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Nestled into a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley stands one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling served as a "high-rise apartment building" for prehistoric Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago. Early settlers to the area assumed that the imposing structure was associated with the Aztec emperor Montezuma, but the castle was abandoned almost a century before Montezuma was born.
With heightened concern over vandalism of fragile southwestern prehistoric sites, Montezuma Castle became a major factor in the nation's historic preservation movement with its proclamation as a national monument. The Castle was described in the December 1906 establishment proclamation as "of the greatest ethnological and scientific interest." Total size: 840.86 acres
Location:
Montezuma Castle National Monument is about 50 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona off I-17.
Historical Facts:
Nineteenth-century Anglo settlers named this site Montezuma Castle-oneof the best-preserved prehistoric structures in the Southwest-thinking that the Aztecs had built it. Actually, the classic cliff dwelling was built by 12th century Sinaguan farmers who climbed ladders to reach their homes. The Sinaguans used creek water in their homes and to irrigate corn and beans on fertile, terraced land. Their culture disappeared at about the same time as the Hohokam.
Designation Date: December 8, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt
Watch the Clip
Montezuma Castle is such a regal structure, early settlers mistook it for an homage to the Aztec emperor. But the Sinagua deserted this place one hundred years before Montezuma was even born.
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Windows Media file:
PC compatible
Low 159 KB | High 1.02 MB
QuickTime movie:
Macintosh/PC compatible
127 MB
Learn More:
Montezuma Castle Facilities/NPS
Montezuma Castle Nearby Attractions/NPS
Montezuma Castle Accessibility/NPS
Montezuma Castle Activities/NPS
Montezuma Castle History and Culture/NPS
Montezuma Castle Plan Your Visit/NPS
Managing Agency:
National Park Service
2800 Montezuma Castle Road
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
Visitor Information
928-567-3322
Headquarters
928-567-5276
