Ranchos de Taos Plaza, Historic district in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico.

Ranchos de Taos Plaza is a historic district in New Mexico organized around the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, which stands as its central landmark. The surrounding adobe buildings form a compact settlement that preserves Spanish colonial settlement patterns.

Spanish settlers established this settlement in the 1770s as a fortified plaza with defensive structures to protect against raids from nomadic tribes. The mission church was added later and eventually became the spiritual and social heart of the community.

The parish office and gift shop show a video on the mission church's art and history and sell santos and retablos made by local artists. Along the plaza, adobe buildings now hold retail stores, galleries and restaurants; one was a historic trading post, today the Trading Post Cafe.

The plaza is accessible via U.S. Route 64 and lies a short drive south of Taos with parking available near the main area. Walking slowly through the grounds allows you to notice the varied textures and features of the adobe architecture.

The Trading Post Cafe occupies a building that once served as a historic trading post along the plaza. The parish office and gift shop show a video on the mission church's art and history and sell santos and retablos made by local artists.