Taos Pueblo

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The Pueblo is centered on twin five-story adobe complexes, set on either side of the Río Pueblo de Taos, against the stunning backdrop of the Sangre de Cristos mountains. The quintessential example of ancient Pueblo architecture, they’re thought to have been completed by around 1450 AD. Modern visitors are thus confronted by the same staggering spectacle as New Mexico’s earliest Spanish colonists, though a small and very picturesque Catholic mission church now stands nearby. The walking tour (by donation) is highly recommended.

Led by residents and tribal members, these guided walking tours of the Pueblo explain the highlights of its unique history and culture. You'll also have the chance to buy fine jewelry, pottery and other arts and crafts, and sample flatbread baked in traditional beehive-shaped adobe ovens. Note that the Pueblo closes for 10 weeks February through mid-April, and at other times for ceremonies and events; call ahead or check the website for dates.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Taos Art Museum at Fechin House

2.36 MILES

Russian artist Nicolai Fechin moved to Taos in 1926, aged 46, and adorned the interior of this adobe home with his own distinctly Russian woodcarvings…

2. Kit Carson Home & Museum

2.64 MILES

A short walk east of the Plaza, the little-changed former home of Kit Carson (1809–68) – perhaps the Southwest's most famous mountain man, guide, trapper,…

3. Millicent Rogers Museum

2.76 MILES

Rooted in the private collection of model and oil heiress Millicent Rogers, who moved to Taos in 1947, this superb museum, 4 miles northwest of the Plaza,…

4. Blumenschein Home & Museum

2.82 MILES

Wonderfully preserved adobe residence, dating originally from 1797, which provides a vivid glimpse of life in Taos’ artistic community during the 1920s…

5. Harwood Museum of Art

2.87 MILES

Attractively displayed in a gorgeous and very spacious mid-19th-century adobe compound, the paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and photographs here…

6. Martínez Hacienda

4.33 MILES

Set amid the fields 2 miles southwest of the Plaza, this fortified adobe homestead was built in 1804. It served as a trading post, first for merchants…

7. Dennis Hopper's Gravesite

6.15 MILES

The wooden cross marking the grave of actor Dennis Hopper is wrapped in bandannas and Mardi Gras beads. They're a simple nod to his role in Easy Rider,…

8. San Francisco de Asís Church

6.54 MILES

Just off Hwy 68 in Ranchos de Taos, 4 miles south of Taos Plaza, this iconic church was completed in 1815. Famed for the rounded curves and stark angles…