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Taos is a wonderful tourist destination in northern New Mexico. It has a little bit of something for everyone.
Introduction to Taos
Taos has been populated since at least 1000, when Taos Pueblo was constructed. The first European settlement occurred around 1615 as Don Fernando de Taos following the Spanish conquest of the area. Initially, the settlers were welcome, but during a revolt in 1640 the natives killed their priest. Several settlers fled and didn’t return until 1661.
Taos Pueblo joined the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, and continued to fight the Spanish until the pueblo was defeated by Diego de Vargas (1643-1704) in 1696. During the 1770s, Taos was raided several times by the Comanches until 1779, when governor Juan Bautista de Anza (1736-1788) led an expedition against them.
On May 1, 1796, the town of Taos was officially established under the Spanish crown. It later became part of a newly independent Mexico in 1821, and then part of the US territory of New Mexico in 1848. In 1899, artists began to settle in Taos. Many of the artists’ studios and homes have been preserved and are open to the public, as the city attracts many art lovers. In fact, the city is home to over 65 galleries, shops, and restaurants as well as a handful of museums.
We spent just one full day exploring Taos, and it wasn’t nearly enough time to fit everything in. I hope to return some day to see more. We missed a few museums and art galleries, and didn’t get a chance to walk around some areas of the city.
Getting to Taos
Taos has the small Taos Regional Airport (TSM), which has seasonal flights from cities like Denver and Dallas (as of September 2025). It’s much easier to fly into Albuquerque and drive.
Where to Stay in Taos
You won’t have a problem finding a place to stay for any budget or level of accommodation.
Super 8 by Wyndham Taos
We stayed three nights at the Super 8 by Wyndham Taos, which was exactly what you’d expect from the chain. Staff was friendly, breakfast was included, and the room was clean and comfortable. We had no complaints. The hotel is a short drive from the Downtown Taos Historic District.
Where to Eat in Taos
We had a couple decent meals during our visit.
The Alley Cantina
On our first night, we had dinner at the Alley Cantina, just off Taos Plaza. It’s a family restaurant and bar with live music every night of the year.
I had a delicious tortilla soup to start and tamales as a main course. The food was great and reasonably priced. In addition to New Mexican cuisine, they serve appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, salads, and fish, and shrimp dishes.
Bent Street Grille
For lunch while exploring the city, we ate at Bent Street Grille at the corner of Bent Street and John Dunn Way. I had a delicious Greek salad. They also have a great selection of sandwiches and soups.
Taos Plaza
Taos Plaza is the at the heart of the Taos Downtown Historic District and a great place to start exploring the city. It happens to be the historic center of the original Spanish settlement of Taos. Once a fortified plaza filled with homes and businesses, it’s now a park with trees and a gazebo. The gazebo was donated by American art patron Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879-1962). Adobe buildings surround the plaza today and are filled with various businesses and shops.
In the center of the plaza is an American flag that proudly flies 24 hours a day. In 1861, during the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers would repeatedly tear down the flag. A group of Union officers, including Kit Carson (1809-1868) and Ceran St. Vrain (1802-1870), began to guard the flag for 24 hours. In commemoration of that event, US Congress has allowed the city to fly the flag 24 hours a day.
Hotel La Fonda de Taos
Hotel La Fonda de Taos is the anchor of the plaza, and there has been a hotel on the site since at least 1820. La Fonda de Taos was opened in 1937 by Greek immigrants James and John Karavas. James’ son, Saki, ran the hotel from 1953 until his death in 1996. Inside is a small museum of paintings by D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930). Several celebrities and dignitaries have stayed at the hotel over the years.
Teresina Lane
From the northwest corner of Taos Plaza you can take a walk down scenic Teresina Lane. It contains a few galleries, restaurants, and shops.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
Detouring a block west is Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. This adobe church was originally built between 1801 and 1802 as a Franciscan mission. It was demolished in 1911 and rebuilt by Jean Baptiste Pitaval, Archbishop of Santa Fe. That church was destroyed by fire on July 24, 1961, and replaced by the current church a year later. Mass is held there daily.
