Sky City Pueblo of Acoma west of Albuquerque, which is the oldest continually inhabited community in North America, has been named the 28th National Trust Historic Site, according to a news release.
Overlooking a vast desert-and-mountain sweep of northern New Mexico and dating back to 1150 A.D., Acoma Sky City is a vibrant community characterized by its adobe houses, plazas, walkways and the San Esteban del Rey Mission Church, completed around 1640. The Acoma people have long welcomed visitors to their community, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and a Save America’s Treasures (SAT) site in 1999. Today, approximately fifteen families live year-round on the 70-acre mesa.
The Pueblo of Acoma owns Acoma Sky City, and the tribal council is responsible for all decisions and operations. By entering into the agreement with the National Trust, the pueblo will avail itself of the National Trust’s expertise in preservation, conservation and interpretation as well as national standards, best practices and legal advocacy. Furthermore, the agreement allows Acoma Sky City access to technical services, special grant funds and cooperative marketing programs available only to National Trust Historic Sites.
The nice part is, if you are a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can now visit the Sky City free of charge. Acoma Sky City is a few miles south of old Route 66.
Also, the Bend (Ore.) Weekly has a nice story about Acoma Sky City, including information about the recently opened Sky City Cultural Center at the base of the mountain. The story also has information about nearby attractions on old 66.