Zuni Pueblo | Home of the Ashiwi
Thousands of years of history, a continuity of cultural traditions, and a unique language make Zuni Pueblo a "bucket list" destination.
Located 38 miles southwest of Gallup, Zuni Pueblo is the largest of the nineteen New Mexican pueblos. Encompassing 700 square miles, Zuni has a population of over 10,000. Though they have been neighbors with Acoma and Hopi for more than a millennium, their language is unrelated to any other known dialects.
Hospitality, Heritage & History
Whether visitors have a couple of hours or a couple of days, the Zuni visitor center provides a slate of tours to accommodate guests, including archaeology tours, arts and crafts, as well as walking/hiking/photography tours to soak up the scenic beauty on the back roads around Zuni Pueblo. Many of the tours at Zuni Pueblo are immersive, a welcome to the community and an introduction to the cultural heritage and history of the Zuni people.
Art, Culture, History & Heritage Tours
Visit Halona:Idwan'a (The Middle Village) | An oral presentation of "The Migration Story," presented during a walking tour of Zuni's most historic and culturally significant neighborhood. This is an inhabited neighborhood. Unguided visits are discouraged.
Shiwi (Zuni) World View | A window into the history, culture, and religion of the A:shiwi.
Artist Studio Demonstration | Visit with Zuni artists to learn about Zuni arts and techniques from traditional pottery, stone "fetish" carving, silversmith/jewelry, wood carving, painting, bead work and more.
Traditional Zuni Embroidery & Pueblo Textiles | Discover the hidden meanings in traditional Pueblo clothing and designs and learn about Puebloan weaving techniques and embroidery with artists Elroy Natachu and Kandis Quam.
Zuni Culinary Traditions | Learn about the traditional Puebloan diet, foods, and cooking traditions.
Native American Music & Dance | Learn about traditional and contemporary Native American music and dance from award-winning local musicians Shelley Morningsong (N.Cheyenne) and Fabian Fontenelle (Zuni/Omaha). ON HOLD DUE TO COVID.
Archaeology Tours
Hawikku Tour | Step back in time in Hawikku, one of the fabled "Cities of Cibola." This was the site of "first contact" between Europeans and Native People in the Southwest in 1540 with the arrival of Coronado. Additionally, it is one of the only sites extensively excavated by archaeologist Frederick Hodge from 1917 to 1923.
Village of the Great Kivas Tour | Experience this Chacoan-outlier village with its "great" kivas, as well as extensive petroglyphs and pictographs.
Badger Springs Tour | Explore a cluster of remote ancestral settlements, with petroglyphs carved into the sandstone cliffs.
Re-Discover the Cities of Cibola | Full day tour of several ancestral sites. The “Cities of Cibola include Halona:Idiwan'a (present-day Zuni Pueblo), Hawikku (Where Coronado first arrived), and the unexcavated sites of K'wa'kin'a, Kechiba:wa, Mats'a:kya, and Kyaki:ma. The seventh is on top of the mesa. Inaccessible.
Custom, back country tours and hiking may be available.
Contact Zuni Pueblo for details.
Zuni Tourism
PO Box 339
Zuni, NM 87327
(505) 782-7000
tourism@ashiwi.org