John Dunn House Shops
About a block north of the plaza is John Dunn Way. It’s another beautiful street that contains the John Dunn House Shops, which features all kinds of boutique shops operating out of historic homes. For me, it was one of the most pleasant streets in the Taos Downtown Historic District.
Bent Street
At the end of John Dunn Way is Bent Street, where there are more shops, restaurants, and galleries.
Governor Bent Museum
Along Bent Street is the Governor Bent Museum. It was the home of Charles Bent (1799-1847), who served as the first American territorial governor of New Mexico. He was appointed governor in 1846 and was killed in the house by an angry mob on January 19, 1847. The mob was protesting the American possession of New Mexico. The house was built around 1835 and is a privately run museum that also features a gallery. Adult admission is US$3 (as of June 2023) and it’s open daily.
Taos Inn
On the eastern end of Bent Street is Paseo del Pueblo Norte, and across the street is the historic Taos Inn. It’s made up of several 19th century adobe houses, one of which belonged to Thomas “Doc” Martin (1864-1935). Martin’s home hosted the meeting in which the Taos Society of Artists was formed in 1915.
Martin’s widow, Helen, converted the home into a hotel after his death. It opened as the Martin Hotel on June 7, 1936, and was changed to the Taos Inn by the next owners. Doc Martin’s, a restaurant, is located in the former offices of the famous doctor.
Kit Carson Road
Kit Carson Road, a block east of the plaza, takes you past more adobe buildings, including Cabot Plaza.
Kit Carson Home and Museum
The Kit Carson Home and Museum celebrates the life of one of America’s most famous frontiersman. The U-shaped adobe house was built in 1825 and features a central courtyard. Kit Carson (1809-1868), a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and US Army officer, lived there from 1843 to 1866 with his wife, Maria Josefa Jaramillo (1828-1868).
The house first became a museum in 1937 and was further developed by the Bent Masonic Lodge #42, AF & AM, in 1952. It has been operated by the Kit Carson Memorial Foundation since 1953 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963. The front three rooms of the house are the oldest and contain the museum exhibits.
The Kit Carson Home and Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Admission is US$10 for adults, US$8 for seniors age 62+, US$7 for students and veterans, and free for kids under 13 (as of September 2025). On display are several personal items belonging to Carson and his wife.
Many items were left behind when the family moved to Fort Garland, Colorado, in 1866, and were dispersed over the years. The museum has been able to track down several of the family’s authentic possessions and repatriate them to the house. They include guns, uniforms, a sewing kit, and farm tools.
Other items on display include books about Carson published in several different languages. Furnishings are Spanish Colonial and Territorial period pieces that were typically used during the time Carson and Jaramillo lived in the house.
Ledoux Street
Ledoux Street is a couple blocks south of the plaza. It’s lined with a few art galleries and museums.
Inger Jirby Gallery
The first gallery I passed was the Inger Jirby Gallery. It’s run by Swedish artist Inger Jirby and includes guest houses and a sculpture garden.
Ernest L. Blumenschein Home and Museum
A few steps away is the Ernest L. Blumenschein Home and Museum. It was the home and studio of Ernest L. Blumenschein (1874-1960). He was a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists and used the home as a studio from 1919 to 1960. Portions of the house were built in 1797. Admission is US$10 for adults, US$8 for seniors, and US$5 for children (as of September 2025). It’s typically open daily during the summer and Friday to Tuesday the rest of the year.
Harwood Museum of Art
Finally, near the end of Ledoux Street is the Harwood Museum of Art. It was founded in 1923 by the Harwood Foundation and is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. In 1935, the museum was gifted to the University of New Mexico, which renovated and expanded the building. Admission is US$15 for adults, US$12 for seniors age 65+, US$8 for students with a valid ID, and free for kids under 18 (as of September 2025). It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
La Hacienda de los Martínez
La Hacienda de los Martínez is one of the few remaining Spanish colonial era haciendas in the Southwest. It’s located a short drive west of downtown.
The hacienda was built in 1804 by Severino Martín (d. 1827). It has high adobe walls and no exterior windows. It sat at the northernmost point of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and was an important trade center at the northern boundary of New Spain.
The hacienda has two inner courtyards with 21 rooms built around them. When Comanche or Apache raiders threatened the area, livestock were brought into the courtyards for safety.
