I’ve driven by the road to the town of Cerrillos countless times while traveling from my home in Sandia Park to Santa Fe via the picturesque Turquoise Trail, also known as Highway 14. But I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never actually been there. Similarly, just ten minutes past the quirky artist village of Madrid, a large sculpture of an origami crane often catches my eye as I zip toward Santa Fe. Recently, I noticed a sign at the entrance to the place with the large sculptures that read, “Origami in the Garden, Celebrating 10 Years (2014-2024).” Another sign announced they are open from May 13th to November 1st, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I rarely drive on Hwy 14 on weekdays, but I made a mental note to check out Origami in the Garden and the town of Cerrillos the next time I had an opportunity.
Finally, during a staycation on August 7, 2024, I had my chance to visit. Here’s what I learned about Origami in the Garden, as well as the small town of Cerrillos. First, I’ll start with the town of Cerrillos, and then I’ll wrap up this post with Origami in the Garden.
Table of Contents
A Brief History of Cerillos, New Mexico
Located about 30 minutes south of Santa Fe on State Highway 14, Cerrillos (also called Los Cerrillos) is a small town with an amazingly rich history. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, such as the Keres and Tano / Tewa Indians, who mined turquoise from the surrounding hills. Turquoise from Cerrillos was highly valued and was traded extensively across the Southwest and beyond. Some of the oldest mines in North America can be found in the Cerrillos Hills, with evidence of mining activity dating back over a thousand years. The Pueblo Indians used turquoise for rituals and for its medicinal power, and they mined galena (aka lead sulfide) to use as paint for decorating pottery.
In the 1580s, Europeans “discovered” silver in the galena ore from the Cerrillos hills. About one hundred years later, in 1695, a silver and lead mining camp was set up on the north side of some hills in the area. It was known by the name “El Real de los Cerrillos. The word “cerrillos” has several definitions, such as “taper candle”, “match”, and “little hills”, with the latter definition being the relevant one for the camp. That first camp only lasted for a year, but it was the first settlement to be given the name Cerrillos.
It wasn’t until 1879 that the mining boom began. It started with the discovery of gold deposits in the Cerrillos hills by two miners from Leadville, Colorado. The news traveled fast. By the mid-1880s, the town of Los Cerrillos was officially established and nearly 3,000 prospectors were mining gold, silver, lead, zinc, and turquoise from the Cerrillos hills. At its peak, Cerrillos had 21 saloons, four hotels, five brothels, and several newspapers to support the community of miners and travelers. Cerrillos was even considered to be a candidate city for New Mexico’s capital during that time.
The mining surge was short-lived. By 1929, the major mining companies had departed, and the town’s population dwindled. Today, Cerrillos has a population of about 250 residents. Small-scale mining still continues through private mines and hobbyists, and the Cerrillos hills remain an important source of turquoise in New Mexico.
Cerrillos as an American Old West Movie Set
The dirt roads and aged buildings in Cerrillos resemble scenes straight out of an American Old West movie. It’s no wonder that Cerrillos has been the backdrop for around 13 movies. One of the most famous is “Young Guns” (1988), which follows Billy the Kid’s adventures during the Lincoln County War. It seems New Mexico’s history often circles back to Billy the Kid. In fact, during the Old Lincoln Days festivities in Lincoln, there’s even a “Billy the Kid Pageant.” I covered this in a blog post about Lincoln, New Mexico. The cast of “Young Guns” featured Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid, along with Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terry O’Quinn, Terence Stamp, and Jack Palance.
Cerrillos Attractions
Despite its small size, there are a few attractions and businesses in Cerrillos. Cerrillos Station sells gifts, groceries, has a dance and yoga studio, and hosts a seasonal farmer’s market that takes place on Thursdays from 4pm – 7pm. Cerrillos also has a few specialty stores, bars, galleries, restaurants, and a post office. For an updated list of attractions as well as information about the historic buildings in Cerrillos, you can visit https://www.cerrillosnewmexico.com/.
Below you’ll find some additional information about three attractions: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Casa Grande Trading Post / Mining Museum / Petting Zoo, and Cerrillos Hills State Park.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
The first St. Joseph’s church was constructed around 1884 and was replaced by the current building in 1922. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is now part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Mass takes place from Tuesday to Saturday at 8:30 am and on Sunday at 9 am.
