Walpi, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walpi, Arizona
Populated place
Walpi, Arizona Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Walpi, Arizona Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Navajo
Elevation	6,181 ft (1,884 m)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (MST)
Area code(s)	928
FIPS code	04-80920
GNIS feature ID	24679

Walpi (which means "place of the notch" in the Hopi language) is a very old Hopi village. It was built around 900 AD. You can find it in northern Arizona, east of the Grand Canyon. It sits high up in Navajo County.

Walpi is an ancient stone village built on the First Mesa. This mesa is one of three large, flat-topped hills. Walpi is about 300 feet (91 m) above the canyon floor. The villages of Sichomovi and Tewa (Hano) are also on First Mesa. These were built after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when Native American groups fought against Spanish rule.

The Long History of Walpi Village

Walpi is one of the oldest villages in the United States where people have lived continuously. Families have called it home for over 1100 years! It's a great example of how the Hopi people traditionally built their homes. They used stone and chose high, defensive spots on top of mesas.

Walpi in Photographs

Many famous photographers captured the beauty of Walpi. In the late 1800s, Edward S. Curtis and John K. Hillers took pictures of the stone pueblo. Later, in the 1900s, Ansel Adams also photographed the village. As more tourists visited, especially with bus tours, many snapshots of Walpi were taken.

Life in Walpi Today

The First Mesa Tourism Program describes Walpi as a "living village." This means people still live there, and their homes are passed down through families, usually from mother to daughter.

About half a dozen people live in the old stone houses. They live in a traditional way, without running water or electricity.

Visiting Walpi

You can visit Walpi on a guided tour. These tours are offered by the First Mesa Consolidated Villages' Tourism Program. It's a special way to learn about Hopi culture and history.

Walpi

Watching the Dancers at Walpi (1906), by Edward S. Curtis.

This photo is considered very important by the Library of Congress.

Walpi (around 1877), by John Karl Hillers.

Walpi and First Mesa (1941), by Ansel Adams.