Aztec Museum Reports Decline, Seeks Help to Close Budget Gap

The Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village presented its 2025 season metrics to the Aztec City Commission on December 12, reporting membership of 138 and a visitor count of 4,087. The director noted the museum’s seasonal attendance range generally runs from 1,000 to 5,000 visitors, and attributed declines this year in part to poor weather during flagship events such as the Fall Festival and the Car Show. The museum emphasized continued engagement through its programming and oral history projects, and outlined plans for a new 2026 exhibit titled The Unspun Tale: Sheep in San Juan County, supported in part by a $1,000 San Juan County grant.

Financial concerns formed the central ask to the commission. The museum projected about $62,000 in income for the coming year against roughly $70,000 in operational costs, leaving an estimated shortfall of about $8,000. The director appealed to commissioners for help addressing that gap, warning that without additional support some programs, hours, or preservation activities could face pressure.

Commission business at the same meeting moved forward on several fronts. Members approved four business items and a resolution, including special budget resolutions, the purchase of an electric vehicle, a bid award for the Aztec Water Plant clear well expansion, an airport engineering agreement, and a budget resolution for the Senior Center. City staff reported a change order for the water plant project, and recognized holiday lighting efforts ahead of the upcoming Aztec Sparkles events.

In a quasi judicial hearing Hilcorp Energy Corp. presented permit applications for two new gas wells within city limits. The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division had previously approved the permits, and the commission unanimously approved the projects with production expected to begin in mid April at the listed Mesa Verde and Dakota sites.

The meeting underscored competing priorities facing a small city balancing cultural stewardship and infrastructure development. For local residents the museum’s funding appeal highlights how seasonal attendance and weather can directly affect cultural programming, while energy and public works approvals point to economic and environmental choices that will shape Aztec in the year ahead.