Taos has a storied past as an art colony, with luminaries having included writers, painters and fashion icons. A fascinating way to spend time in this lively town is to visit museums dedicated to some of the area’s most influential figures.

Mabel Dodge Luhan

Mabel Dodge Luhan, born in Buffalo, New York, to a wealthy family, had a tumultuous life of marriages, divorces and wild escapades abroad. During time spent in Paris and Florence, she was drawn to painters and artists, including Gertrude Stein and André Gide. She eventually moved back to New York and began hosting weekly salons. In 1917, she moved to Taos with her husband. Her ambition was to use her home as a retreat for the “movers and shakers of the earth.” She put Taos on the map. Millicent Rogers, Georgia O’Keeffe, D. H. Lawrence and Ansel Adams fell in love with the culture and scenery of New Mexico while visiting Luhan, and all ended up living for a time in or around Taos. You can visit the Luhans’ former house, which is now a 21-room historic inn. Much of the home retains the original design features, including old adobe, traditional vigas and kiva fireplaces.

The Mabel Dodge Luhan House
240 Morada Lane. Tel. (800) 846-2235