Coronado Historic Site, Albuquerque

 

Bernalillo, New Mexico and the Coronado Historic Site

Northwest of Albuquerque is a little town named Bernalillo where you will find the Coronado Historic Site and the Coronado Campground next door. We spent two nights in this quaint town after traveling I-40 from Amarillo.

We toured the Coronado Historic Site with a docent, learned a lot about the Pueblo Indians and their ruins, and actually went down into the reconstructed painted Kiva replica. The original murals housed in the Visitor’s Center were amazing. 

Cost was $7 and free for 16 and under.

“When archeologists from the Museum of New Mexico excavated the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo during the 1930s, they discovered a square kiva in the south plaza of the community.  This kiva, or ceremonial chamber, contained many layers of mural paintings.  These murals represent some of the finest examples of Pre-Columbian art ever found in the United States. Painstaking efforts allowed for the recovery of the murals, and fourteen examples of the original art are on display in the Visitor's Center.  The painted kiva was reconstructed and one of the mural layers was also recreated.  The Visitor's Center was designed by noted architect John Gaw Meem.  It contains prehistoric and historic Puebloan and Spanish Colonial artifacts on exhibit with several hands-on components.

Coronado Historic Site offers ramada-covered picnic tables with magnificent views of the Rio Grande and Sandia Mountains.  Enjoy the history and beauty of northern New Mexico along with the many other attractions as you travel along El Camino Real National Historic Trail and/or Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byways.” Taken from:  https://nmhistoricsites.org/coronado

The Coronado Campground information can be found here -- but in my honest opinion the campground is alright for a one night stay only if you are passing through. The shower/bathroom area left a lot to be desired, no laundry, and no sewer hookup. The park is rundown and many unlevel sites with most occupied by full-timers. It does not look as it appears on websites unfortunately.