Willa Cather's Walking Tour in Santa Fe | 2 hours 30 minutes

5 Reviews | Santa Fe
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Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Charming guide

Overview

On this 2.5-hour walking tour, we’ll explore how author Willa Cather was inspired to write her "best book" (her words), "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by retracing her steps through Santa Fe in 1925 and 1926. Our walking route covers about 1.5 miles, mostly on sidewalks, but also climbs a hill to the Cross of the Martyrs with its outstanding view of the city below. During our time together, we'll explore aspects of the novel, such as Kit Carson, Padre Antonio José Martínez, and of course Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, New Mexico's first Catholic archbishop and the real-life inspiration for the fictional Bishop Latour in Cather's book. We will learn about Sister Blandina Segale who helped set up a hospital in Lamy's house, and visit the last remnant of Lamy's six-acre garden behind the St. Francis Cathedral in the peaceful Stations of the Cross Prayer Garden.

Meeting points

We meet at the southeast corner of the Plaza opposite La Fonda. There is shade and park benches.

End point

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We conclude the tour by the Lamy statue in front of the St. Francis Cathedral.

Itinerary

  • Santa Fe Plaza

    We'll gather at the Plaza opposite La Fonda, the hotel where Cather and her partner Edith Lewis stayed during their visits. Cather has become an LGBTQ+ icon since the publication of her letters in 2013, and during this experience we will read from her letters, interviews, and articles, in addition to seeing historic footage of Santa Fe.

    45 minutes

  • Cross of the Martyrs

    We explore Cather's inspiration to write "Death Comes for the Archbishop" through several readings from her articles, interviews, and letters.

    30 minutes

  • The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

    We conclude our tour at Lamy statue in front of the St. Francis Cathedral, which Cather wrote helped inspire her to write the novel.

    30 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Free Cancellation

May 01100% refund
May 02No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

5.0

5 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    5
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Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 5 reviews with 5 stars

A++ tour

Published on Oct, 2024

Garrett is an outstanding tour guide! The tour far exceeded our expectations. Garrett provides the context necessary to fully understand Cather's work and provides many insights into Santa Fe and Taos as well. He is thorough, fun, engaging and knowledgable. Could not have asked for a better tour!

A morning well spent.

Published on Aug, 2024

This was such a great tour.. Garrett is a compendium of knowledge on Willa Cather, Santa Fe and Southwestern history. We learned a lot and so enjoyed meeting him.

Fascinating look at Santa Fe’s past

Published on Aug, 2024

I joined Garrett’s tour in early August 2024. Garrett is a great guide, very knowledgeable and personable and solicitous of his clients. The tour uses Cather’s book Death Comes for the Archbishop as a way of introducing us to the fascinating history of this area. He has historic photos of Cather and Santa Fe to illustrate the changes wrought by history. This tour is highly recommended for anyone interested in history and culture.

Great Tour

Published on Jul, 2024

Great tour, very informative. Will do again. Learned a lot of Santa Fe history. Our tour guide took time and welcomed participation.

Delve into Santa Fe History with Garret Peck

Published on Jun, 2024

Our tour guide Garret Peck was extremely knowledgeable, professional and personable. The walking tour was well paced and full of historical anecdotes relevant to the book that we had all read. Lots of extra information was included about the history of Santa Fe! We would highly recommend Garrett as your tour guide for this tour. We would definitely book him for any of his other tours as well!

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