Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
129
Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village
Kids
A real treat for kids, this museum and
village transport visitors back over a century to a place populated by strangely ubiquitous
mannequins. The museum is crammed with memorabilia, but the outer
Pioneer Village
of replicas and real buildings, with all the trimmings, is what will hold interest. You'll
walk through the actual 1912 Aztec jail—nowhere you'd want to live—into the sheriff 's
office, where a stuffed Andy of Mayberry look-alike is strangely lethargic. The blacksmith
shop has an anvil and lots of dusty, uncomfortable-looking saddles, even some oddly
shaped burro shoes. The Citizens Bank has a lovely oak cage and counter, and it's run by
attentive mannequin women. You'll see an authentic 1906 church and a schoolhouse
where mannequins Dick and Jane lead a possibly heated discussion. New additions
include a farmhouse and historic drilling rigs. The second Saturday in September, the
museum celebrates Founders' Day, with live exhibits, food, and games.
125 N. Main Ave., Aztec.
&
505/334-9829.
www.aztecmuseum.org. Admission $3 adults, $1 children
11-17, free for children 10 and under. Summer Wed-Sat 10am-4pm; winter hours vary (see website).
In Nearby Bloomfield
Salmon Ruins
Kids
What really marks the 150 rooms of these ruins 11 miles west
of Farmington near Bloomfield is their setting on a hillside, surrounded by lush San Juan
River bosk. You'll begin in the museum, though, where a number of informative displays
range from one showing the variety of types of Ancestral Puebloan vessels, from pitchers
to canteens, to wild plants. Like the ruins at Aztec, two strong architectural influences
are visible here. First the Chacoan, who built the village around the 11th century, with
walls of an intricate rubble-filled core with sandstone veneer. The more simple Mesa
Verde masonry was added in the 13th century. A trail guide will lead you to each site.
Built in 1990,
Heritage Park,
on an adjoining plot of land, comprises a series of
reconstructed ancient and historic dwellings representing the area's cultures, from a
paleoarchaic sand-dune site to an Anasazi pit house, from Apache wickiups and tepees to
Navajo hogans, and an original pioneer homestead. Visitors are encouraged to enter the
re-creations.
In the visitor center, you'll find a gift shop and a scholarly research library.
6131 US 64 (P.O. Box 125), Bloomfield, NM 87413.
&
505/632-2013.
Fax 505/632-8633. www.salmon
ruins.com. Admission $3 adults, $1 children 6-16, $2 seniors, free for children 5 and under. Summer Mon-
Fri 8am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm; winter Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, and Sun noon-5pm.
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AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT
Aztec Ruins is best known for its Great Kiva, the only completely reconstructed Anasazi
great kiva in existence. Visitors can enter and sit within it, sensing the site's ancient his-
tory. The ruins of this 450-room Native American pueblo, left by the Ancestral Puebloans
7 centuries ago, are 14 miles northeast of Farmington, in the town of Aztec on the Ani-
mas River. Early Anglo settlers, convinced that the ruins were of Aztec origin, misnamed
the site. Despite the fact that this pueblo was built long before the Aztecs of central
Mexico lived, the name persisted.
The influence of the Chaco culture is strong at Aztec, as evidenced in the preplanned
architecture, the open plaza, and the fine stone masonry in the old walls. But a later
occupation shows the influence of Mesa Verde (which flourished 1200-75). This second
group of settlers remodeled the old pueblo and built others nearby, using techniques less
elaborate and decorative than those of the Chacoans. Visiting Aztec Ruins National
Monument will take you approximately 1 hour, even if you take the .25-mile self-guided
trail and spend some time in the visitor center, which displays some outstanding
