San José de la Laguna Mission and Convento
New Mexico
Built by Laguna Pueblo hands between 1699 and 1701 out of stone and adobe mortar — unusual for the era — this is one of the best-preserved of all the old Spanish missions in the Southwest, still an active parish church on the same ground 300-plus years later.
Why Roamward picked it
A one-exit detour (I-40 Exit 114) near the dead zone's ABQ-side end, distinct from the Acoma Sky City / Sacred Heart / Santuario de Guadalupe rows already staged elsewhere on the corridor — adds a living-pueblo mission stop the current roster lacks. Free, NRHP-listed 1973, wheelchair accessible. Living Indigenous religious community, not a museum — story copy should stay respectful, avoid gamified 'collect this stop' framing; photography restricted inside the church.
Sources
Hours, admission, and access change — confirm with the official source before you plan the detour.
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