Taos Pueblo

I grew up here in Taos, so I wanted to go back and really see the Pueblo. It has changed so much. I was so glad to go again. My boyfriend and I went on a free tour and learned a lot about the history of the Pueblo and the culture. My mom had taught at different Pueblos before she retired, so I already knew a lot about the culture having grown up in it. The Pueblo experience was great though, and was well worth the $ 16 fee to support the Pueblo and culture. They are good people, deserve support and respect. Highly recommend going and learning and enjoying the beauty of the culture and scenery.

I find it hard to rate a historic (living, even) monument, experience, culture… but I was let down by the experience. I suggest you go in the summer when there are more people staying in the Pueblo.
The guided tour was very short, 100% scripted and felt like it, and didn’t even give you a sense of the living part of the pueblo but focused on the past — which, was interesting but sad. Maybe that is the point. This was my first pueblo and I just didn’t feel connected or welcomed.
I would have done the self guided tour but the brochure felt like it was half written. It had all these markers on the map but it only told you about ¹⁄₅ of what they were.
Being afraid of dogs didn’t help because they are everywhere and despite the whole friendly thing, it doesn’t make me fear them any less.
I hope that all the money for the entrance fee goes to support the living community.

I’m having a bit of a difficult time writing this review because of some mixed feelings I had while visiting, similar to those Elizabeth A. mentioned. In the end, we went because Taos Pueblo is a UNESCO World Heritage sight, and both my husband and I are very interested in learning about other people and cultures, past and present.
We chose to take the advice of others before us and got fry bread right away when we entered the Pueblo. It certainly added an element of sensory enjoyment to the experience (We went with the sweet variety and topped ours with powdered sugar and cinnamon). We found the mother and daughter we bought the bread from both interested to know about us and to tell us about life on the Pueblo (The daughter was in school there and the mother had never lived there, but had relatives who had in the not so distant past).
There are many dogs wandering the Pueblo that are very friendly and will come up to you looking for some food or for a scratch or two. I’m a sucker for dogs and stopped for many pets, but heeded the advice not to feed the pups.
The various buildings are mostly inhabited by shop keepers selling various wares, and as we knew we weren’t really in the market to make purchases, we did not go into many. That said, you could easily spend the better part of the day strolling and shopping were you so inclined.
The San Geronimo Church is spectacularly beautiful, quiet, and has a very interesting past that is worth a Google. The church does not allow photography, but does sell postcards (and one can light a candle for $ 1.00).
Overall, I found the blue skies contrasted with brown adobe, the 1,000+ year old buildings and other sites of the Pueblo to be both striking and spiritual. As others have said, the $ 16 entry fee may feel a bit steep, but I believe it is worth it to support the upkeep of a significant and beautiful place brimming with life.

I think of the $ 16 admission as more of a donation and the privilege of walking through a community, snapping photos left and right. I showed up for the 1:30 pm tour, but there was no one in sight. Oh well. I walked around on my own, half following the sheet of paper they gave me, mostly too enamored by the chubby dogs napping on their sides in the sun. They were so cute. The view of the mountains was AMAZING. Almost unreal. The combination of the dwellings and the mountains was worth more than $ 16.

I came to Taos to see the blue lake (unaware that it is no longer open to the public). However, I believe the trip was worth it just to meet the Native Americans who live in the Pueblo and the surrounding area.
There are many shops selling jewelry and pottery. The crafts for sale are very labor intensive so they’re on the more expensive side. Unfortunately, due to the price, I only purchased one beautiful bracelet. Expect anything in the range of $ 15 to $ 100+.
While you’re there, I would recommend trying the fry bread. The day I went there they were also selling watermelon lemonade, indian cookies (looked like gingerbread cookies with sprinkles), piñón prune-​apple pies, and plenty of chili-​flavored cuisine. The average price for these treats seems to be about $ 4.
Above all, everyone I met was warm and kind. They answered all my questions not only about the blue lake but about other traditions within the tribe. If you’re interested in early American and Native American history, you should definitely visit. You might learn something you wouldn’t have known otherwise.

You MUST visit this reservation while visiting Taos! It honestly was the best experience I had. This reservation is the oldest living reservation in the US. You get to check out the homes and see the gorgeous scenery in the background. Must purchase some fry bread while you are visiting as you will not be disappointed.

