Mesa Verde Museum
37.1845, -108.4883 · Park boundary: National Park Service
Located at milepost 20, the Mesa Verde Mesa Museum offers exhibits and cultural objects that provide insight into the Ancestral Pueblo lifeways. An orientation film is shown on the hour and half-hour, providing an excellent overview of the history at Mesa Verde. A museum store, water, restrooms, café, gift shop, and post office are all located nearby. Just behind the museum is a stunning view of Spruce Tree House, the third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park.
- Every day
- 8:30AM - 4:30PM
The Mesa Verde Museum is one of the oldest in the National Park Service. Constructed between 1922-25, it replaced a log cabin that had exhibited cultural objects since 1917. The Museum is built of Cliff House Sandstone, the same stone used by the Ancestral Pueblo people to construct nearby Spruce Tree House and other cliff dwellings, in an architectural style known as Modified Pueblo Revival, which was inspired by the architecture of Mesa Verde's descendant communities.
- Spring Hours 2026 · Apr 21, 2027 – May 3, 2027 · Every day 10:00AM - 3:00PM
- Fall Hours · Oct 22, 2026 – Dec 13, 2026 · Every day 10:00AM - 3:00PM
- Thanksgiving Day (Closed) · Nov 26, 2026 – Nov 26, 2026 · Closed
- Christmas Day (Closed) · Dec 25, 2026 – Dec 25, 2026 · Closed
- New Year's Day (Closed) · Jan 1, 2027 – Jan 1, 2027 · Closed
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Mesa Verde Museum is a Passport To Your National Parks stamp location.
From the park entrance, drive 20 miles (32.2 km) to the all-way stop on Chapin Mesa. Turn right and the museum is about 0.7 miles (1.13 km) around the loop on the right. There are a limited number of parking spaces across from the museum for small vehicles. Past the museum is a longer parking area.
The Mesa Verde Museum is one of the oldest in the National Park Service. It was constructed between 1922 and 1925 of locally quarried sandstone – the same rock that the Ancestral Pueblo people used to construct their dwellings. Its Modified Pueblo Revival Architecture reflects the architecture of descendant communities and is well integrated into the natural landscape. It is surrounded by a mature pinyon and juniper woodland community located at the edge of Spruce Canyon. Just beyond the Museum is a deep canyon with the third largest cliff dwelling site, Spruce Tree House.
Drive to Mesa Verde Museum
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