Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum — Attraction in Colorado

What a great place to spend a couple of hours!

Cost to enter: none when we visited (July 2022) Parking: easy plenty of space Restrooms: very nice indoor restrooms Gift shop: nice gift shop with all the basics for all ages Rangers and volunteers: everyone we encountered was extremely friendly and helpful

You should be aware that the visitor center and museum has a short half mile/mile hike on site to escalente pueblo and a scenic overlook. The other sites that make up the full idea of Canyons of the ancients you will need to drive to.

This visitors center & museum is TOP NOTCH! I was so impressed and it's probably been one of my favorites in the area. Not only does it have great informative exhibits, it is so hands-on!! Especially if you are a parent with younger children or even teens this has so much to keep them engaged. From a life size pit house that's been reconstructed so that you can see it and experience it better (but no you can't go in it), to microscopes where you can investigate plants as well as pottery and so much more and fun interactive pullout drawer areas where you can look at different topical items, there's something for everyone.

They show 2 short films in a very nice theater that I highly recommend you start your journey here with. I felt it helped me understand and appreciate what I was viewing the museum better. Just ask the rangers at the desk about when they will be starting them, as it seemed fairly on demand versus some schedule.

The native garden in front of the entrance was also beautiful and impressive to take some time looking at.

They have nice picnic areas that are created so each group feels very isolated, which was really nice.

The half mile/1 mile(round trip) hike to Escalente Pueblo is fully paved and very easy to navigate. There are even benches every so often if you need to stop. At the top, the path splits to go to a scenic overlook and the Pueblo. Gorgeous views, perfect picture spots. I love how you can see and experience these pieces of history so up close and first hand.

I highly recommend this location/experience. All total we spent 2 hours ( films, museum, hike & picnic). I think I could easily have spent another hour with the various hands on exhibits! But big picture this is a great stop...

This museum was fantastic! The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the theatre and bathrooms were clean. The gift shop had a nice selection, and the planters out front were well kept and full of native plants. The videos they show are informative, but older, and should probably be redone based on the archaeological work done in the last 20 years. The museum was spacious, and the exhibits well laid out, with excellent examples of pottery, tools, and other artifacts. The two timelines in the room are well done as well. I appreciate how they included the history of the archaeology done in the region, as well as the subject of it. I did wish that the other three areas (two rooms and a hallway) were done to the same caliber. Understanding the rest of the history of the area is important. I did like the display of artwork done based on the area, but the rest of the room was spartan, and could use some more interaction. In the room with all of the archaeological photographs and maps, a topographic model of where each of these places are in relation to each other would boost understanding of the ruins and how the culture interacted. The short hike up to the ruins was well maintained, and the view was beautiful. Really glad we made the...

This is a great place to start your exploration of the Southwest Colorado archaeological sites. There is a small museum inside with a very large concentration of information and artifacts on the ancient puebloan cultures and way of and way of life in this region. There are also care centers that show the work and research done in this field with identification and excavation and preservation of other sites. You could spend hours here and really leave with a great understanding of much of the work that's being done in this region to better understand the early inhabitants. It's also a great way to get a better sense of what you're looking at as you head out around the region to look at other sites. Is it cost to visit the museum portion of the facility but if you have a national parks pass that covers the cost. The facility is nicely kept beautifully designed and there's also a small gift shop and restrooms along with a good offering of books maps and other resources for your adventure and exploration around the region. There's a short half mile walk that is fully paved from The visitor center up to a site that sits atop the hill. It's easy to access and a beautiful sight and gives you an amazing view over the reservoir...