Thank you to everyone who attended the photography night and the 2015 Holiday Open House at Mesa Verde on December 9th and 10th, respectively. On December 9th, 185 vehicles were counted traveling out to Sun Temple overlook to see Cliff Palace lit up for the first time since 2006. The Holiday Open House welcomed 936 vehicles between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m. alone! These events were far more popular than we expected. We would like to thank everyone who attended for their patience and good cheer throughout both evenings.

We would also like to extend a thank you to the volunteers, Aramark Sports and Entertainment, City Market in Cortez, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, the Mesa Verde Museum Association, and the Mesa Verde Foundation for the support they provided to make these evenings possible.

We wish everyone a happy holiday season and safe winter travels.

We hope you will join us in 2016, as we host more events for the upcoming National Park Service Centennial, including the Winter Festival, special tours, fee free days, lectures, and special events for National Park’s Week and Founder’s Day.

Mesa Verde staff