I didn’t know what to expect at the Taos Pueblo and almost didn’t go. Boy am I glad I changed my mind!
I had a range of emotions. First, the pictures are all over the internet and extremely recognizable for their beauty. I was all caught up in that. But then when I googled to try to find out what exactly Taos IS, I was let down by the $ 16 price tag and felt it was just going to be a tourist trap. I drove there anyway to see what I could see from the road (not much).
Lastly, I had this real sense of guilt, like I was going to stare at people in a zoo; I didn’t know if it was «right» to want to go look in people’s homes and demand they make themselves public.
I’m glad I worked through all that.
Once you pull into the area, a guy will come up to your car and point out the direction to park, the direction to pay, and where to stand in line for a tour. Tours — in my experience and other Unilocalers’ as well evidently — don’t necessarily start on time or when the sign says they will. Good luck! I waited and gave up, but it probably makes the trip more enjoyable.
Very few people live in the Pueblo adobes today. As I understand it, it is just the dozen or so who are spiritual leaders. But as recently as the 50s and 60s (?) many of the homes were inhabited. Today’s adults lived there as children; they open their family homes to allow in tourists. Some are kind of hokey; some run very professional businesses making art or bread or jewelry. Most are very interested in having conversations about their lives today, their childhood in the pueblo, who in their family lives/​d in which adobe, their grandparents, federal Indian politics, etc, etc. The conversations were the best part.
Taos Pueblo is BEAUTIFUL. If you are quiet and take it all in, you can have a very spiritual experience. The tribal members I think have found a good way to share their lives with outsiders.
Remember that since the days of the automobile and Route 66, this has been advertised as a place to pull over and «look at Indians». (I posted a pic and you can google «Indian Detours» to find old ads) This is simultaneously a neighborhood and an old historical site. It’s an interesting mix of modern and old.
Totally clear your mind before going. Do not have any expectations, or you will find it either too touristy or not touristy enough! Go, and just let the experience shape itself for you.
(And take cash. They don’t take cards there!!)

I visited the Taos Pueblo in the ‘90s. After searching for pictures of the church online, I was led to Unilocal and after reviews but given the negative remarks, I wanted to share my experience.
I remember being a child and learning about the Native Americans in their pueblos and how they had entry on the top of the home with ladders to pull up, to remain safe, you’ll see those here. Go into your child-​mode and enjoy the fantasy of a bygone era. This is truly living history, if you expect true a true Native American historical experience you’ll have it. You’ll have to pay for this experience so the money goes to maintain the pueblo, you probably spend more at a night of movies and popcorn.
If you listen to the tour guides you’ll learn that the Catholics allowed the cathedral to have corn drawn on the altar in order to incorporate the «pagan» rituals thus, bringing religion to the community.
You’ll also see that within the pueblo there’s micro communities, just like the rest of society – there’s more affluent and «ghetto» like areas. When you meet with the residents who hock their wares, if you’re respectful and a bit lucky you’ll get an invite into their «condo.» I was amazed that they’ve taken a centuries old unit and have modern amenities such microwaves, air conditioning, tv, etc… they also have the walls painted in a modern fashion and the furniture is modern too.
I also learned about the culture, why the pueblo was successful due to the water supply being fresh.
I don’t want to give the entire tour on this review but you’re in a real treasure in world history so – go slow, feel the earth, love the people and you’ll have a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience.

I visited the Taos Pueblos with my family in July 2015, and enjoyed walking around the very old Indian village.
Parking is free. There is a nominal charge to get into the Pueblos. Once inside you can take a 30 – 40 minute walking tour with an American Indian who actually lives in the village, for a gratuity. We found the walking tour to be interesting and full of information.
Many of the dwellings are small shops where you can buy Native American crafts, snacks and fry bread.
There are some great photo ops throughout the village.
If you are in the Taos area, this place is definitely worth the visit.

The most disappointing place on our trip around NM. I was really looking forward to seeing the Taos Pueblo but, as others Unilocalers have stated, this place felt like an unwelcoming tourist trap. I won’t go into great detail, you can read some of the other 3 star or less reviews. I will say that don’t expect to see any preserved living quarters or get to explore the inside of a pueblo. Seriously every open door in the pueblo is a shop with someone trying to sell you something. Other than that you can walk around outside where there are more locals selling jewelery. We were in and out in 20 maybe 30 minutes at most. I understand these are people trying to make a living, but to see such a historic place commercialized like this is a shame. There are plenty of areas outside away from the pueblos that would be more appropriate for selling stuff. I hope the $ 16 per person admission fee is going somewhere else to benefit this community because it’s obvious it is not going here.
Other than all of that it is an interesting place to see. I think there are other pueblos within reasonable driving distance from the Taos/​Santa Fe area that might be worth looking into.

