The guided tour was educational and impressive. If you're in Taos, it's a short drive, from Santa Fe more of an excursion. We stayed in an AirBnB Earthship for a few nights, I would highly recommended the experience to fully appreciate the wonder of these structures read more

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Listen to the reviews and skip it. Glad my guy and I didn't bother wasting money on a self-guided tour when all the information is already available online. Just a scam. read more

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Earthship Biotecture is a wonder to behold! We were heading down the road and began to see structures built into mounds of earth, and before we could figure out exactly what they were, we came upon the welcoming entrance sign. Of course we had to pull in and have a look! For a very reasonable donation, we were treated to a self-guided tour. In the main building were many signs and diagrams explaining how the structures were built. Then we walked around (and atop!) several buildings to see more. The creativity and ingenuity is really marvelous. Check it out! read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Learning about the technology and appreciating the beauty of design elements were definitely worthwhile. read more

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This place made me feel hopeful, and that speaks for itself. Solomyn was so helpful, kind, and informative. Truly enjoyed all of our interactions with her. The self guided tour is well worth it. Take your time and use the materials and you'll marvel at the ingenuity and aspiration that exist here. read more

If you're looking for a unique experience that you can't find anywhere else on earth, this is the spot. This little group of earthships are such a cool experience to see and learn about. Sign up for one of their self guided tours, and explore some super cool history. The staff here is super friendly, the views of the buildings and landscape are gorgeous, and you get to learn about something that is so uniquely New Mexico. Can't recommend it enough. read more

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Quite a distinctive place. Very ecologically minded. Quite a contrast with staying in Taos, which doesn't seem to have any recycling. I must say the nine dollar self guided tour is basically a walk-through exhibit that at most visitor centers would be free. They had some of the most expensive merchandise I've ever seen in a tourist gift shop. $49 for a coffee mug $52 if you want to handle. I had driven in from Taos and went to the first entrance which is the visitor center. My visitor center thing and then headed back to Taos. The next day. I was surprised to see how large this place was when I passed by it on the way to Colorado. There are many many dwellings. I gather 150 people live there. They're all pretty impressive looking but but private. read more

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Didn't do a tour or anything so not reviewing that, but reviewing just the fun of driving up and seething these earthships in person. Completely sustainable, with water that cycles through four times a day, made of tires and glass. Like walking onto another planet. Perhaps, one without climate change. 5 stars!!! read more

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Really fascinating and interesting spot to visit, and we felt worth the $9 self guided tour. These "earthships" are something and fully self contained! The community is way bigger and vast than I had imagined and I discovered after flipping through a real estate magazine from Taos you can buy one and live in it! Some of the structures are really ornate and impressive! You can't drive through the community as it's all private residences but you can drive up the road and get a good view of some of the dwellings farther back. read more

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I was personally looking forward to visiting the Earthship especially after having watched an episode on the Netflix series "Buy My House" where one of the owners of an Earthship from this area tried to sell their property. However, after having visited this place in person, I'm fairly disappointed at how this tour panned out. In essence, you're paying a lot as a visitor to just watch videos of the Earthship from within different rooms of a single home. While these videos are fairly helpful and intriguing, there's no way that they're worth the value especially after when you're driving to one of the most remote areas within the country. I would not recommend making a trip to Taos specifically for visiting the Earthship. However, if you've planned a day-trip, this place might still be worth a stop. read more

So we decided to come here because it seemed interesting reading about it. The website said it opened at 10 and there were a good 10-15 waiting for it to open at the designated time. Then 10:05, 10:10, 10:15 and nobody at the office that said entrance. We and others called the posted number and got a recording that said they opened at 10. All I can say is that by 10:20 all but one couple said screw it and left. Just a bloody waste of everyone's time. read more

Earthship Biotecture - Dunno... - General Contractors Near Me - Tres Piedras, New Mexico

***YOU CAN WALK AROUND OUTSIDE FOR FREE*** LOOKS LIKE STARWARS HERE Watch a YouTube video on it before you arrive if you get a chance You can walk around on the outside for free or just pay the 8 bucks and help the cause and look around inside for the fun of it (plus, you can use the bathroom) This is definitely a very Taos thing to do while visiting out here, take fun pictures, and don't expect too much *Locals are free May the force be with you read more

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IT is only a short drive from Rio Grande so we decided to include it in our day's schedule. Very interesting concept, definitely works for the climate. We parked the car and just freely walked around, didn't even realize there was an option for a tour, but plenty to look around even without going in. Should definitely be visited if close by, probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit it. read more

