Salmon Ruins

The Salmon Ruins Museum is an archaeological site built in 1088 as a Chacoan outlier and inhabited by the local Middle San Juan prehistoric Pueblo villagers who were joining the Chacoan activity sphere until 1288. The ruins were partially excavated in the 1970s and have been preserved in place for visitors to walk through and learn about the culture. The grounds include reconstructed dwellings that represent all of the other time periods and cultural groups in New Mexico who never lived on the grounds, the Homestead structures built by the Salmon family in 1901, a local research library, and the museum which displays items found during excavation of the site or donated by local patrons. The gift shop is focused on Native American arts and crafts made by members of the local tribal groups. Private tours are available to other nearby archaeological and geological locations and must be scheduled in advance by calling the museum.