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Located on 200 acres south of Santa Fe, El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum. Opening in 1972, the museum is dedicated to the history, heritage and culture of 18th and 19th century New Mexico. The ranch provided goods for trade and was a place where the caravans on their journey coming from or going to Santa Fe would stop. It was a paraje, an official rest stop for travelers, and was even mentioned by the great military leader and governor, Don Juan Bautista de Anza, when he stopped here with his expeditionary force in 1780.

In 1932, Leonora Curtin and her mother purchased the ranch property. Leonora is known for the founding of Santa Fe's Native Market in an effort to save and reestablish traditional craft forms and techniques, and to provide local artisans with a source of income during the Great Depression. After their marriage in 1946, Leonora and her Finnish husband, Yrjö Alfred (Y.A.) Paloheimo, saw the potential in the old ranch as a site for an outdoor living history museum. Both Leonora and Y.A. devoted themselves to transforming the property into a place where visitors could physically engage with the rich culture of the region and become immersed in the history of New Mexico.

Existing historic buildings were restored, period structures were erected, and historic buildings were brought in from other sites around New Mexico. Today the museum promotes and preserves the Hispano heritage of Northern New Mexico. Volunteers clothed in the styles of the times show how life was lived on the frontier in early New Mexico. Special festivals and weekend events offer visitors an in-depth look into the celebrations, music, dance and many other aspects of life in the Spanish, Mexican and Territorial periods of the Southwest.

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Photos by EMKotyk