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Earthships just kept coming up. First from a backpacking buddy, then from one of my favorite kundalini instructors. When the opportunity came to join friends to Taos for a ski weekend I just knew I had to add a visit to the Earthship Biotecture to the agenda. Waking up nice and early we headed on over (making a quick stop at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge along the way). Arriving a bit before they opened (10 am during the winter months) we opted to explore a bit of the grounds, being careful to honor the signs indicating which areas were private and therefore off limits to visitors. The visitor's center opened right on time and we were excited to be the first to partake in a self guided tour (there are guided tours available as well). Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for teachers. There was a helpful handout which gave us a bit of information about each area on the self guided tour. The living room, the outermost area with beautiful plants and tall windows, a room showing an educational video (totally recommend watching the whole video - it answers so many questions), and finally a grand room with lots of historical information, books for purchase, and pictures of earthships built all over the world. I'd love to return and stay a night or two! read more

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I am not exaggerating when I say that I am mildly obsessed with earthships right now. They are just so cool! I am always concerned about my own impact on the environment, so it was incredible to learn how daily living can be so in-tune with what nature already has to offer. We spent two wonderful night in an earthship in Taos, and the experience was incredible. The house offers what I was calling "active living," since you need to brush snow off the panels to make sure you generate electricity, open and close vents, etc. We were so surprised that the temperature inside was so pleasant even though it was single digits outside (and there is no heating!). On our way out, we stopped in the visitor center to learn a little more and get the rest of our questions answered. There was a very informative lobby with pictures of other earthships and book with different models that the company builds. We were surprised and pleased to learn that there are earthships in all 50 states and 40 countries! I can't wait to keep learning about these fascinating homes.... and maybe live in one myself one day! read more

Earthship Biotecture - Greenhouse at the Earthship - General Contractors Near Me - Tres Piedras, New Mexico

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I really lucked out when I called about a guided tour. You need to have a certain number of people to have this option (or you'll have to pay extra), but there happened to be a group going that weekend that was okay with having others join their party. Highly recommend the guided tour if you can join up with another group - I don't think the self-guided tours are worth the trip because you won't see the inside of multiple buildings or learn quite as much. Our tour guide said she's been living in earthships and has also helped build them. She had so much knowledge from designing/building them to maintaining them. I had been wondering if they'd talk about the fact that they use old tires as building materials and the possible dangers of that, and she did actually address this. I'm still not sure how safe it is, but it gave me a tiny bit less concern. I most appreciated the way they use and recycle rain water, also using it to water all the plants in the greenhouse area. The Phoenix was absolutely beautiful, the glass bottle designs and creative interior features will blow your mind. Looked so much nicer than your typical house. The structure itself is a piece of art. There's a bathtub in there that's totally dreamy, you've gotta see it. Outside views of the mountains were awesome too - no tall houses in the way to block your view. They had a patio area and chickens in the back. Pretty darn cool. Even if you're not into the idea of living in a house made of beer cans and wine bottles, it's still neat to take the tour and learn about the progressive ways they are trying to save our resources, use the sun to their advantage instead of heat/AC, and create less of a footprint. Very very cool and I think anyone can take away some of the principles they use and apply them to a home they may already have. read more

I now understand why you should opt for a guided tour. I decided to do the self tour. It really is just a handful of things to read inside and looking at an earthship outside. I was wondering what exactly you pay for, granted it is only 9 dollars, but I was so happy a women asked. Basically, for no cost you can walk to the one earthship outside and tour the immediate visitor center for free. That is where a majority of the info is. You pay for a educational handout and to walk in a back room and see a movie with many other people in a small room with you-which was info I found online before I came. I want to pay to support these places, but if I bring anyone back, I pass on the self guided tour. They should at least include seeing the inside of a earthship that is not the gift shop. I will say the front desk person was very nice. read more

If you have time, we suggest you take a tour of the Earthships. It was incredible! These houses are so eco friendly and will inspire anyone to be more green. You can go inside and watch a video of how the earthships are made and see their efforts to make the world a better place. If you can, we definitely suggest you stay in one. We stayed in the first Earthship to be built through our Airbnb App. It is named the Hobbit, for all you Lord of the Rings fans out there.It was very spacious, even though it's like a studio vibe. One thing I liked was that they have a green house inside. If you don't want to stay in one, I still suggest you go visit them. For more on what to do in Taos, check out our latest blog. https://kasventures.org/2019/09/04/taos-new-mexico-your-next-favorite-destination/ read more