Casa Grande Trading Post, Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum, and Cerrillos Petting Zoo
For a place where you can explore a mining museum, interact with farm animals, and pick up some turquoise or Cerrillos mementos, head to the Casa Grande Trading Post. Since its construction in 1975, the Brown family has run this family-owned establishment. Inside the sizable building, you’ll find the Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum ($4 entry) with artifacts and displays that highlight the mining heritage of the town.
If museums aren’t your scene, consider stopping by the Cerrillos Petting Zoo. In exchange for a $4 contribution, you can feed the animals, including a llama, goats, and chickens. If you’d rather shop for a unique souvenir, the Casa Grande Trading Post features hand crafted products, including turquoise and jewelry from the Brown family’s Little Chalchihuitl Turquoise mine claim, as well as rocks, minerals, pottery, and many other items. As it states on the Casa Grande Trading Post website, “We mine it, we make it, and we sell it!”. While I didn’t visit the museum or feed the animals, I did buy a piece of turquoise as a souvenir.
Cerrillos Hills State Park
Cerrillos Hills State Park offers opportunities for hiking (5-miles of trails), mountain biking, horseback riding, and picnicking. It’s open year round (day use only) from sunrise to sunset. The Park also offers a variety of educational and nature-based programs throughout the year. For more information about Cerrillos Hills State Park, you can visit the Amigos de Cerrillos Hills State Park website or the NM State Parks Website. I didn’t have a chance to explore the State Park, so I can’t offer any specific suggestions beyond what you’ll find on those websites.
Origami in the Garden
About five minutes north of Los Cerrillos’ historic district, you can have a very different kind of experience: large sculptures based on the art of origami. As a “craniac” who used to raise endangered species of cranes in captivity at the International Crane Foundation, I’ve seen plenty of origami cranes. I’ve also read that “origami” means “folded paper” in Japanese. But that’s about the extent of my knowledge of the art of origami. In other words, I’m a rube when it comes to that subject. So, I decided to use my visit to Origami in the Garden as an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating art form.
After parking, I began my visit by strolling around the grounds to explore the outdoor exhibits. Then, I went into the visitor center to browse and ask the staff a few questions. One staff member mentioned a documentary that explains the backstory of the site and founding artists. So, when I got home, I rented “Origami in the Garden: The Film.” I’ll be sharing my thoughts and some photos of each step in the rest of this post.
Walking the grounds of Origami in the Garden in Cerrillos
While exploring the grounds I paused at each of the museum-quality metal sculptures on display, taking time to read the information provided for every piece. In the words of Santa Fe artist Kevin Box, who started it all:
“Origami animals, paper airplanes, crumpled ideas and innovative abstraction are all themes that inform the surface of my work. Every piece has a title, a reason, and a purpose in contributing to the story I am telling beneath the surface. Motivating the content of the work are my concepts of truth, my philosophy of chaos and consciousness, creation and evolution, the process of creativity and our relationships and responsibilities to one another.”
Visitor Center at Origami in the Garden
After exploring the outdoor displays, I went inside the visitor center to see the “Inside Out” paper folding and unfolding exhibit. I also browsed through the items in the Gallery Gift Shop.
10th Anniversary of Origami in the Garden: Planning your visit
I was surprised to learn that it’s the 10th anniversary of Origami in the Garden. It got me thinking about all those times I drove by without stopping to explore. Oh well, better late than never.
I also wasn’t aware that Origami in the Garden has been displayed at various botanical gardens and venues across the U.S. Currently, you can find exhibitions in Cerrillos, New Mexico, and Fort Collins, Colorado. Here are the details on ongoing and upcoming exhibitions.
Current Exhibitions:
- Cerrillos, New Mexico 3453 NM 14 Cerrillos, NM 87010), Open now – November 3rd, 2024.
- The Gardens on Spring Creek Fort Collins, CO, ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN, Open now – November 3rd, 2024.
Upcoming Exhibitions:
- Leu Gardens Orlando, FL ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN, February 1st – September 3rd, 2025.
- Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens Punta Gorda, FL, ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN, October 2025 – April 2026.
- Tulsa Botanic Garden Tulsa, OK, FLORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN, March – October 2025.
Finally, here’s some helpful information about Origami in the Garden that is taken from the Origami in the Garden website:
Location: 3453 NM 14 Cerrillos, NM 87010
Hours: Open May 13 – November 1, 2024, Monday-Friday 9am-1pm.
Suggested Donation: $5/person. No charge for children under the age of 12.
