Acoma Pueblo Things to Do Tips by Ken_Weaver

The Mission is a 21000 square foot building atop the mesa. It is of adobe construction and the roof is about 50 feet above the floor. The roof is supported by massive cedar log beams that were cut about 20 miles away and carried, without touching the ground, to the top of the mesa and placed on the adobe wall structure. Logs that did touch the ground on the way were abandoned...the Acoma believed that the logs must be pure.

The interior of the church is very interesting but photography is prohibited in both the church and the cemetery. While this is a very big building, there are only about 3 rows of pews in the sanctuary. The worshippers typically lay blankets on the dirt floor when celebrating Mass.

The dirt on the floor is always repacked down and not swept out as it becomes loose from tourist and worshipper traffic. The thought is that the dirt represents the presence of souls and the Acoma want that presence to always remain there.

Several of the art pieces on the wall are almost 400 years old, painted on buffalo skins.

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In front of San Esteban, is a cemetery. The only people that are buried here are people who were permanent residents of the Pueblo or Acoma who were killed in battle. Again, photography is prohibited in the cemetery, so I could only take this one from a distance. The cemetery is built behind a 40 foot wall and the deceased have been buried over the years in 5 layers. On top of the walls of the cemetery are heads made of adobe that scare away bad spirits. The wall took over 40 years to build...all of the adobe for the walls and the fill dirt had to be carried up the narrow steps to the top of the mesa.

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The only way that you will be allowed to go on to the mesa and see the pueblo is by guided tour which leave the tour center every hour on the hour except June 24th and 29th, the first and/or second weekend of October, and the first Saturday of December. You will ride up to the top of the mesa in a modern air conditioned bus.

Hours:

November- March 8am-4:30pm
April- October 8am-6:00pm

Cost:
Adult......................................$10.00
Senior....................................$ 9.00
Youth......................................$ 7.00

Still Camera Permit.............$10.00
Video cams are not allowed

Call ahead to confirm hours and dates of operation

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Phone: 800. 747.0181

This is an oven used for baking bread. Notice the cactus on the roof of the building on the right....cactus on roof supposedly protects the house from lightning!

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This is a working oven for the family who built it.

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