welcome to
Aztec Ruins National Monument
President William Harding used the Antiquities Act to establish “Aztec Ruin” National Monument in 1923. President Calvin Coolidge used the Antiquities Act to expand the monument in 1928 and renamed it as “Aztec Ruins.” Herbert Hoover in 1930 and Harry Truman in 1948 also used the Antiquities Act to expand the monument.
Place:
LOCATION:
On the west bank of the San Juan River in San Juan County, northwest New Mexico
Place:
LOCATION:
On the west bank of the San Juan River in San Juan County, northwest New Mexico
Highlights
Aztec Ruins is home to some of the best-preserved Chacoan structures of its kind, exhibiting exceptionally advanced architecture, original wooden beams, and a restored Great Kiva. The settlement was built and occupied by the ancestral Puebloans between the late 1000s and the late 1200s. Many Indigenous peoples across the American Southwest hold Aztec Ruins as a deeply sacred place.
50,396
People Visited in 2022
44
Jobs Supported by Visitation
Location
107 NE Aztec Blvd, Aztec, NM 87410
Owner
Linda Harris
Local Business Spotlight
Aztec Restaurant
How has Aztec Ruins National Monument benefitted your business directly?
I have been with this restaurant as a server since 1985. Then, in 2014, I had the opportunity to purchase it and did because it was such a huge part of my life here in Aztec. Having the Aztec Ruins nearby is great for our business because when tourists want a good place to eat, they come here for good Mexican food. And, we have developed a great relationship with the staff at the National Monument, who often recommends visitors to come here if they want a bit to eat.
How does Aztec Ruins National Monument benefit the local community and the state of New Mexico?
Aztec Ruins National Monument really benefits the town. Many of us make our living providing places for folks to stay, taking care of the museum, and teaching about Indigenous cultures and traditions. As a community that is a short drive from Farmington and on the road to Durango, Colorado, Aztec is a wonderful stopping place for people to experience our food and rich Indigenous culture, and to explore this beautiful corner of New Mexico.
–Linda Harris, owner