In addition to the dates above, Origami in the Garden is open on Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, and Indigenous Day (October 14th). The garden is also open the last two weekends in September as part of the Turquoise Trail Studio Tour: September 21-22 & 28-29, from 10am-5pm each day.
“Walking the garden usually takes about 40mins, then visitors can experience an interior “Inside Out” paper folding and unfolding exhibit in the Gallery Gift Shop. When on this private property, visitors are invited to take photos, use the parasols, grab a map and always stay on the paths. ONLY well behaved dogs on leashes are allowed. There is NO climbing on sculptures or rocks. Consider wearing comfy shoes and clothes, a hat, SPF and have a water bottle. There is portable bathroom outside, water and lots of opportunity to experience some JOY!”
Origami in the Garden: The Film
If visiting in person isn’t an option, you might want to watch “Origami in the Garden: The Film”. I rented it to gain insight into Kevin and Jennifer Box and their journey to make Origami in the Garden a reality. The story was engaging and provided a deeper appreciation for the sculptures and artists.
The film chronicles Kevin Box’s path from his education, to an inspiring summer trip to Greece, a moment of divine intervention that led him to marry Jennifer, a transformative visit to a foundry in Thailand, and the many intriguing individuals he has collaborated with throughout his career. Kevin has teamed up with renowned origami artists like Dr. Robert J. Lang, Michael G. Lafosse, Beth Johnson, Te Jui Fu, and Robert J. Lang. Jennifer, Kevin’s wife, oversees the art studio and the business operations of their company.
In case you’re wondering about the divine intervention behind Kevin and Jennifer’s marriage, the story goes something like this.
In November 2005, Kevin and his friend Warren were driving from Austin to San Antonio to pick up an item. Out of the blue, Warren, who had met Jennifer before, shared some advice from him and his wife. It was something along the lines of: “Marry Jennifer. Don’t move in together, don’t prolong this, don’t miss this opportunity – just marry her.” This unsolicited advice surprised Kevin.
During the return to Austin, while driving around 70 mph along the I-35 North superhighway, a piece of paper suddenly caught their attention as it drifted through the air. It seemed almost drawn to them. Then, it wrapped itself around their vehicle’s antenna. When they checked it out, it turned out to be titled “The Traditional Wedding,” detailing wedding vows and the exchange of rings. Warren remarked, “It’s a message from God” and asked Kevin what he was going to do. Kevin replied, “I’m going to marry her obviously, it’s a done deal at this point.” And the rest is history.
I won’t spoil the rest of the stories in the film.
If you’re planning to visit Origami in the Garden, I highly recommend you watch the film before your visit.
Watch: ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN Documentary STREAM HERE
A short video of ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN at: OiG Video.
Master Peace
A sculpture called “Master Peace” is considered to be the crown jewel of the Origami in the Garden exhibition. Towering at 25 feet, it features 1,000 peace cranes. This impressive piece includes 500 stainless steel origami cranes, while another 500 individual cranes were sold to collectors around the world. To complete the look, the sculpture rests on a black granite base or pond that reflects the 500 cranes above, creating the illusion of 1,000 cranes. Another alternative that was utilized at the Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach, Florida involved 500 white salvia flowers at the base to “reflect” the 500 cranes of the sculpture.
Unfortunately, Master Peace is not currently on display at this time in Cerrillos or Fort Collins, although it may be reinstalled in the Cerrillos garden in the summer of 2025. Master Peace is also scheduled to be part of the exhibition at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, Florida in early 2026.
Since I didn’t have a chance to see the Master Peace display, I opted for a Master Peace T-shirt instead.
If you get the opportunity, visiting Origami in the Garden is definitely worth your time!
Thought for the Week
This week’s reflection brings together two insights from Kevin Box, the artist behind “Origami in the Garden”. It’s a nice reminder that we all start with a clean slate, and our future depends on the choices we make each day. Let’s choose wisely.
“Origami presents a simple life metaphor: We begin with a blank page, what we do with it is up to us, and the possibilities are endless. Every fold has a consequence, just like every decision in your life.”
— Kevin Box
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Mark (The New Mexico Travel Guy)
Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer and author of two books who has enjoyed a wide variety of adventures in his travels to over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States. His current project involves visiting EVERY town in his home state of New Mexico (there’s over 500 towns) and writing a story about each one. When not traveling, Mark lives as a recluse in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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