A beautiful outdoor Dance Plaza and Amphitheater are located adjacent to the Cortez Cultural Center on North Market Street, in a patio-like area used for many community events. The ancestral Puebloan mural painted on the north side of the center provides a striking backdrop to the plaza. During the summer, American Indian dance groups perform six nights per week. Often family-based, these dancers explain their history, dance tradition, meaning of their particular dance and movements, and other information related to their performance. The outdoor amphitheater is a masonry structure, landscaped with local plants and trees, with an informal, traditional, and comfortable atmosphere. The Cultural Center is a historic Cortez building dating to the late 1800s, offering a diverse museum collection ranging from prehistoric to historic items associated with local ranching and farming families. It frequently hosts art shows, and offers local art and books for sale. Numerous art, travel, and cultural exhibits and events take place at the Cultural Center. The center also owns the Hawkins Preserve located off of Verde Vu Street. The preserve is filled with acres of native plants, pinion and cedar trees, slick rock and a ancestral Pueblo site. The preserve was donated to the Center by Radio Pioneer Jack Hawkins. There are 122 acres rich in archaeological sites.  The area is open to the public and schools for study of the natural and archaeological resources of the area. There are multiple hiking trails as well as a paved handicapped accessible trail that is part of the City of Cortez’s trail system along the northern border of the Hawkins Preserve.

Seasons Open: Year-round

Hours Open: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. Summer, Mon–Sat, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. out of season

Fees: Donation appreciated

ADA Accessible