s take a journey, step back in time and get to know this incredible group of people.
Click here for up to date information/closures at Taos Pueblo
(As of Fall 2022 they are open Thursday – Saturdays only. Please confirm with their website before you schedule your trip.)
A Brief History of Taos Pueblo
The Tiwa-speaking Puebloan Native Americans have been living in the Taos Valley at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range long before Christopher Columbus ever stepped foot in North America. Ancient ruins show that their presence has been here for more than 1,000 years!
This makes Taos Pueblo one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States!
In addition, Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American pueblo that is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark.
Today approximately 150 members of the Tiwa-speaking Native American tribe of Puebloan people continue to live within the Pueblo walls full time. They live without the convenience of electricity or even running water. And over 1,900 Taos Native Americans continue to live today on the Taos Pueblo lands.
How To Visit This Community
Hours
Taos Pueblo is open Thursday – Saturday from 9am – 5pm with the last registration at 4pm.
In late winter to early spring the Pueblo closes for about 10 weeks.
Fee
Adult Admission – $16, Seniors – $14, Children 11 and up – $14, Children 10 and under – free
Guided Tours
Tours begin at 9 am and run every 20 (or 30 minutes depending on the season) on the hour.
These tours last approximately 30 minutes.
Tours here are optional but highly recommended
What You Can Learn/Teach Your Children at Taos Pueblo
How Are Their Buildings Made?
A Pueblo is made entirely of adobe – earth mixed with water and straw and then either poured into a form or made into bricks and dried by the sun. The outside of their buildings are continuously maintained by re-plastering them with thick layers of mud. Their walls can be several feet thick!
Fun Fact:
Long ago there was no doors or windows on the pueblos. The only entrance was from a hole in the ceiling. They would use a ladder to get in and out. This was how they protected themselves.
Most of the buildings standing here today were originally built between 1000 and 1450 A.D.
That’s pretty impressive!
How Do They Cook Their Food Without Electricity?
This is a traditional adobe oven.
A fire is built inside and after the proper amount of time the embers and ash are removed and bread is placed inside to cook. For corn, the embers are doused with water so that the corn can be steamed. For meat the oven is brought to a “white hot” temperature and then the coals are moved to the back with the meat placed inside. The door is then sealed with mud while it cooks.
Make sure you try some freshly baked traditional bread cooked in an adobe oven and some of their incredible fry bread during your visit.
They’re delicious!
Where Do They Get Their Drinking Water?
A small river flows through their community. This is there sole source of drinking water!
They ask that you kindly not enter the river for this reason.
This is San Geronimo de Taos – a Spanish Colonial Mission (completed in 1850 – the original church (built in 1619) was destroyed in the War with Mexico by the U.S. Army in 1847)
90% of the Pueblo Native Americans are Catholic yet also practice their ancient religious beliefs.
Increase Your Family's Experience at Taos Pueblo
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Books for Kids
Taos Pueblo: Painted Stories by Jonathan Warm Day
Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott
Enjoy this Caldecott Award-winning book that retells an ancient legend of the Pueblo Indians. Vibrant colors and bold geometric artwork accompanies the tale of a boy who must prove his worthiness by passing through four ceremonial chambers: the kiva of lions, the kiva of snakes, the kiva of bees, and the kiva of lightning. Increase your child’s understanding of the Pueblo people’s traditions and legends with this wonderful story. This books is great for children in preschool – elementary school.
Grandmother’s Dreamcatcher by Becky Ray McCain
At Taos Pueblo many of the residents make crafts and sell them to the tourists. They make beautiful dreamcatchers here. We bought one ourselves for our youngest to hang in his room and keep any bad dreams away. He loves his dreamcatcher! And this would be a good book to read with your child before you visit and especially if you think you might want to get a dream catcher yourself.
Activities for Kids
Cut & Assemble Pueblo Village: An Easy-to-Make Paper Model by A. G. Smith and Josie Hazen
The Simple Beauty of Taos Pueblo in New Mexico
Life in Taos Pueblo is completely different from the technology driven, fast-paced world that most of us live in. But that’s what makes it so wonderful!
There are not many places left, especially in the U.S., where you can visit a group of people living without all of the modern conveniences of today.
1,000 Years of Tradition
Furthermore, it is rare to be able to see a community that has been around for over 1,000 years and continues to live according to their traditions.
There is something extremely peaceful about visiting this community in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. And I knew that this was something that I wanted my children to see and experience as well.
I wanted them to taste bread made from an adobe oven. And I wanted them to see a life without the convenience of electricity. But most of all, I wanted them to learn all about this amazing group of people.
Visiting Taos Pueblo with my family was an incredible experience. It is truly a special place and we highly recommend visiting!
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