One of the last Spanish Colonial Great Houses in the Southwest.
The hacienda’s twenty-one rooms and two enclosed placitas preserve the scale and defensive form of a major Northern New Mexico trading and agricultural compound.
In 1804, Antonio Severino Martinez moved his family from Abiquiú to Taos and bought land along the Rio Pueblo, about two miles from the plaza. What started as a four-room dwelling grew, room by room, into a 21-room hacienda built around two enclosed courtyards by the time of his death in 1827. The thick adobe walls had no exterior windows, built to serve as a refuge for family, neighbors, and livestock during raids.
Severino served as alcalde, or mayor, of Taos, and ran the hacienda as the headquarters for an extensive trading, ranching, and farming operation, the final terminus of the Camino Real connecting northern New Mexico to Mexico City. His son, Padre Antonio José Martínez, grew up in this house and went on to become one of Taos’ most significant historical figures.
1804Severino Martinez relocates his family from Abiquiú and begins building, starting with four rooms.
1804–1827The hacienda grows to 21 rooms around two placitas as Severino’s trading and ranching operation expands.
1827Severino Martinez dies, having served as Taos alcalde and built one of the most important trade centers on the northern edge of the Spanish Empire.
1827–1882The property passes through further alterations under the Martinez family.
1973Martinez Hacienda is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1974–1983A major restoration returns the hacienda to its historic form.
What to expect
History experienced through architecture, trade, and traditional practice.
21 Rooms, Two Courtyards
Thick adobe walls with no exterior windows, built for defense as much as for living.
Living History Demonstrations
Demonstrations and programs interpret frontier life and traditional practices in northern New Mexico.
Historic Trade Gatherings
Special programs connect the hacienda with the long history of trade, artisanship, ranching, and exchange in the Taos Valley.
Plan your visit
Martinez Hacienda
Hours are weather permitting. Confirm current conditions and special programming directly with Taos Historic Museums before traveling.
Also visitBlumenschein Home, the second Taos Historic Museums property.
Free Guide
Martinez Hacienda is featured editorially by HeyTaos because it is one of the last surviving Spanish Colonial Great Houses in the Southwest, not because of a paid relationship. Hours, admission, weather closures, and programs can change. Confirm current details directly with Taos Historic Museums before visiting.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
