In major cities across America, life is fast, time feels surreal, and the next adventure is always demanding your attention. I have lived in enough of these cities to know that the energy is electrifying, especially in New York, where it’s true that the city never sleeps. While these destinations have a lot to offer, they sometimes lack real authenticity. And this is where small towns in America shine. Folks who live in these tiny towns typically march to the beat of their own drums. As modern conveniences rush by, life in these quaint communities feels like you’re caught in a time warp. One of the best examples of a time capsule town is Cerrillos, located along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
If you’re not familiar with the Turquoise Trail, it’s a 54-mile-long drive connecting Albuquerque to Santa Fe. It passes through a ghost town and communities unbothered by the modern world. As you might have guessed, the highway was named after the turquoise gems that were mined in the area.
Once home to a booming mining industry, its decline has left the region frozen in time. Today, the towns along the trail, Madrid, Golden, and of course, Cerrillos, are favorite day trip destinations for tourists to glimpse a piece of New Mexico’s history.
Cerrillos is the perfect destination to witness the preservation of the turquoise mining legacy. As one of the oldest mining districts in the United States, the town is a significant part of the heritage. Dating back over 1,000 years, the Puebloan people were the dominant miners in the region. Spanish explorers discovered other precious minerals like gold, silver, and lead here. Years later, in the late 19th century, the town became the hub for mining rare minerals. Even Tiffany & Co., the famed high-end retailer, acquired turquoise from the mines in the hills.
Mining the Cerrillos Hills led to the building of railroads, hotels, schools, stores, saloons, churches, and homes. Unfortunately, by the early 1900s, the mines closed due to a lack of sufficient profit, and Cerrillos lost its incorporation status. Eventually, the population, which at its height was around 2,000 folks, declined and hovers between 100 and 200 residents today. While tiny, the town is brimming with Old West charm and history. It’s the kind of destination where all the neighbors know each other’s names — a characteristic far gone in larger cities.
A stroll through this living museum unveils unpaved side streets, adobe-style storefronts, the old Wortley Hotel, art galleries, and a trading post and museum. Mary's Bar and the Black Bird Saloon are the gathering places for locals and visitors to rub elbows with each other. Folks will be greeted with the friendliest service here, and if you get lucky, you'll walk away with history lessons, too. The opera house is one of the oldest relics in the area. Not much has changed since it was built in 1881, except that nature has reclaimed certain sections of the stone structure. Plaques are installed throughout the district, allowing visitors to read about the remaining buildings.
A popular spot for tourists is the Casa Grande Trading Post, which not only operates as a gift shop but is also home to a petting zoo and the Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum. The beloved attraction sells handcrafted jewelry with rare Cerrillos turquoise, as well as rocks and antique collectibles. Of course, the museum contains relics of the past, telling the story of this quintessential mining community. It’s one of the places in town that will truly give you a glimpse into the essence of the American Old West.
Other notable landmarks in Cerrillos include St. Joseph’s Church, the Briggs Building, the Mine Shaft Tavern, and the Cerrillos Station. History can be seen around every corner, even when hiking the trails at Cerrillos Hills State Park. Inside the underrated state park, interpretive signs tell the story of the mining industry. Plus, old mine shafts are visible along the hiking trails. If you ask me, the park is worth a stop on your trip to the area.
Sure, time stood still in Cerrillos, but this time capsule town in New Mexico is one of the state’s greatest treasures. And if you haven't yet visited, I encourage you to plan a road trip to the Turquoise Trail to step back in time to an era that is gone but not forgotten.
Learn more about the history of Cerrillos on the Cerrillos Historical Society website. Read on for more small towns in New Mexico worth visiting. I promise you’ll discover additional destinations frozen in time with well-preserved histories.