Travel Guide Grants

Grants was founded in 1880 by three Canadian brothers of the same name who were commissioned to build a section of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad here. From the 1930s on, the town turned to agriculture, aided by the creation of Bluewater Reservoir (15 miles northwest). Located on Route 66, although the creation of this route was a great help to the development of the town, it was the discovery of a uranium deposit that allowed Grants to prosper. Discovered in 1950 by a simple Navajo shepherd, the deposit became the largest in the United States. However, mining ceased in 1983 and the town went bankrupt.Today, Grants' main economic resources come from tourism, thanks to the proximity of several pueblos (notably those of Acoma and Laguna, on Route 66), and great natural sites (El Malpais National Monument, Ice Cave & Bandera Vulcano, El Morro National Monument...), located on Highway 53, a few tens of miles to the south and southwest, in the direction of Ramah and the Zuni reserve.Grants is home to a downtown museum dedicated to the uranium mine that made it rich, a county historical museum and, on Santa Fe Avenue (Hwy 66), several establishments or remnants of establishments that date back to the glory days of Route 66. Many large chain hotels are located near Exit 85 of the highway, making it easy to find overnight accommodations.