Aztec Ruins National Monument

When Warren Harding proclaimed Aztec Ruin National Monument on January 24, 1923, the great kiva had not been rebuilt, East Ruin was still farmland, and the Park Service doubted it could care for what it had been handed. The name took its final s on July 2, 1928, when the boundary grew. A Civilian Conservation Corps crew stabilized the walls in the Depression. On December 8, 1987, UNESCO listed Aztec with Chaco Canyon as one World Heritage property. This panel on West Aztec Boulevard is one of two carrying the same text.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Aztec Ruins National Monument Despite its name, this magnificent site reflects 11th century influence from nearby Chaco Canyon rather than from the later Aztecs of Mexico. The striking masonry pueblos illustrate the classic Chaco architectural style with later Mesa Verde additions. Aztec was finally abandoned by 1300.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Aztec Ruins National Monument — 0.9 mi
  A Chacoan great house on the Animas River, misnamed by settlers who thought the Aztecs built it, with original roofs nine centuries old and a great kiva rebuilt whole.
• Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum — 30 mi
  A small tribal museum of 1971 rebuilt in 2011 as a $38 million building shaped like an eagle, facing east to the rising sun.

More markers nearby

• Aztec Ruins National Monument — 0.7 mi
• Aztec — 1.7 mi
• City of Bloomfield — 8.1 mi
• Salmon Ruin — 8.6 mi