We were told the next tour started at 11:30, however when we arrived at 11:28, we were told by visitors the tour started 10 minutes earlier. We could wait 30 minutes for the next tour or go up the hill and join the tour. We chose to join the tour (we were on a tight schedule). Everyone there was delightful and friendly. We enjoyed the tour and shopping. My fiancé bought a unique horsehair vase. Ryan Suazo explained how he made the beautiful unique vases. I purchased an elk skin purse with a pipestone button. The gentleman (artist) who made it explained the process to me and how the pipestone is mined and it is the same stone peace pipes are made from.

it’s hard to ‘rate’ the quality of someone’s life. you can’t go to taos pueblo expecting to find bounce houses and mickey mouse. but if you’re open minded and willing to learn, you will find that going to taos pueblo is a wonderful experience.
our guide was knowledgeable and cultured, and grew up within the pueblo walls. he gave us a very detailed guided tour, and provided us with ample opportunity to ask questions.
my family and i were actually very close to not coming to the pueblo, as we had read the negative reviews on here. but we found that the natives were happy to have us there, and it was very nice to see everything.
if you’ve been to colonial williamsburg, old bethpage or van cortlandt manor, this isn’t that. those are more reenacting type places aimed towards a fun, hands-​on type experience. the taos pueblo essentially allows you access to go and see native people in their homes, which is a very intimate experience.
many other reviewers on here complained about the entry/​photography price. as i am still a student, there was a student price, and there was a fair adult price as well. for four tickets (two adult, two student) we paid $ 60, as there was no photography fee. they do, however, request that no photography be taken in certain areas. i found this to be very fair, as they were sacred religious sites. this money (as we found out on our guided walking tour) goes towards the upcoming school year, as the pueblo does have a school for the students ranging from kindergarten to eigth grade.
all in all, if in taos, definitely worth the visit.

I almost made the mistake of listening to the negative reviews here. Glad I saw through the ignorance and went for a visit.
First of all, if you’re coming here with the notion that this is some kind of Disney-​fied tourist destination, designed for your pleasure, then don’t bother coming. Stick to the trinket shops in and around the plaza in Santa Fe, Taos, or Old Town Albuquerque.
You’re not paying «admission» to the pueblo to be entertained; you’re essentially making a donation of $ 16 for the privilege of entering someone’s home.
On that note, this place is amazing. It’s not only naturally beautiful, but also there is real, living history here. You’re witnessing people striving to carry on a way of life, much as they did 1000 years ago, while trying to make their way in today’s world.
My recommendation: turn off your phone, put down your camera, put aside preconceived notions and expectations, and park yourself on one of the wooden benches next to the river. Then, let the sounds and sights soak in. If you’re quiet and reverent, you will feel the soul of the place. If you’re inquisitive and respectful, the residents will return that respect.
A must see.

Honestly, I see some really negative reviews here and I have to disagree with them. Human history is important, and this is a great example of people who have been living in a place for over a thousand years and adapting to the changing world around them.
While I was there, I decided to take the tour. Our guide, Cesario Gomez, was excellent, weaving personal anecdotes of his time growing up in the pueblo with the historical facts of its existence. He answered all of the questions that people posed to him with intelligent, thoughtful answers. He also spoke very clearly and loudly so that everyone could understand him. Honestly, the tour was the highlight of our trip to the pueblo.
And yes, there are people there selling things. Don’t get mad at them for trying to make a living. If you don’t want to buy the things that they are selling, then don’t buy them. It’s as simple as that.

I realize that New Mexico is poor, but this was a poor place. I would not go out of my way to stop by to see «history» here. It’s dusty, seemed more like a tourist trap than a good park.

Definitely something everyone should see.
Taos Pueblo is an experience that is worth the time to see.
There isn’t a whole lot to do on a normal visiting day except walking around. We saw the Pueblo on our own and walk with the tour. We joined a walking tour which I recommend.

Excellent experience at Taos Pueblo. Don’t miss out on the guided tours or the fry bread. The residents selling jewelry are so friendly and I got a beautiful necklace for a really reasonable price and received a bracelet and earrings for free with it. Thanks for a great experience and for sharing your homes!