New Mexico

Monuments: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Coronado State Monument, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Fort Selden State Monument, Fort Union National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Jemez State Monument, Lincoln State Monument, Old Spanish National Historic Trail, Petroglyph National Monument, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Santa Fe National Historic Trail, White Sands National Monument

Jemez State Monument

The Towa pueblo and Spanish mission ruins at Jemez State Monument are in a setting of remarkable beauty, though the atmosphere has not always been so serene as now. Six hundred years ago, the Jemez people built villages in the narrow mountain valley and on the tops of the steep, sculptured mesas, naming one valley village "Giusewa" for the many hot springs in the area. In the 17th century, the peace was interrupted when the Catholic mission was built in Giusewa during Spain's colonization of New Mexico. In time, the people abandoned the site, and religious activities became centered at what is now Jemez Pueblo. The massive ruins of the church of San Jose de los Jemez are among the most impressive in the Southwest. The visitor center contains a library and exhibits interpreting historic events from the perspective of the Jemez People.

Jemez State Monument
P.O. Box 143
Jemez Springs, NM 87025
Phone: (505) 829-3530
www.nmculturaltreasures.org/cgi-bin/instview.cgi?_recordnum=JEME

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