Very nice staff. Both the museum and walking the path around the ruins were a lot of fun for the kiddo. Very informative exhibits in the museum. read more

Aztec Ruins National Monument - Ruins - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Aztec, New Mexico

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July 24th, 2026 While on a roadtrip with my family I stopped by at the ruins. When we arrived, we were greeted by an older man who seems to be a volunteer, and when my young teenager daughter who loved collecting junior rangers badges asked about the program put her down while being extremely rude telling her "you wont be able to finish in time and if you don't finish I wont give you a badge". However this man wasn't even a ranger and did not have the authority to give badges. The volunteer continued to be rude to the rest of my family telling us that we had to view the monument quickly because they would close exactly at 5. He caused our whole family to be panicked. When we quickly speed through the junior rangers program and returned to the visitor center and told the man that we finished. He then rudely told us to wait for a ranger to give us our badge. The ranger who gave my daughter her badge was very welcoming and kind, helping to make the visit end on a somewhat good note. As someone who visits national parks and monuments often, I hope to never encounter someone like this working in the visitor center greeting guests. read more

This amazing place is tucked away behind a few trailer parks. It's way bigger than I expected and super well preserved. It's worth a detour to visit. read more

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Loved this place. Such a beautiful experience. So many cool buildings to look at and the online info is pretty cool. I enjoyed walking around the grounds. They also have a little area out front by the picnic tables that is pet friendly. It also has a nice trail that goes into town. It's about a mile or so, to and from. If you are in the area, make sure you save a couple of hours too visit this awesome spot. read more

How amazing to have a national monument in such a little town like Aztec. the museum is small but has a lot of info on the history of the ruins. you can walk through a lot of the ruins and the grounds. A great little gift shop inside. In the summer, there are Native American artists selling their art work, which I love! read more

Beautiful site, well-kept up. Love the way the old homes seemed to be part of the earth.

We were staying in Durango and after having visited Mesa Verde we wanted to see the ruins here. It is less than a 45 minute drive. We arrived just as they were opening. The volunteer at the front desk did a nice job of explaining the Monument and how best to tour it. We first spun through the small museum and then watched a 15 min movie on the area and the people both helped fill in many blanks. We then walked the ruins using the downloadable audio guide. It really helped. We descended into the large ceremonial building and through some the other rooms the have been preserved. Very impressive. We were here about an hour. If in the area take the detour and visit this place. And it is Free!. read more

Aztec Ruins National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Aztec, New Mexico

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This is a great place to visit. These ruins were built after Chaco started, abs many archeologists say the Chacoans likely moved here. Better water availability. Similar style of stone work and the unique "green" line of rock is beautiful. Earl Morris's rendition of a kiva is extraordinary! Helps to visualize what these kivas looked like and helps to imagine what went on in these structures. Great visitor center with friendly volunteers. The visitor center was Earl Morris's home, originally, when excavation was taking place. read more

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We really enjoyed walking around and through these old Indian ruins. It was an easy walk and had a visual and auditory option to receive information about the history of this National Monument. There was plenty of parking for both large and smaller vehicles.The gift shop staff were very pleasant and helpful. I would definitely recommend visiting this area to anyone visiting or just passing through Farmington and Aztec area of New Mexico. read more

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This was a wonderful visit to the past. 800-900 years ago the Aztec people built here to live. The current people believe the spirits remain. Bringing Support trees from forest 20 miles away. Round quarry stones from 10 Miles away. All with out pack animals or the wheel. Amazing. This is a national park service site with free entry. You can get a personal tour off your smart phone. And a free video at the end. This was a wonderful immersion in a life we can't imagine. Well worth our time. read more

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A wonderful heritage site located right in town for easy access! And it's FREE! The park isn't huge so it's a good option to see Ancestral Pueblo architecture with small kids or people with limited mobility. A good portion of the walk area is paved, except the part that goes into the ruins. Dogs are allowed in the picnic area but not inside the ruins. read more

Awesome place! And it's close to our home which makes it better! So much history! Go see it read more

This is a beautiful site! There was not a lot of people, so it was nice to take your time and enjoy it. It has been well preserved and def worth the trip! read more

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Fun and educational. I've been here several times in my life. I've brought friends and relatives from out of town to check out the Indian ruins, they're easy to walk thru and you can enjoy it all quickly...30 min or less if you're just browsing. Anyways, fun place to take visitors and learn some new stuff about the past and cultural significance in the area. I'll be back for sure read more

Beautiful place to take your family or friends and enjoy the sights. Staff is very friendly as well!

