The Earthship Visitor Center
We are Open!
2 Earthship Way, Tres Piedras, NM 87577
Self-Guided Tours available 7 days a week –
10am-4pm
We close our doors at the times stated above so we do ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes prior to closing
$9 per adult
Free for Taos locals and Earthship alumni
Free for kids 12 and under
Guided Tours are available once a day Thursday-Sunday 4:00pm – 5:30pm
(please arrive 10-15 minutes before start time)
$22 per adult (ages 13+)
$13 per child (ages 6-12) and Taos locals
Free for kids under 6
Tickets may be purchased at the front desk or online at https://exploreorigin.com/en/listings/872008-guided-tour
Private Tours available when scheduled ahead of time
Must book at least 2 weeks in advance
Only available Monday – Friday
Contact visitorcenter@earthship.com or 575-613-4409 for details
$149 (1 1/2 hour, up to 4 people) +$29 each person for groups over 4 people
$199 (2 hour, up to 4 people) +$39 each person for groups over 4 people
Find us at 2 Earthship Way, Tres Piedras, NM 87577
We are located 1.5 miles northwest of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Our Earthship Visitor Center is located just off of Highway 64 West. Some mapping directions will take you through the Greater World Earthship Community. PLEASE RESPECT THE NO TRESPASSING SIGNS AND DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH OUR PRIVATE COMMUNITY.
Tour Cancellation Policy:
Our cancellation policy for the public guided tour is as follows:
We are able to offer refunds only when requested. Cancellations and no-shows are not automatically refunded and require you to contact our visitor center team directly to make a request.
Our cancellation policy for the private tours is as follows:
We are unable to offer refunds for no-shows or same-day cancellations. Full refund for cancellations made 2 weeks in advance, 50% refund for cancellations made one week in advance, and 25% refund for cancellations made less than one week from the tour date. Please contact our visitor center team to make a refund request. Once again, we will not issue a refund for same-day cancellations or no-shows.
What is an Earthship?
The Earthship is an off-grid home invented by Taos Architect Michael Reynolds. Earthships are built out of recycled materials like earth-rammed tires, cans, and bottles, and the roof harvests water and recycles that water multiple times. Earthships also grow food, treat their own sewage, and collect power from the sun and wind.
What the self-guided tour includes:
The self-guided tour is within the Visitor Center building and two pathways to walk around outside. The Visitor Center building is a fully functioning earthship designed to provide education about Earthship Biotecture. You will be greeted at the front desk by one of our friendly staff members who will provide you with some helpful information before beginning your self-guided tour. You will begin by walking through the greenhouse where you will learn about different functions of the building and experience the plentiful diversity of plants. At the end of the greenhouse you will enter a video viewing room where you will find a few videos that are on a loop which lasts about 10 minutes. The next room will be a slideshow viewing room where you can see photographs of the thousands of earthships around the world. This includes earthship humanitarian projects, personal homes, primary schools, and much more (about 15 minutes). You will then walk through the systems hallway to learn about and view our Water Organizing Module and our Power Organizing Module. You will then walk through our gallery (see gallery description below). There are two pathways available outside. One pathway takes you up to see our rainwater catchment system on the roof. The other pathway is south of the Visitor Center across the driveway where you will find ropes and arrows that guide you around the outside of a few other buildings, including the first Earthship that was built on this property!
What the guided tour includes:
The guided tour is a group style tour that includes a group lesson and discussion about the history, design, and principles of Earthships, as well as a walking tour of our Educational Facility buildings. Please meet at the Earthship Visitor Center at least 5 minutes before the start time and check in with the person at the desk. You are invited to tour the Visitor Center prior to going on the group Guided Tour. Once everyone has arrived, one of our friendly staff will take the group on a walk to our Earthship Classroom where we host classes for our Earthship Academy Program. Please note that we have uneven dirt roads that may be challenging for some. Once arriving to our classroom, your tour guide will use hanging panels to explain a bit about the history and what defines earthships today (for about 40 minutes). They will then take you into and around a few of our other educational facility buildings. These buildings include our simple survival buildings, the E.V.E. project, the first Earthship built in the community, and a two story greenhouse with an addition that holds our media office and the office for our non-profit, Biotecture Planet Earth.
Tickets are available for purchase at the front desk or online here: https://exploreorigin.com/en/listings/872008-guided-tour.
There are 20 spots on the tour each day, first come first serve. Please wear appropriate shoes for dirt/muddy roads/pathways and rain gear for monsoon season.
What the private tour includes:
We do 1 1/2 hour, or 2-hour private tours. Private tours are customizable to your specific interests, but they include access to buildings on our campus, including the classroom, and E.V.E, and then we do a driving tour through the community, stopping at one, or two (depending on time) Earthships in the community, where we have furnished nightly rentals, and Earthships in construction to view.
Examples:
5 person 1.5 hour tour = $149+$29
7 person 2 hour tour = $199+$39+$39+$39
What the gallery includes:
The gallery experience includes learning panels, photographs, merchandise (including many educational books on sale for purchase), and our knowledgable staff for your questions.
