Archeological and Paleontological
Sites
New Mexico offers amazing sites
that will link us to the past. Find out more about the life and
culture of ancient peoples and cities. View evidence of people
living amongst the dinosaurs and Folsum Man, try to translate
the ancient petroglyph writings, observe old artifacts and pottery!
Get in on a real archeological dig, visit museums with hands-on
activities for kids, roam the parks, and feel the honor of our
history in our many monuments. New Mexico - an important link
to our past!
- Archeological & Cultural Trips in
the Southwest - Travel
Northern New Mexico to Mesa Verde to Chaco Canyon and then to
the Navajo Nation Fair!
- Aztec Ruins National Monument - Large, multi-story archeological site
dating from the early 1100's. Reconstructed Great Kiva. Self-guiding
trail & museum. Near Aztec, NM via NM 550 (505)
344-6174.
- Blackwater Draw Museum & Archeological
Site - Located in
Portales and right on Highway 70, see three impressive museums
and one active archaeological dig site. The Blackwater Draw site
and Museum are home to various displays and artifacts dating
back millions of years. Early investigations revealed evidence
of human occupation, as well as the Columbian Mammoth, camel,
horse, bison, saber-toothed cat and dire wolf. View artifacts
discovered at the draw site. These artifacts give visitors a
tour through time, allowing them to interpret life from Clovis
time (over 13,000 years ago) to the present. Open seven days
a week. Portales, NM (505) 562-2202. The archeological
site is 7 miles due west of the museum. (505) 356-5235
- Clayton Lake State Park - See more than 500 dinosaur tracks!
Fishing, picnicking, hiking, camping. Open daily. Near Clayton,
NM (505) 374-8808. **Dinosaur Days - Event every May - 800-390-7858
for details!
- Dinosaur Discovery Museum - 16,000 square feet of discovering
the past!! Includes 8 robotic dinosaurs, a video room, a gallery,
a gift shop and a life-size quarry where kids can dig for bones!
New displays on the way! Hours: 10am - 5pm Admission: $5.50 general,
$3.50 children, $4.50 seniors. Located inside Grants,NM
city limits. Take I40 to exit 85 south (away from town). The
museum is located just off Exit 85. For more information call
(505) 287-5558.
- El Malpais National Monument - Lava
flows, lava tubes, ice caves, sandstone bluffs, Ventana Arch
and various archeological sites! Located near Grants, NM (505)
783-4774
- Farmington Museum - Four
Corners history, San Juan Basin geology exhibits and children's
museum and hands-on science center! Farmington, NM (505) 599-1174
- Folsom Museum
- Displays of Folsom Man (circa 12,000 B.C.) and replicas of
Folsom spear points excavated in the 1920s. Located 13 miles
north of Capulin, NM (505) 278-2122 (summer) or (505)
278-3616 (winter)
- Kent Hall Museum - At New Mexico State University. Hundreds
of specimens of gems, minerals, fossils and a collection of locally
found dinosaur bones! Emphasis is given to the anthropology,
history and natural history of Southern New Mexico and Northern
Mexico. Located on University Ave., Las Cruces, NM (505) 646-3739
- Maxwell Museum of Anthropology - Tues - Fri: 9am - 4pm Sat: 10am -
4pm Archaeological, ethnological, archival, photo and skeletal
collections from all over the world!! The only museum in the
Southwest encompassing the entire history of mankind and culture
around the world!! Permanent exhibits include, "People of
the Southwest" - 11,000 years of Southwest culture; "Ancestors"
- Tracing human origins back 4 million years. Monthly arts &
crafts demonstrations. FREE admission. Call for information.
Located on the corner of University Blvd. & Martin Luther
Kings, Jr. Ave. in Albuquerque, NM (505) 277-5963
- Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - See the ONLY display in the world
of the TORVOSAURUS, a rare, meat-eating dinosaur. Life size skeleton
which was a close relative of the Tyrannosaurs that lived in
the Jurassic Period. Other displays include bronze skeletons,
fossils, and more. 10,000 square foot museum! Located in Tucumcari,
NM, corner of First and Laughlin Streets. Take I-40 to exit
322, go north 1.6 miles, turn east on Laughlin Street. Daily
business hours. Closed Sunday and Monday.
(505) 461-DINO (3466)
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History
and Science - Fossils,
12 billion years of natural history. Dinosaurs, "time machine,"
living forest and a 3,000 gallon, shark-infested aquarium, rumbling
volcano, ice age cave. Dynamics Theater, hands-on children's
discovery area and nice gift shop. Located at 1801 Mountain Road
NW in Albuquerque, NM (505) 841-2800
- Petroglyph
National Monument -
More than 15,000 prehistoric
and historic Native American and Hispanic petroglyphs stretch
across 17 miles, along Albuquerque's West Mesa escarpment. Trails
and visitor center. Located just west of Albuquerque, NM (505)
899-0205
- Petroglyphs - The
ultimate resource! 750 links to the "petroglyph" sites
all over the world as well as New Mexico! Many photos, history,
gifts, art, wearables, etc. Check it out! Note: Not necessarily
a travel resource, but cool info! We will still list New Mexico
information separately.
- Salmon Ruins, Museum, and Research Library - Exhibits, artifacts and records found
by the excavation of the Salmon Ruins. Available for your
visit to Salmon Ruins are an 11th century Chacoan great house
and an original 19th century homestead; replicas of a sweatlodge,
hogans, tipis, and a pithouse for you to investigate; a museum
exhibiting artifacts from the decade-long excavations of Salmon
Ruins; a research library specializing in the archaeology and
history of the American Southwest; and a unique gift shop offering
a variety of books, Navajo weavings, quality silver jewelry,
pottery, craft and kids items, and archaeological reference materials.
Bloomfield, NM (505) 632-2013
- Sandia Man Cave - See evidence of ancient man! Take a self-guided
hike & explore the area. Go to Placitas, New Mexico and ask
for directions.
- Southwestern "Rock Art" gallery - click here for links to petroglyph
sites all over the southwest!
- Thelma A.Webber Southwest
Heritage Room - Prehistoric
Indian, early homestead and ranch and oil field artifacts, plus
more than 40,000 books. Located Located in Hobbs, NM (505)
392-6561.
- Three Rivers Petroglyph Site - Over 20,000 cool petroglyphs dated
950AD-1150AD! Climb around the rocks and formations and try to
guess what the ancient people were trying to depict. See the
"Pit House Village" showing how the early inhabitants
might have lived. 6 picnic shelters with water & restrooms.
a well visited and enjoyed site. Located between Tularosa
& Carrizozo, NM. (505) 525-4300. See more pictures: Viva
NM site
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