An Architectural Marvel with a Twist of Adventure

The first known entry into Balcony House was made by prospector S.E. Osborn in the spring of 1884. His name and the date—March 20, 1884—were found carved into a dwelling in nearby Soda Canyon. In an 1886 newspaper article, Osborn described several sites he visited in the early 1880s, and one perfectly matches Balcony House, confirming his early exploration of the site. 

In 1910, Jesse Nusbaum—a skilled archaeologist and one of the first superintendents of Mesa Verde—led the excavation of Balcony House. His efforts helped uncover and preserve this spectacular cliff dwelling, which remains a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

“Mesa Verde Balcony House, with its well-preserved rooms, kivas, and plazas, stands as a tribute to those who built and occupied the site in the thirteenth century—the Ancestral Pueblo people of Arizona and New Mexico. It is also a tribute to the men who excavated and stabilized the site in the early part of the twentieth century.”  —Kathleen Fiero, Balcony House: A History of a Cliff Dwelling (Mesa Verde Museum Association, 1999)