Aztec, New Mexico [Summer 2001]

Aztec Ruins National Monument

A 450-room pueblo is ancestral to the modern Puebloan communities of New Mexico. First built in the early 1100s and used by people related to the dwellers of Chaco Canyon, it was later modified and used by people more akin to those inhabiting Mesa Verde. The reconstructed Great Kiva served as the center for the community-wide events and ceremonies—it is the largest such reconstructed kiva in North America. Today, a visitors center and museum can acquaint you with the history of the area and the world of the Ancestral Puebloans. Self-guided trails will lead you through the excavated ruins currently open to the public and beautifully restored Great Kiva itself.

Hours are: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Memorial Day to Labor Day; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Labor Day to Memorial Day. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days. Entry to the monument is $4 per adult. The monument is located 14 miles east of Farmington on Highway 516.

Information, 505 334-6174 and www.nps.gov/azru.

Source: Farmington New Mexico 2001 Area Guide, Farmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.