Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum has adjusted its hours of operations to accommodate visitation trends.
The new hours are as follows:
Nov. 1 to Nov. 30: Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Dec. 1 to Jan. 5: Thursday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Jan. 6 to Feb. 28: Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Nov. 27 (Day before Thanksgiving): 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day: ClosedMarch 1 to Oct. 31: Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, as well as the hiking trail to the Escalante Pueblo at the Visitor Center and Museum will remain open year round.
Under the new schedule, the facility will be open six days per week for eight months of the year, from March 1 to October 31.
“We chose Monday and Tuesday as the days to be closed because other area attractions such as Mesa Verde and the Colorado Welcome Center will be open and available to assist visitors,” said Amala Posey-Monk, museum and visitor center manager, in a news release.
The reduced number of days during the four winter months corresponds with a slow visitation time.
The new schedule will also ensure that a BLM staff member will always be present at the front desk. This will help accommodate a new point of sale system for entrance fees. The change allows BLM staff and volunteers to greet and orient visitors, stock brochures and deliver interpretive programs. The adjusted hours also allow staff to focus on monument workload, have time for field work two to three times per week, and time to develop special exhibits, additional interpretive programs, materials and brochures.
The BLM will monitor the public’s perception of the new changes and the new system will be reviewed in a year.
Visitation at the CANM Visitor Center and Museum has been increasing.
In 2017 visitation was 29,097, up from 25,106 in 2016 and 23,894 in 2015. In 2018, visitation also surpassed the previous year, and in 2019, the facility set four-year visitation records for the months of March, May, June, July, August and September.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com