To celebrate its centennial, Mesa Verde National Park is featuring a year-long line-up of special tours, exhibits, archaeological events and concerts.
Visitors will have the rare opportunity, this summer only, to visit ancestral Pueblo sites that have been closed to the public. The National Park Service will offer special guided hikes into the park's backcountry to tour Mug House, never before open to the public, and Oak Tree House, closed since the mid-1930s. See Mesa Verde 2006 for prices, schedules and details.
The "Mesa Verde Birthday Party" (June 29 through July 2) will feature special tours, Native American dancers, art exhibits, a quilt contest, musical concerts, a traders fair, and more. These activities will take place inside the park and in the surrounding communities of Mancos, Dolores and Cortez.
On June 29 at Far View Terrace (15 miles from the entrance), the Park with host a free birthday bash with a "Walk Back in Time," featuring some of the characters who shaped the Park's history, keynote speaker addresses and a tribal blessing and procession with representatives of the 24 tribes associated with the Park. The event will also include a barbecue buffet and additional evening events.
Other activities that visitors can participate in throughout the year include:
- Centennial Lecture Series through November will feature local authors and speakers on history, rock art, archaeology, ecology, photography and more
- Art Workshops from April through October will offer hands-on instruction in photography and pottery
- The Centennial Archaeological Symposium: A Century of Archaeological Research at Mesa Verde National Park will be held May 3-6 at the Ute Mountain Casino & Hotel
- Crow Canyon Archaeological Center will offer "One Hundred Years of Archaeology in the Mesa Verde Region," a program partially conducted within the Park on May 7-13 and October 1-7
- The Indian Arts & Western Culture Festival, from May 26 through June 3, will feature an expanded program with Native American artists, Indian dances and a special Centennial Concert of Native American music
- Music in the Mountains will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special concert series kicking off July 16 at the Spruce Tree Canyon Overlook and running through August 6
- The Mancos Valley Balloon Festival from September 29 through October 1 will feature "Balloons Over Mesa Verde"
- Mesa Verde's Art & Wine Festival will raise a toast to the park from October 6-7 with local artists, regional vintners and a winemakers' dinner at the award-winning Metate Room restaurant.
Lodging and accommodations:
Mesa Verde lodgings and accommodations include: Far View Lodge, located 15 miles inside the park, offers 150 rooms, each with a balcony that boasts 100-mile views; and Morefield Campground, located 4.5 miles inside the Park. Call (800) 449-2288 or visit www.visitmesaverde.com for more information or to make reservations.
In addition, ARAMARK Mesa Verde Company, the park concessioner has created a special Century Celebration Package (available April to October). The package includes the following:
- Overnight accommodations at the Far View Lodge, located inside Mesa Verde National Park, where many rooms feature 100-mile views across three states
- Two tickets for guided half-day morning or afternoon park tour
- Two special "Century Cocktails" at the Metate Room's Far View Lounge
- Two limited-edition Centennial carved wooden boxes with commemorative pens
- Membership in the Centennial Club - a group of special Mesa Verde National Park supporters interested in receiving information about Centennial activity happenings and special offers throughout the year. Members will receive a complimentary wine flight at the Metate Room and a 10% discount on any purchase at the Park's retail shops through 2006.
For details and reservations, call toll-free (888) 905-6372. The rate of $100 per adult does not include tax or gratuities. Children under 515 staying in the same room are an addtional $50 per child, which includes the tour and special gift. Additional nights beyond the special package price are available.
