NOTE: The Luminaria event will NOT take place in December 2024.
In past years, Mesa Verde Country has hosted a Luminaria Night celebration at the Anasazi Heritage Center (AHC), located at 27501 CO-184 in Dolores, CO.
Luminaria comes from a Latin word meaning “lights” and is defined as a traditional Mexican Christmas lantern. Thousands of glowing luminarias line the path to the Escalante Pueblo, one of two 12th-century settlements on the grounds of the museum. The sites were named after Spanish friars who explored the area in 1776 and became the first to record archaeological sites in Colorado. The sites were excavated and stabilized 200 years later.
There is no parking along Highway 184, and parking at the Anasazi Heritage Center is limited to handicap accessibility only. You are encouraged to take advantage of the free shuttles that will run continuously the entire evening from the Colorado Welcome Center (928 E Main, Cortez) to the AHC.
The Luminaria Night at the Anasazi Heritage Center is presented by Mesa Verde Country, the City of Cortez, Empire Electric Association, the Anasazi Heritage Center, Mesa Verde National Park and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
