If you want to know what life was like in the Southwest for those who came before us, New Mexico is a gold mine. The Land of Enchantment is filled with ruins, some in surprisingly good condition, others more ravaged by time. Each of these 10 places provides valuable glimpses into the past. Here are some of the most fascinating ruins in New Mexico:

1. Chaco Culture National Historic Park, near Nageezi
Flickr/ mksfca
Flickr/Lane B
If you only visit one ruins in New Mexico, choose this one. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is vast in scale. In its heyday, Chaco consisted of 600 rooms, standing four stories high, and the site boasted 40 kivas. Right up until the 19th century, the structures at Chaco were the biggest in North America.

Between 1100-1300 A.D., Chaco Canyon was not only a center for trade in the Four Corners region, but for the entire Southwest and some of Mexico as well.

Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl and the enormous kiva at Casa Rinconada (pictured) are definite highlights.

For more information click here.
2. Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park
Wikimedia Commons/Rationalobserver
Flickr/Kim F
Salmon ruins was built in the 11th century by people who migrated from Chaco. More than 250 rooms made up this often overlooked village.

For more information click here.
3. Aztec Ruins National Monument, near Bloomfield
Yelp/Rachel C.
Yelp/Sam S.
This compact collection of ruins is well-preserved - only the kiva is reconstructed. You can actually walk through the buildings here, some of which still have roofs. Back in the day, Aztec was a 500-room pueblo that was three stories high. (It had nothing to do with the Aztecs - it was home to Ancestral Puebloans.)

For more information click here.
4. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, near Silver City
Flickr/Theresa
Flickr/Doc Johnny Bravo
Nomadic tribes sought shelter in these caves tucked within the Gila Wilderness for years before they were converted into cliff dwellings. The Mogollon People lived here for a relatively short time (between roughly 1280 A.D.-1300 A.D.). The ruins are in good enough condition that you can imagine what life used to be like here.

For more information click here.
5. Bandelier National Monument, near Los Alamos
Flickr/MollySVH
Flickr/Erin Kinney
Another interesting set of cliff dwellings are located at the other end of New Mexico, near Los Alamos.

The Ancestral Puebloans called this chasm home from the 12th century to midway though the 16th century. In addition to cliff dwellings, this monument includes the Tyuonyi ruins (the circular remains pictured) and the Long House Ruin. Not that many people know about the Tsankawi Ruins, which are detached from the main section of Bandelier but are also worth exploring.

For more information click here.

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6. Abó Ruins Salinas National Monument, Mountainair
Flickr/Joshua Gatts
Flickr/Lane B
Abó is one of three ruins that make up the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The earliest structures at Abó date back to the 12th century and were part of a pueblo.

In the early 17th century, Franciscan missionaries arrived, hoping to convert the Pueblo people to Christianity. Native women and children were actually the ones to construct the church on this site.

For more information click here.
7. Gran Quivira, near Mountainair
Flickr/Jerry
Flickr/Jasperdo
Sometimes called Las Humanas, Gran Quivira is another of the Salinas Missions. It stands out from the others because of the pale stone used in its construction.

There is another entire village buried under this 500-year-old pueblo that predates it by 250 years!

For more information click here.
8. Quarai Ruins, near Mountainair
Flickr/Rick Duncan
Flickr/Virginia DeBolt
The last of the Salinas Missions is notable for its grand church, Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Curac.

For more information click here.
9. The Jemez National Historic Landmark, Jemez Springs
Flickr/dslrnovice
Flickr/J.J.
This site consists of a 500-year-old village with a reconstructed kiva, along with the San José de los Jemez church. Fray Alonso de Luga had this church built in the 1620s after coming to the U.S. with Juan de Oñate.

For more information click here.
10. Pecos National Historical Park, Pecos
Flickr/Eric Vondy
Flickr/tivolatman
Pecos National Historical Park crams a lot of history into one location. Want to learn about the Pecos pueblo and the missions? How about visiting a Civil War battle site or seeing where the Santa Fe Trail passed through? This underrated park takes you back to a variety of intriguing times in U.S. history.

For more information click here.

Which of these places have you visited? Have you explored any other ruins in New Mexico?

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More to Explore

Ruins In New Mexico

Leah | June 12, 2020

What are the oldest places in New Mexico?

Though these ruins predate much of the buildings in this state, there are historic sites in New Mexico that aren't too far behind in age and are actually still being used and lived in. The Acoma Pueblo, for instance, has been around for at least 800 years and there are still people who live in the adobe buildings today. It's located about an hour west of Albuquerque. The Taos Pueblo is also exceptionally old, having been built between the years 1000-1450 and is still thriving with permanent residents today. It is the oldest, continually-inhabited places in the Land of Enchantment.

Can I visit any abandoned places in New Mexico?

Beyond these ruins in New Mexico, there are quite a few other abandoned places - new and old - that are worth visiting. We even put together an entire New Mexico Abandoned Places Road Trip that will take you to some of the most notable ones that you can see in person. The route includes spots like mining ghost towns, decrepit forts, wild west towns being reclaimed by nature, and more. It's a nearly 950-mile trip, so you'll want to plan out an entire weekend for it at the minimum if you want to be able to experience each stop to its fullest.

What is the oldest city in New Mexico?

When exploring the history of New Mexico, you'll find it has some of the oldest dwellings and buildings in the entire country. The state also has the oldest state capital in the country, Santa Fe. When it comes to cities, it's the oldest one in NM. It was established in 1610 - over 400 years ago - and remains a vibrant historical and cultural center. Today, it has a population of around 85,000. Santa Fe is also considered an incredible art hub with plenty of galleries, collectives, and installations around the city. That's not even mentioning the stunning architecture found there that could be considered masterpieces in themselves.

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Featured Addresses
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA
23 Rd 5175, Bloomfield, NM 87413, USA
Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410, USA
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, 26 Jim Bradford Trail, Mimbres, NM 88049, USA
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA
105 S Ripley Ave, Mountainair, NM 87036, USA
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Quarai Unit, 122 Manzano Quarai Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036, USA
18160 NM-4, Jemez Springs, NM 87025, USA
Pecos National Historical Park, 1 NM-63, Pecos, NM 87552, USA