One option: the Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum in Ignacio.

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is a sovereign nation and is not shut down, so all those poor souls who are barred from Mesa Verde still can get a taste of Native American culture past and present at the Southern Ute museum.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays and Mondays in fall and winter.

Another option: Salmon Ruins in Bloomfield, N.M. The museum, library and research center feature 11th-century ruins and a Chacoan great house. The ruins are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Herald Staff