This is one of the coolest ancient ruin sites I have been to. What makes it so special is you get to walk around the ruins and explore them, unlike some of the other sites in the area. My daughter loved it. Check out our video of the experience here: https://youtu.be/eYMbv9xbxo8 read more

One of the best national parks for kids to learn. Awesome online junior ranger program for before or after. We travel full time so even though we did the online lessons the ranger still gave the boys their badges. They also have a QR code with an audio tour that has 18 stops along the short hike. Nice short documentary when you reach the end of the museum section before heading outside. Don't miss the trail to the Animas river that also has learning opportunities along the route. EXCELLENT picnic area also! It's small and doesn't take but 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Enjoy read more

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Heading from Albuquerque to Cortez, CO, this is a perfect leg stretcher stop. The Visitor Center is small but informative. The3 12 minute movie explained what one will see on the tour. The ruins are in good shape, especially the preserved Kiva. The small gift shop does have a few quality items. The coffee mugs are unlike what I found in Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Canyon of the Ancients. Advice: if you find something you like/want, buy it because in my experience it likely won't be at the next Visitor Center. Enjoy! read more

Cool Preserved Structures... We stopped by this historic place that came by suggestion from a co-worker who was raised by the Navajo tribe. Visiting ruins always fascinates me. I always like learning the history behind the structures and imagined how the place was ones a bustling community many years ago (my best visit was in Bodie State Park, it is a ghost town in Bodie Hills CA). Our visit here at the Aztec Ruins was on a weekday and the park was not busy. We were given a trail guide book at the Visitor Center (to be returned back after our self-guided tour). EXPLORING THE 1/2 MILE TRAIL: The trail guide to the Azted Ruins explained each points of the structures beginning with the (reconstructed) Great Kiva, a public building used for ceremonies. It explained the T-shaped low doorways and the dark rooms, the difference in masonry types between the inner and outer walls from the availability of resources, the intact ancestral Pueblo rooms and many more facts as we traveled back in time to 900 years to the time of a thriving ancestral Pueblo great house community. Monument guests were suggested to be quiet out of respect to the ancestors of the Pueblo people as we walked through the ruins. In summary, we enjoyed touring this monument that is home to spectacular architectural remains of ancestral Pueblo people, including the 400-room Great House and the only reconstructed Great Kiva in the world. Fascinating history! We took our time walking through this hidden gem as it gave us an intimate opportunity to explore ancient ruins built by the ancient Ancestral Puebloans in the 1100s. Entrance fee is $5, free if you own an annual pass to national parks. Review #0536 read more