Earthship Biotecture - General Contractors Near Me - Tres Piedras, New Mexico

While they do not encourage, rather, allow trespassers, the visitors center was closed and I was just DYING to see these bad boys that made me literally stop dead in my tracks when we were passing by. Hubs and I had seen a documentary about funky, completely sustainable homes made from solely from recycled materials and I couldn't believe I randomly stumbled upon them in this quiet section of New Mexico. We took a quick little loop in the main driveway just as the sun was setting. We respected the visitors and homeowners in this private community, but we're able to see these amazing structures somewhat up close. Close enough to see that what looked like little hundreds of rhinestones or grommets of sorts were actually recycled bottles! Very, very cool!! Mind blowing actually. We noted the fantasy like shapes which the girls thought looked like curvy castles. We saw the solar panels and of course the gorgeous snow capped San Cristobal Mountains in the distance. You can actually rent these homes which are located just near the ski mountains making it a perfect stay any time of year! Information for rentals and tours are on their websites which is quite informative. There you can read about their mission and where all over the world these Earthships are located such as Haiti, Indonesia and Northern Europe. You can even order Earthship kits to make your own! How wild?! There's also an Earthship Survival App! What?! I absolutely LOVE and am fascinated by all things green and the Earthship concept! All Earthships follow the same design principles: -Thermal/solar cooling & heating -Solar/Wind electricity -Contained Sewage Treatment- the homes reuse all household waste without polluting. -Recycled and Natural materials- all materials must be locally sourced by products -Water Harvesting- all rain water and snow melt is collected and reused 4 times! -Food Production- the gallons of water from the sinks and showers can be used for all year growing produce indoors. If you are just a little bit green and want to learn how people push self-sustainability to the ultimate limit, this place is for you! Whether you're driving by, want to plan a stay in one of these wonders, tour the interior, or even build your own, this is your place! Outstanding! Don't miss the long horned cattle on the side of the roads nearby or the Rio Grande Bridge just down the road! A stay here is definitely on my radar for my next visit to this region! read more

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I felt unwelcome at the visitor's center. There was an $8 charge for a self-guided tour that had information that is available and free online. You have to drive 20 minutes to get to the welcome center and can't use the bathroom unless you pay for a tour. There is a charge for everything including business cards. You can't drive up past the center and see any of the houses. Appears to be a money-making scheme, not a group of people truly interested in environmental concerns. read more

The visitors center is tiny and you can't see anything unless you shell out $9 per person for a self guided tour. I was looking forward to seeing this place but it ended up not being worth the stop. read more

Agreed with previous reviews. Not worth it. Skip paying and just walk around the land for free. We did the self guided tour and all you do is walk around in their very small office and read all the posters and signs, watch a video, and then you walk to one of the homes to see it... FROM THE OUTSIDE. Hard to support scams like this. read more

Cool educational center. I would recommend going on the weekend to see more of the earth ships. If you go during the week you only get to see one. The front desk woman wanted to make sure we had the best experience. read more

Anyone interested in sustainable living and living off the grid owes it to themselves to visit the Earthship at least once in their lives. Taos is ground-zero for the Earthship movement, it all began here. Earthship structures are now found all over the world since they can be built with recycled cans, bottles, tires, items found anywhere in the world. Rainwater is collected. Grey water systems are in place. Vegetables grow year-round indoors. Energy comes from the sun or the wind. Heat comes from the Earth itself. I came on a slow day and had the entire facility to myself and had a great time taking the whole place in. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon in Taos! read more

I was so excited when I started to Yelp Taos and found out the Earthships were here!! Yippee!! How cool are these homes, and the people that have the balls to leave their lives behind, move to the desert and build a home out of cans, tires, bottles, and go completely off the grid. Much love to these folks, I admire what the are doing. I have mad respect. I see that some reviews state that they paid in the visitors center. We didn't. We just wandered around what wasn't private property taking it all in. We had heard of the Earthships before, so we really didn't need a video to explain them and the off the grid concept to us. This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I think maybe someday, I myself, might have an Earthship in the desert!! If you are going to Taos, do not miss seeing the Earthships. You will leave baffled and amazed, and hopefully a bit more green. read more

