welcome to
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
William H. Taft established Gran Quivira National Monument in 1909, providing protections for one of the sites that now comprises Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
Place:
LOCATION:
Torrance County in central New Mexico
Place:
LOCATION:
Torrance County in central New Mexico
Highlights
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument preserves the abandoned structures of the 17th century Franciscan missions Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira and the partially excavated pueblo of Las Humanas, or Gran Quivira as it is known today. Las Humanas was one of several Tompiro Indian pueblos in the region that were abandoned in the 1670s. Visitors have the opportunity to visit the remains of these structures and learn about the human habitation of the region over the past millennia by the Ancestral Puebloan and Jumano indigenous groups, 17th century Spanish Francisacan missionaries, regional settlers of the 1800s, and the archaeologists and Park Service employees who studied and stewarded the sites in the 19th and 20th centuries.
37,190
People Visited in 2022
34
Jobs Supported by Visitation
Location
103 Main Street – C, Mountainair, NM 87036
Owners
Linda Marie & Rebecca Anthony
Local Business Spotlight
La Galeria @ The Shaffer
How has Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument benefitted your business directly?
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument headquarters is located in the heart of the town of Mountainair, New Mexico. Mountainair is located at the intersection of NM 55 and US 60, within the triangle of the three mission sites, Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira. The two entities, through their histories and their geographical location, are inextricably linked. The rich history of the National Monument and their public outreach programs, especially in recent years, attract visitors to the area from all over the world. The businesses here are direct beneficiaries of park visitation. Along with the historic Shaffer Hotel, La Galería @ The Shaffer is visible from Salinas Pueblo Missions headquarter’s front door so tourists who visit the National Monument often come to the gallery in the middle of their tour to the three Pueblo mission sites. Our proximity to headquarters and the fact that park rangers send visitors our way directly affects the foot traffic in our gallery.
How does Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument benefit the local community and the state of New Mexico?
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and the programs they develop, sponsor or present in partnership with Mountainair or Manzano Mountain Art Council impact the local community of Mountainair and also most of our neighboring towns. Programs like Luminarias de Abó, Dark Night Sky events (SAPU is recognized as an International Dark Sky site), hikes at the Pueblo mission sites, concerts at Quarai, Big Day birding events at Quarai, Jubilee Car Show, Citizenship ceremonies, and Art in the Park all engage local residents and attract people from as far away as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Carrizozo and Las Cruces (to name just a few). For a small town there is an amazing number of entertainment activities available. Our town benefits directly from these events because we get to attend them but Mountainair also benefits because of the tourism dollars and tax revenue they bring in. If people leave with positive experiences they will return and they may well encourage others to visit.
I feel as though Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is a great asset to the town of Mountainair, the surrounding small communities and the State of New Mexico as a whole.
–Rebecca Anthony, co-owner