The Martínez family owned the property until they sold it in 1931. It fell into disrepair and was purchased in 1961 by Jerome Milord, who reconstructed it. The Kit Carson Memorial Foundation acquired it in either 1969 or 1972, and by 1982 it had been restored to its appearance in 1820.
La Hacienda de los Martínez is now owned by Taos Historic Museums. Admission is US$10 for adults, US$8 for seniors, and US$5 for kids (as of September 2025). It’s typically open daily during the summer and Friday to Tuesday the rest of the year. The rooms contain displays related to the Spanish colonial period in the early 19th century.
Daily Life
Around the first courtyard, the rooms contain exhibits on daily life at the hacienda. The first few rooms focus on the personal living quarters of the owners.
Next is a room full of tools and supplies used in a typical home in the early 19th century as well as a kitchen.
The following room is dedicated to quilts and continues with a collection of photos and drawings titled The Lighter Side of Taos.
Trades
Continuing along to the next courtyard, the next rooms focus on trades practiced in the Spanish colonial period. First is a room full of antique looms demonstrating weaving techniques. An authentic collection of handmade stockings and other interesting pieces are hung on the wall.
The next room contains displays filled with artwork and statues, mostly of a religious nature. Some were carved from wood while others were made of tin.
Blacksmith and saddler workshops follow, then rooms displaying farming and fur trapping equipment.
Finally, there’s a small collection of authentic shotguns and pistols from the period.
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church
The San Francisco de Asís Mission Church sits about four miles outside Taos in the historic center of Rancho de Taos. The church is typically open daily from 9am to 4pm.
The San Francisco de Asís Mission Church was built between 1772 and 1816 to replace an older church. It’s one of the finest examples of a New Mexico Spanish colonial church and is architecturally and artistically significant. The church is one of the few original colonial buildings standing in Taos.
The church is made of adobe and is about 120 feet (37 meters) long. It features unusual beehive shaped adobe buttresses at the end of the transepts and the entrance is flanked by a pair of bell towers. Every year, parishioners and community volunteers gather to re-plaster the church with adobe.
The San Francisco de Asís Mission Church has been a popular subject for some of the most important American artists. In fact, the Taos Chamber of Commerce claims the church is one of the most photographed and painted churches in the world. Some of the artists who portrayed the church in their work include painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986); and photographers Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Paul Strand (1890-1976), and Ned Scott (1907-1964). O’Keeffe called it “one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards.”
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge sits about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Taos. It spans the Rio Grande Gorge.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was built between 1963 and 1965. It was dedicated on September 10, 1965, and is part of US Route 64. It’s also within the boundaries of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.
The bridge is a steel deck arch bridge sitting roughly 600 feet (180 meters) above the Rio Grande. It spans 1,280 feet (390 meters) and was repaired in 2012. It’s also one of the highest bridges in the country.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge has appeared in several movies, including Natural Born Killers (1994), Twins (1988), Wild Hogs (2007), Terminator Salvation (2009), and Vacation (2015). Unfortunately, it has a notorious problem with suicides.
Earthship Global Visitor Center
Not too far from the bridge is Earthship Global Visitor Center. An Earthship is a type of solar house made of natural and recycled materials. The concept started to take form in the 1970s and was developed by engineer Michael Reynolds (b. 1945).
An Earthship harvests its own water from the sky and is completely off the grid. It treats its own sewage, collects power from the sun and wind, and has some internal food production capabilities. There are no utility bills and it maintains comfortable temperatures year-round in any climate.
The visitor center is not set up as a fully-furnished home, but rather as a place to educate the public. The Earthship is open daily from 9am to 4pm and it takes about an hour to go through. Prices are current as of September 2025:
- Self-guided tours are US$9 for visitors age 13+ and free for kids under 13.
- 90-minute guided tours are offered daily at 4pm. They cost US$22 for visitors age 13+, US$13 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6.
- Private tours are bookable at least two weeks in advance. 90-minute tours cost US$149 for up to 4 people and US$29 for each additional person, while 2-hour tours cost US$199 for up to 4 people and US$39 for each additional person.