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The Great Kiva has been restored. The very first time I entered, I knew I belonged. . . . . even though I am a woman and this is a man's ceremonial lodge. Maybe I was a man, a great Spirit leader in another life? My ancestors are not Pueblo Indians, but I know I am a part of them, as much as they are a part of me. We are one. The Great Kiva is my history too. When you enter it is as if the men's ceremony had just paused. It is cool and dark. You can feel and almost touch the Spirits that reside here. Close your eyes . . . listen . . . hear the beat of the drums . . . .feel the soft breeze as the dancers glide by, smell the pinon wood in the open firepits. It is a special place. A mysterious place. An ancient home to Southwestern Pueblo Indians (not Aztec Indians, as was once believed). Get a trail map, walk these ruins. Summer and winter you can feel the lives that called this wonderful place their home. Aztec Ruins and the Great Kiva are in the "modern" City of Aztec, NM in the northwest corner of New Mexico. Beautiful, desolute, high desert country. Combine a trip to Aztec Ruins with a visit to Mesa Verde in southern Colorado. Compare the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde with the gentle rolling land that Aztec and Chaco Canyon Ruins were built on. Mesa Verde is just 85 miles northwest and Chaco Canyon is just a mere 65 miles west. Did these peoples share common ancestors? Did they live here at the same time? Did they trade? Before you visit the museums and read the archeological & anthropological documents . . . see what you think? What do you feel? Where did these people go? What drove them away from these beautiful stone structures? What is the mysterious green stripe on the west side of the stone wall? It feels so real, so now, as you stand in the soft sand footprints where moccasins once walked. Listen to the drums rhymic boom, boom, boom . . . . enter the Great Kiva. This is the Land of our ancestors . . . no matter who we are . . .no matter where we came from . . .no matter where we live now . . . no matter . . . no matter . . . .kaboom, kaboom, kaboom . . we are one with this land . . .one with this nature. Our country is so rich with history and pre-history. Visit it. . . . . . Take your kids. . . . . . Help them touch places like Aztec Ruins and the Great Kiva. We will all be better because you did. read more

Aztec Ruins National Monument - Sky view of Aztec Ruins - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Aztec, New Mexico

Great place to learn a piece of history. So it named Aztec but it is true the Pueblo Indian, and the winter sunset is so beautiful. read more

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Great hidden gem. The structures are well preserved. It is easy to get around. The rebuilt kiva is amazing. The staff are wonderful read more

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This was an extremely inspiring visit. I learned so much from Nicolette's talk in the Great Kiva, including a new respect and understanding for what I was seeing around me. I will never look at the traces of an earlier civilization again and see only 'ruins'. These buildings are not 'ruins' at all, but the living spiritual home of the Pueblo People's ancestors. Highly recommended for anyone who finds themselves in the Four Corners region. read more

I visited here and will never go back. This is the only time this has ever happened to me, but when touring there I was suddenly and unexpectedly overcome with a feeling of oppressive supernatural spirits. It's an amazing set of ruins, but I'll never go back. read more

The staff in this national monument is extremely helpful when providing the details about the trail, the ruins and the place overall. Their website says you have to pay a $5 fee, but it is actually free! It is very easy to use your phone as a "tour guide" through the ruins, you don't even have to download and app, it's completely accessible online. To walk through this National Monument will take roughly 45 min to 1 hour. Gray activity to do in Aztec, NM read more

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We came to SW Colorado on vacation to see Mesa Verde and other sites. A friend had told me about Hovenweep just over in Utah and then we circled over to 4 corners and Shiprock and then came back through this area and I had no idea Aztec Ruins existed. Well, of course we had to stop. And I'm glad we did. You can't beat the price for admission. I think it is $5. We did a lot of walking and exploring. It's interesting that this is called Aztec Ruins because when the Spanish came across it in the 16th century, they thought it was a place that had been built by the Aztecs and the name just stuck through the ages. It is an Ancestral Puebloan site like Mesa Verde and Hovenweep. It is worth the stop and if you have kids, be sure to bring them. read more

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Glad this place is preserved. Nice hike that is well marked through the site. Friendly and informative rangers. Age appropriate junior ranger program. Small but well done visitor center. A nice NPS site, just not a ton to see. Would check out if in area but not a destination. read more

Amazing ruins. The kiva is magical. Plenty of opportunities for great photos. Come when Covid is history. read more

History, archaeology a wonder of the ancient world. Do not miss this if the past is your thing.

