A Visit To The 5 Most Historic New Mexico Towns Is Like Going Back In Time
By Raymond Goldfield|Published July 06, 2022
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Raymond Goldfield
Author
Raymond Goldfield is a life-long New Jersey resident and an avid traveler and foodie who can be usually found on the Jersey Shore during the offseason or checking out the latest seasonal flavors at The Bent Spoon in Princeton. He has been working for Only In Your State for since early 2022, where he writes for New Jersey and Iowa and edits the Mid-Atlantic region. He can also be found writing about pop culture for GeekDad. When at home, he enjoys reading comic books and is part of The Rabbitt Stew podcast team. While New Jersey is his home base, he travels regularly and has visited Virginia, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, and Canada as well as all of NJ's border states. Ultimate travel goal? Visit all the best buffets in the United States.
The American west has seen a lot of history – starting with the millennia of Native culture, followed by the often turbulent American history of war, mining, and travel. New Mexico has been at the center of it all, and today many of its cities and towns stand as living monuments. Some of these historic towns are ghost towns, while others are thriving cultural centers, but every single one is a great place for a day trip to better understand the Land of Enchantment.
Mesilla is a unique town - it went back and forth between the United States and Mexico several times as borders switched around.
With a population of around 2,000 today, its many historic buildings - like this traditional adobe house - make the old-school town a popular tourist destination.
Taos may look like a bustling tourist town with a population of more than 5,000 -- but it's also filled with locations on the National Registry of Historic Places.
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The Taos Pueblo, a Native American site, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the country and is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Mining was a huge business in New Mexico, and this town happened to be the location of one of the country's biggest turquoise mines.
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Those days are long past, but the population of just over 200 keeps the historic town and many of its old buildings running. It was also the site of the filming of the movie "Young Guns".
There's no more historic - or enjoyable - drive in New Mexico than Route 66, and it takes you right through this historic town.
Route 66 isn't what it used to be, but many of the classic businesses are still open and a population of around 5,000 keeps this tourist area and its quirky locations humming.
Have you been to any of these historic towns in New Mexico? Are you planning your own tour of the state’s historic sites? Let us know in the comments section. Before you go, make sure to visit the state’s tourism bureau to learn more about what New Mexico has to offer.
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