Earthship Biotecture - General Contractors Near Me - Tres Piedras, New Mexico

Driving into the Earthship World Headquarters was like driving onto a movie set of Mad Max. Earthships are built with recycled materials, collect rainwater that is filtered and used 4 times in the earthship, and don't cost any money to cool or heat. For $5 a person, you can watch a 10-minute video on earthships and take a self-guided tour at the Headquarters. It was interesting but I don't know if this place (or earthships in general) is for everyone. You can also stay overnight in rentable earthships here. From website: "The Visitor center is a fully functioning Earthship that combines passive solar architecture with thermal mass construction, uses renewable energy, integrated water systems and is made out of natural and recycled materials. Our resource library provides an abundance of information in the form of books, videos and displays. All of our books and videos are also available for purchase." PS- If you want to build an earthship in your city, they can send a crew to build it who will show others the process. There are earthships all over the world. *See pictures read more

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Awesome concept and off the grid access for rental. The Bio homes are self sustaining, end of the world perfection. I stayed in the Phoenix house and the amount plant and animal life living in the sun room are amazing. They have a mini jungle habitat complete with fish pond, birds and a garden. It housed 8 comfortably, can hold more if you maximize, and has as many comforts of home you could expect for a solar, rainwater and self purifying filtration system. The house had WiFi, tv, fireplace, and full kitchen. The appliances ran off the solar grid and had generator backup if needed. The homes are decorated to enhance the natural light and have some pretty neat fixtures and plant walls, yes plant walls. I would highly recommend you do some research as there is alot more I could never fit in a review and would definitely come back with the right group of people. read more

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I don't normally do reviews, but when I do it's because I had the best experience. I've heard/researched Earthships about a couple years ago and ever since I have always wanted one. I love how it is completely off grid and it has its own greenhouse, it's own air flow system where it can stay about 72 degrees YEAR ROUND, and that it has a water filtration system that reuses its water about 4x!! Does not waste. I'm just in love with the whole idea and I had never seen/stayed in one until now. I still have not changed my mind about building my own, it's everything I thought it would be, what a great experience! Too bad not many people know about these! I try to spread the word when I can!! It is something you have to adjust to, and really think about conserving your resources. Something I think everyone should at least experience once. read more

Truly a unique experience. We were exploring the area, as my wife is writing a book about a post-apocalyptic America - based in Colorado/New Mexico/Kansas.Staying in an Earthship (a self sustaining abode) eerily felt like we were in her novel - she plans to incorporate some of the self-sustaining house ideas as a way people cope in her book. But in the present, it was really a fun night to stay - and to see and understand the concepts firsthand. So why not five stars? I have sleep apnea, and the self-generated electricity must have been slightly off kilter, or needed a line voltage regulator. I plugged in my cpap, and it went crazy (and actually something fried in it - I now have a new machine) Sure, I could have screamed and yelled and threatened to sue or something, but I did know what I was getting into - i.e. a home that did everything itself, and I learned this particular Earthship had the electricity off somewhat. So of course, I didn't sleep well, but I did sit outside and watch the stars quite a bit. Really cool as well. So I recommend this place - just watch your devices a bit (my computer didn't seem to notice the problem, and recharged fine.) read more

5 stars because its unique and cool. The short walkthrough "tour" of the visitor center explains by video how these dwellings are constructed which is interesting. Gift shop has a few items, I scored a tote bag which will look extra cool next time I am at Whole Foods. If you want to stay overnight in an earthship you need to book months ahead. Looked like around $210 a night for 2 people and $400 for 4 people. One night would be cool. read more

Such an unique place ! I've heard about Earthship homes before so my bf and I decided to check it out while we were in Taos. We were impressed! I'd like to rent one of the houses sometime to get a feel what would be like to live in one of them. The surrounding area is very beautiful and peaceful. Definitely worth the drive. read more

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I first heard of Earthships when I read the actor Dennis Weaver was selling his back in 2004. Earthship? A sustainable home built from recycled materials? As an old hippie I was interested to learn more. I saw the video "Garbage Warrior" on PBS a few years ago and was happy to see the architect, Michael Reynolds was still building. On a recent trip to Albuquerque I decided we had to make a pilgrimage to Taos and the Earthship community. I wasn't disappointed. The young lady working the visitor center was helpful explaining the systems of an Earthship and construction techniques. I was expecting an intern but she is an owner, who learned about Earthships and rented one during winter to make sure they performed as advertised. She said after spending a few nights in freezing weather, and being warm and comfortable inside without additional heat she was sold, and decided to move to Taos to live in an Earthship. They're quirky, colorful and beautiful. Built of old tires filled with pounded dirt and plastered with adobe. The natural wood viga ceilings accent curved walls. And everywhere the light, entering from the south facing greenhouse. An Earthship is self-contained. No utility bills! The home collects it's own water and recycles it 3 times before being sent to a septic system. Filtered grey water is used for the plants in the greenhouse, the plants filter it again and it's used to flush the toilet! Solar panels generate electricity that is stored in batteries, converted to AC and distributed throughout the house. It's magic. Earthships have been built around the world, from high tech European countries to the jungles of the Far East. They are adaptable to any environment. Someday, perhaps sooner rather than later, people will realize what an amazing, progressive concept Michael Reynolds has developed. Someday... read more