The 900-year old AZTEC RUINS near Farmington, NM represent an amazing legacy of Indian history and culture. You have to be there and duck limbo-like through the low stone doors between apartments to experience the environment and culture. Most impressive is the Great Kiva - it's extremely rare to climb inside a sacred kiva - alone well worth the visit. Entrance is free, including the smartphone guided tours. Highly recommended. read more

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Misnamed by the Spanish explorers who came upon these ruins and thought they were made by the Aztec people of Mexico. These are Anasazi tribe community ruins which connect them with the Mesa Verde and Hovenweep group. It is particularly impressive to see the reconstructed Great Kiva which is the best example of what the inside of a Kiva (community center and religious building) looked like. There are kivas in many of the Native American sites in the four corners area which allow archeologists to connect the various sites into a more complete story of life from 1000 years ago. Visitors are allowed a very close-up examination of the building techniques because you climb though three foot openings in the walls (original doorways) and see the matted and timbered ceilings (original) that have been preserved. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aztec-ruins-national-monument-aztec?select=gcFS-A-3opEoxd5u68ZL3Q#gcFS-A-3opEoxd5u68ZL3Q Thinking about people who built these structure out of mud and wood and they have lasted 1000 years, certainly puts the measure of our society in perspective. read more

Aztec Ruins National Monument - Thick ceiling kept the heat and the cold out of the structure. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Aztec, New Mexico

It's a great shame this place adopted a term like Ruin, it's anything but. Make sure this unique settlement goes on your list of Anasazi monuments, it's a perfect pit stop on your way between Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Like Canyon de Chelly is to the Grand Canyon, the Aztec Ruins are far more human in scale, and now that I've made a couple of visits I can state that it's exceptionally memorable. It'll take you, oh, 30-60 minutes to fully explore, you'll learn a ton, and it's right off the side of the road. Fantastic. Two tangible memories are gonna really stick in your craw, here: the Great Kiva, which totally envelops you in an Indiana Jones-esque ancient tribal sorta way, and the long halls of living quarters which frame the entire complex in astonishing character. Amateur photographers will eat these environs up, there's so much to capture. And your imagination... well, let's just say you'll be transported. The place took 30 years to build and was inhabited for about 200 years. That's 200 years of communal cooking, praying, child rearing, storytelling, and likely one or two really wild orgies. Speaking of children, my four year-old had a pretty good time here. She sat through most of the opening film, which is generally an excellent introduction, and communicates a great message about the people who inhabited this place and their ancestors scattered along the Rio Grande valley today. Highly recommended. read more

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It was a Last minute decision to visit this place on our way back to Pagosa Springs from Farmington NM. First impression, small quaint national monument...so we really did not expect much of the place. Went into the office to get some $2 self guided maps. The entire tour of the Aztec Pueblo took less than 30-40mins depending on how fast you walk or explore. Kids will definitely enjoy this short tour. At the end of the train walk, we explored the museum and watched the free movie/documentary about the Pueblo dwellers. It was a good, quick learning event for the entire family. I Highly recommend. read more

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Aztec Ruins National Monument is an awesome site for southwest archaeology. The ruins and history of the monument are very interesting and fun to explore. I would think this would be a great place for kids because you have the opportunity to climb inside some of the finished rooms and really explore the place. But make sure you watch your head! Many of the doorways are very low and its easy to bump your head if you're not careful. The restored great kiva at Aztec Ruins was also very impressive -- even if the accuracy of the restoration is somewhat doubtful. Next to Mesa Verde National Park these are some of my favorite southwest ruins. read more

The ruins site is very peaceful to me. I like to visit the area and enjoy the views and the solitude. It's a wonderful place to visit.

Beautiful park, well maintained! We feel blessed to live so close. My children LOVE this place!

Aztec Ruins is an incredible piece of native history and culture. It is breathtaking to roam around in. And admission is now free!

Absolutely fascinating historical site! A must see. Excellent resources and very well crafted experience. Loved it!

fun place to take the family and learn a little bit about our history

I grew up in NM but somehow overlooked the Aztec Ruins - better late than never. We visited after fishing the San Juan and I could not be more impressed with this important and well preserved site. The staff, though few in number, were well informed and helpful. The pathways are easy to walk but some of the optional interior paths may be a slight challenge for some. read more