(Santa Fe, New Mexico) –There is always something fun, educational, and even, enlightening to be discovered at New Mexico Historic Sites. This month you can Paint Among the Ruins at Fort Selden Historic Site. April’s events include stargazing, bird walks, history lectures, and an Earth Day celebration.
Saturday, March 21, from 1 – 3 p.m., bring your family and spend an afternoon painting the beautiful scenery among the ruins at Fort Selden Historic Site. Paint and canvas will be provided along with ideas for creating your own spectacular creation. Adults $10, Children 16 and under $5. Registration is required a week in advance. Sponsored by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. Call (575) 202-1638 for more information. NM I-25, Exit 19, Radium Springs – Follow the signs
April Historic Site Events
Saturday, April 4, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Guided Bird Walk at Los Luceros Historic Site. More than 150 species have been seen at Los Luceros which is rarely open for birding. New Mexico Historic Sites have partnered to open the site to a birding tour led by local birder Joe Fitzgibbon. This is a unique opportunity to bird a new area with easy access to massive old-growth cottonwoods and fantastic Rio Grande habitat. This birding trip is limited to 12 participants, so register soon! The cultural site is surely one of New Mexico’s most scenic and historically significant properties. .
The group will meet at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 6 a.m. and arrive at Los Luceros around 7 a.m. Participants will spend half the day at the site and plan to leave by noon. Come prepared with appropriate gear for all possible weather conditions. We recommend wearing sturdy hiking shoes and bringing a backpack containing water, snacks, warm clothing, rain gear, sunscreen, and a hat. Admission: $10/PEEC member, $12/non-member.
In Old Mesilla, Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m., join us for a tour of the historic Mesilla Plaza, home of the Taylor- Mesilla Historic Property and learn about the history of this lovey Southern New Mexico town. Registration is required at least one week in advance. Please call (575) 202- 1638 for more information,
Celebrate Earth Day early by joining staff-led hikes through the beautiful 148-acre Los Luceros Historic Site. Earth Day activities and crafts will be featured. The Dia de la Tierra Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 18, at from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (505) 476-1165 for more information.
Saturday, April 18, from 2- 4 p.m., Fort Selden Historic Site presents, Buffalo Soldiers: A Proud Legacy. This special presentation will focus on the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and includes a living history performance. Jessie Addison, a local historian and Vietnam Veteran, will share his knowledge of the proud legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers. Storyteller and living history specialist Sara Addison will present the incredible life of Cathay Williams, the first documented African American woman to serve in the U.S. Army as a Buffalo Soldier. Adults $5, Children 16 and under are free. Please call (575) 202-1638 for more information. NM I-25, Exit 19, Radium Springs – Follow the sign
Spend a soul-feeding night Star Gazing in Jemez, Saturday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at the Jemez Historic Site. View the cosmos through multiple telescopes and listen to Native American storytelling, while exploring Jemez Historic Site after dark. Art and food will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person at the door. Cash is preferred. Profits from the event will support ruin preservation and exhibit renovations at the Jemez Historic Site. Call (575) 829-3530 for more information.
Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Put a Spring in your Step at the Earth Day Celebration at Jemez Historic Site. Rangers will lead a hike up Oak Canyon (a.k.a. Church Canyon). This is a strenuous hike over rough terrain (approximately 1.5 miles) — hikers should bring water, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a sack lunch. Rangers will do their best to identify the species of flora and fauna encountered. Participation is free. Call (575) 829-3530 for more information.
Tuesday evening, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. there’s a lecture at Los Luceros, titled, Los Luceros: The Story of How Our State’s Newest Historic Site Came to Fruition. On March 28, 2019, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation designating Los Luceros (formerly a Historic Property) as a State Historic Site, thus securing funding, staffing, and preservation of the site in perpetuity. As a result, Los Luceros and its complicated history have been thrust into the limelight and embraced by its visitors. Located on the picturesque banks of the northern Rio Grande, this vast historic ranch has a rich and varied history, beginning over seven centuries ago with the Tewa people. As a last remaining part of the original 50,000-acre Sebastián Martín Serrano Spanish land grant, over the centuries the property witnessed a number of pivotal events in northern New Mexico history. In the early 20th century it was home to Mary Cabot Wheelwright, and played a revolving role in agriculture, art, and culture, and hosting both locals as well as notable visitors including Georgia O’Keefe, Mara Chabot, and others.
About New Mexico Historic Sites: http://nmhistoricsites.org/
New Mexico Historic Sites are a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, through the generous support of donors.
On March 14, 1931, the New Mexico Historic Site system was established by an Act for the Preservation of the Scientific Resources of New Mexico, to “declare by public proclamation that historic and prehistoric structures and other objects of scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the State of New Mexico, shall be state monuments, and may reserve as a part thereof such parcels of land as may be necessary to the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” Under the direction of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, eight sites are open to the public: Coronado, Fort Selden, Fort Stanton, Fort Sumner Historic Site/Bosque Redondo Memorial, Jemez, Lincoln, and Los Luceros.
In 2004, the J. Paul Taylor Family bequeathed the Barela-Reynolds House and Property on the Mesilla Plaza to the Department of Cultural Affairs. Still serving as J. Paul Taylor’s private home, the property will become a Historic Site after his passing. Events, news releases and images about activities at New Mexico Historic Sites, and other Department of Cultural Affairs divisions can be
