Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites

The Coronado and Jemez Historic sites represent some of the early peoples of New Mexico. Visitors to these sites can experience what life was like for New Mexico’s native residents.

Coronado Historic Site

Located along the west bank of the Rio Grande and adjacent to the Coronado campground, the Coronado Historic site features information about the early native residents of the Kuaua Pueblo and the Spanish settlers.

On a Sunday afternoon in late February, we took US-550 from the RV Park to the Coronado Historic site. The tickets for this site are $5.00 and are available at the Visitors Center. Because we planned to visit Jemez Historic Site the following Saturday, we took advantage of the special two-site tickets for $7.00 apiece.*

Arriving at the Visitors Center around 2:00 pm, we joined a guided tour led by a volunteer docent. Self-touring is allowed; however, access to the Painted Kiva is by guided tour only, and we wanted to go inside.

Visitors Center

Our guide, Brian, walked us through the museum, pointing out artifacts discovered at the site during the excavations in the 1930’s. Volunteer archaeologists are still looking for artifacts on the site.

As he explained the artifacts, he also gave us a brief history of the discovery of the Kuaua Pueblo by the Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1540.

After we explored the museum, we followed Brian across the patio to the Mural room.

During the height of the Pueblo, the interior walls of kivas were painted with elaborate murals depicting life in the village. Over the years, the murals were covered with blank layers of plaster creating a new canvas for the next mural.

In one kiva, the archaeologists discovered over eighty-five layers of plaster. Seventeen of them were covered in vivid displays of animals and religious figures. A selection of these murals are preserved and on display in the Visitors Center’s mural room. Brian explained that a local tribal artist painted replicas of these murals on the walls of the kiva we would be visiting. Out of respect for the tribal culture, we were not allowed to take pictures in the mural room or the kiva.

Reconstructions

Leaving the Visitors Center, we followed the path through the site. As we walked, our guide explained the buildings were reconstructions of the adobe rooms located below the surface. When the Coronado site was discovered in the 1930s, historic preservation was about reconstruction and pageants, rather than preserving the original structures.

The square painted kiva was built during that time to provide visitors with the experience of climbing down into a kiva similar to one that had stood there 700 years ago.

Continuing along the path, we saw reconstructed adobe walls and remains.

After walking through the historic site, we followed the short nature trail to the Rio Grande. The views on that Saturday in February were amazing.

You can find more information regarding the Coronado Historic Site at their website: http://nmhistoricsites.org/coronado

Jemez Historic Site

The following Saturday morning, we drove to the Jemez Historic Site, completing our two-site visit. The site is located along Scenic New Mexico Hwy 4, about 18 miles from the US 550 junction.

The Jemez Historic Site is home to the Giusewa (pronounced Gee-say-wah) Pueblo ruins. This ancestral home among the Jemez Valley hot springs was established around 1350. The monument also contains the ruins of the early 17th century Mission San Jose de los Jemez, a visitor center, exhibits and an interpretive trail.

Visitors Center

After arriving at the Visitors Center and showing our tickets, we received guides for the interpretive trail. Unlike Coronado, we would be taking a self-guided tour.

Before starting the trail, we walked through the exhibition in the Visitors Center. There were poems, paintings and various other pieces presenting the history and culture of the Jemez people in their own words. We walked slowly around the room, reading stories and looking at art and photos. We would love to be able to share them with you, however, no photos were allowed.

Interpretive Trail

The third stop on the trail is the Mounds of Giusewa, an area that was occupied in the 1300’s. The small hills and stone walls are the ruins of Giusewa Pueblo. Only 18 percent of the site has been excavated, with much of the remaining structures still intact beneath the ground.

The Jemez Historic Site also features a reconstructed kiva. The kiva is accessed by climbing up the ladder on the outside wall, then climbing down into the kiva from the roof. The inside of the kiva was not painted, like the one at Coronado. Out of respect for the people, no photos are allowed inside.

Mission at Jemez

The mission at Jemez was constructed between 1621 and 1625 using Pueblo Indian labor. The ruins are among the best preserved in the American Southwest.

There are blocks of rooms that date to the early 1600s.

The largest structure at the site is the San Jose de los Jemez Mission Church. Constructed under the supervision of Fray Geronimo Zarate Salmeron in 1621, it was designed in the baroque style.

Below are pictures of the church and the attached structures that were a part of daily life in the mission.

For more information, check the Jemez Historic Site.

*We visited these historic sites in 2018. The ticket prices may have changed. Please check their websites for hours and ticket prices before arriving.