Montezuma Castle National Monument

Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape.

Window in Montezuma Castle

Visitors to Montezuma Castle usually only get to see the dwelling from the outside. This view shows what the Sinagua might have seen.

Sun shines on the window sill in a masonry wall; trees in fall color are seen outside the window.

Storage Room at Montezuma Castle

The Sinagua used space efficiently - here a storage room sits in a short cliff space below the main Castle.

Two masonry walls with a dark doorway in a short cliff ledge.

Montezuma Castle in the Cliff

Montezuma Castle was built in an alcove about 90 feet up a cliff. This protects the dwelling from flooding.

A 5-story masonry dwelling sits in a cliff alcove.

Montezuma Well

Montezuma Well provided a stable source of water to the Sinagua.

Two cliff dwellings and a tree with yellow leaves above a pond.