Title: Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum in Mesa Verde National Park - Tours and Activities | Expedia.ca [Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum Hotels](https://expedia.ca/Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum-Hotels.0-l6328136-0.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels)[Flights to Mesa Verde National Park](https://expedia.ca/Cheap-Flights-To-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6144764.Travel-Guide-Flights)[Things to do in Mesa Verde National Park](https://expedia.ca/Things-To-Do-In-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6144764.Travel-Guide-Activities)[Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum Car Rentals](https://expedia.ca/Car-Rentals-In-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.d6328136.Car-Rental-Guide)[Mesa Verde National Park Vacations](https://expedia.ca/Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6144764.Destination-Travel-Guides) # Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum Tours and Activities ![Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum showing interior views as well as a small group of people](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226593-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh) ![Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226592-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh) ![Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226594-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh) ![Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226596-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh) ![Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226598-Chapin-Mesa-Archeological-Museum.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh) ## Visit Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum Activities --- --- #### This fascinating museum depicts the life of the Ancestral Puebloan people through the use of intricate dioramas and prehistoric artifacts. Visit the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum for an excellent sense of what life was like for the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived in and around the region of Mesa Verde National Park. Browse the informative, educational exhibits at this well-maintained museum to enhance your entire park experience. Learn about the history of Mesa Verde through a 25-minute orientation film. The film gives you an introduction into the region’s appearance during prehistoric times and offers some background information that will help you prepare for the rest of your visit. Wander around and examine the five very detailed dioramas that depict community life for the Ancestral Puebloans. Learn from these scenes how and where locals cooked, cleaned, hunted and constructed their buildings. Linger over the cases displaying various artifacts, including handcrafted jewelry, carved stone tools and original oil paintings. These exhibits clearly show the evolution of design, not only in architecture, but also in cooking implements, crafts and even clothing. Don’t leave without visiting the on-site bookstore, where you can browse a comprehensive selection of books, maps and posters regarding the history of Mesa Verde. Purchase replica pottery and products bearing the black-on-white design that was favored by the Ancestral Puebloans. This design was originally created using white clay and crushed rock and painted using the fibers of the yucca plant. Find Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum along Chapin Mesa, 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the entrance of Mesa Verde National Park. The museum is open year-round and is free to visit after paying the entrance fee to the park. Along with your visit to Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, be sure to stop at the nearby overlook to view Spruce Tree House, the third-largest historic cliff dwelling within the national park. Built in the 13th century, the dwelling contains about 130 rooms and eight ceremonial chambers and is thought to have originally been home to between 60 and 80 people. The dwelling has been closed until repairs are completed to prevent dangerous rock falls. Ask park rangers for information about this interesting site. ### Popular places to visit ![Petroglyph Point Trail showing tranquil scenes](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226564-Petroglyph-Point-Trail.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Petroglyph Point Trail Get a close-up view of ruins and fascinating native rock art on this hiking path, as you learn about the cultural treasures of Mesa Verde National Park. [](https://expedia.ca/Petroglyph-Point-Trail-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6328156.Vacation-Attraction) ![Mesa Verde National Park which includes heritage elements and building ruins](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/227000/227170-Spruce-Tree-House.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Spruce Tree House 5/5(4 reviews) If you have time to see only one of Mesa Verde National Park’s cliff dwellings, make it this beautifully preserved site, visible from the museum. [](https://expedia.ca/Spruce-Tree-House-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d553248621555471479.Vacation-Attraction) ![Cliff Palace which includes heritage architecture and building ruins as well as a small group of people](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226719-Cliff-Palace.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Cliff Palace 5/5(4 reviews) Explore this immense 700-year-old cliff dwelling, the largest and most famous ancestral residence in the impressive Mesa Verde National Park. [](https://expedia.ca/Cliff-Palace-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6328139.Vacation-Attraction) ![Soda Canyon Overlook Trail](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/454000/454539-Soda-Canyon-Overlook-Trail.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Soda Canyon Overlook Trail For an easy hike with good views of several ruins in Mesa Verde National Park, choose this short stroll to the canyon edge. [](https://expedia.ca/Soda-Canyon-Overlook-Trail-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d553248635695673036.Vacation-Attraction) ![Balcony House featuring heritage elements](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/226000/226615-Balcony-House.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Balcony House 5/5(4 reviews) Careful excavations have ensured the preservation of this historical cliff dwelling, which was built by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians. [](https://expedia.ca/Balcony-House-Mesa-Verde-National-Park.d6328128.Vacation-Attraction) ![Cliff Canyon](https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res70/227000/227086-Cliff-Canyon.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=900&h=506&q=mediumHigh) #### Cliff Canyon The Balcony House and the Cliff Palace show how 12th-century people carved out their lives within these awe-inspiring natural walls. 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