Ernest L. Blumenschein Home and Museum

Ernest Blumenschein, one of the founding fathers of the Taos Society of Artists, moved into this house (222 Ledoux St., 575/758-0505, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily May–Oct., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily Nov.–Apr., $8) in 1919 with his wife, Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein, who was herself an accomplished artist, having earned medals at the Paris Salon for her painting.

The house’s decoration largely reflects her taste, from the sturdy wood furnishings in the dining room to the light-filled studio and the cozy wood-paneled library. Throughout, the walls are hung with sketches and paintings by their contemporaries; some of the finest are in the back “Green Room,” including a beautiful monotype of Taos Mountain by Oscar E. Berninghaus. The main bedroom, entered through a steep arch, is decorated with Mary’s lush illustrations for The Arabian Nights

Throughout, you can admire the variety of ceiling styles, from rough-hewn split cedar (rajas) to tidy golden aspen boughs (latillas)

Museum Pass

The Museum Association of Taos (www.taosmuseums.org [1]) manages five museums in town, the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House [2], the Millicent Rogers Museum [3], the Harwood Museum of Art [4], the Ernest L. Blumenschein Home and Museum, and the La Hacienda de los Martinez [5]. At any of the museums, you can buy a $25 pass, valid for a year, that grants you a single admission to all five. With individual admissions costing $8 or more, it can be worth it if you visit three places.