Really great concept and design but they're still missing some key components for the entire general public. For people who aren't eco friendly you'll need to loop them in by having normal living/sleeping conditions. We stayed the west wing of the Phoenix Earthship. The room smells super moldy and damp. It smells really bad. They're are tiny little flies that land on you and fly around your face. I would have given a 4 but the smell is too much. read more

Glass and tires used Unearthly organic shapes To make your new home (a little bit outside of Taos, but worth the short drive...) read more

This is about the Earthship VISITOR CENTER. Not about the experience of staying in an Earthship overnight. My boyfriend and I went to the Earthship Visitor Center after reading dozens of stellar reviews of Earthships. Turns out most of the raving reviews are from people who have stayed at an Earthship for a few nights, not people who just went to the visitor center. We expected to tour a functioning house, or at least a model of one, but the visitor center was really just that: a visitor center. You pay $7 to go in and watch a short video about Earthship construction (the likes of which you have probably already seen if you're interested in seeing an Earthship in the first place) and there's also a 15-20 minute slideshow of pictures. There's a place to buy books about construction and other Earthship-related merchandise, you can walk through their garden and you can take a look at their roof-top filtration system. But when they boast about you touring the grounds, all you're really allowed to see is the outside of one Earthship that's in construction. The rest is private property. Bottom line: Earthship biotecture is fascinating and I'd love to live in one. But it's not worth the money to pay to enter the Visitor Center unless you need resources to learn how to build your own. read more

If you are happening by Taos, NM and want to see an incredible sight, stop by the visitors center for the Earthship. We did and we were not disappointed. These people have pods all over the desert. You can even rent one to stay in. They are truly off the grid. They collect water and use it at least 3 times, they use solar energy and batteries for power, most of their building equipment comes from recycled goods. We were impressed by the self-guided tour and the tour guide who incidentally built her own Earthship all by herself which subsequently took her 7 years to complete. She was all muscle bound wiry and very impressive! read more

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My boyfriend has been obsessed with Earthships since he first heard of them. So on a trip to New Mexico, we HAD to stay in an Earthship. We stayed overnight in the studio Earthship, and were in awe as soon as we walked in. I'll admit I was a little paranoid being out in the middle of nowhere and especially after signing the contract. I worried about what I put myself at risk for or what may happen but I guess they need to protect themselves. The studio Earthship is beautiful and has such great details in the design, me and my boyfriend marveled at the little things like the light switches and the bathroom floor, it may sound silly but these details are not found in other places. You're also left to take care of things on your own after 4 PM unless there's an emergency, not a complaint, just a statement. In that way it's kinda like camping, we also had a lizard and other little critters in the Earthship, except you're actually inside a (way cool and environmental) structure, sleep in a bed and have access to a bathroom and kitchen :) I look forward to staying again and someday having our own! Oh, and DO NOT miss the view at night, it was so clear and beautiful! read more

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Do not do the self guided tour. I think Earthships are beautiful. But it would have been nice to actually see one instead of walking around basically just thier gift shop and the outside of two student housing earthships. Like come on. Why do you have this as a option that you have to pay for?!? read more

These homes are amazing. They use recycled materials to construct the homes, such as used tires, glass bottles, and cans. The homes don't need heating or air conditioning due to their passive solar design, which utilizes the stable temperature of the earth and windows that line the south side of the home. The rain is their water source and they reuse shower and dish water for the toilets. I went with a group of five people and we had a guided tour where we got to see several homes and ask a ton of questions. read more

From far away, you can see the glittering cans and bottles stuffed into dirt and tire structures on the horizon. The closer you get, the more of them you can see. Earthships. I'm glad they have a visitor's center, otherwise I would be tempted to drive straight into the unique community. Though it's a strangely steep fee to check out the visitor's center and explore a small area of Earthship territory, it's worth it. They have a very complex and interesting water recycling set up. I'd love to live in one of those homes for a while, for sure. This will likely be a quick stop along your adventure route, but if you have any interest in sustainable architecture and water conservation, this is a fascinating, quirky stop. read more