HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS / REGIONAL MUSEUMS

New Mexico’s rich and colorful history and cultural diversity enliven Metropolitan Albuquerque as well as nearby Santa Fe and Taos, creating a unique environment that blends world-class museums with historic sites. From ancient civilizations through the settlement of this area, every period and era has left its indelible mark on the “land of enchantment.” Around every corner and in all four seasons, residents of New Mexico celebrate this wonderful legacy in collections and artifacts, preservations, historic homes, and popular festivals and fiestas.

Art & History Museums

Albuquerque Museum of Art & History
2000 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque 505-243-7255
http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/albuquerque-museum
Located adjacent to Historic Old Town, this museum incorporates traditional and contemporary art and history of the region. Holdings include a sculpture garden of large works, a permanent collection that encompasses a four-century history of the Albuquerque area, and a special hands-on gallery.

Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
Zimmerman Library
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque 505-277-9100
http://elibrary.unm.edu/cswr
Although this center is too quiet for children, adults will appreciate the compilation of written memoirs about the University, the city of Albuquerque, and the state of New Mexico including a famous collection of archives and small treasures. Avid readers can discover New Mexico from the perspective of its native people in the comfort of an armchair.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Museum
2401 12th Street NW
Albuquerque 505-843-7270
www.indianpueblo.org
Tracing the origin, spoken traditions, art and craftsmanship, and the cultural development of the Pueblo Native Americans, the museum is a showcase of creative adaptations that ensured survival.

J & R Vintage Auto Museum
3650A Highway 528
Rio Rancho 888-298-1885
www.jrvintageautos.com
Auto enthusiasts will consider this museum a “must see” with more than 70 vintage models that include nine classic automobiles that have competed in the Great American Race including the 1995 winner — a 1917 Marmon.

St. Augustine Mission
Isleta Pueblo 505-869-3111
www.isletapueblo.com
Just 13 miles from Albuquerque, narrow streets lead visitors to the mission church of St. Augustine, built between 1613 and 1630 and distinguished as one of the oldest in the nation. Shops with distinctive local pottery as well as a fishing lake, a popular casino, and a campground are also available.

Sky City
Acoma Pueblo
Albuquerque 800-747-0181
https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/native-culture/acoma-sky-city
Visit the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited city located high atop a sandstone mesa and enjoy spectacular vistas as well as guided tours around the plaza and the mission church. The thin-walled, delicately decorated pottery of Acoma is among the most highly prized of Indian crafts and displayed at the visitor’s center.

Tinkertown Museum
121 Sandia Crest Road
Sandia Park 505-281-5233
www.tinkertown.com
Defying description or explanation, this remarkable collection is result of a lifetime of hoarding and now fills 22 rooms with 50,000 glass bottles alone. From beer bottles to pottery and everything in between, this is not a typical “stuffy” art museum. Unusual carvings and collections include a miniature Western village, a circus exhibit, and glass bottle house.

The Turquoise Museum
491 Old Santa Fe Trail
Albuquerque 505-827-7400
http://turquoisemuseum.com
The entire family can enjoy the adventure through a mine tunnel replica as they view rare and spectacular turquoise specimens from around the world.

The University Art Museum
UNM Center for the Arts
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque 505-277-2112
https://finearts.unm.edu/venues/unm-art-museum
With nearly 30,000 objects, the museum houses by far the largest fine-art collections in New Mexico. Along with the UNM Jonson Gallery, the museum is recognized as leading art institutions in the Southwest for 19th and 20th-century American and European art.

Regional Museums

Bradbury Science Museum
Los Alamos National Laboratory
1350 Central Avenue
Los Alamos 505-667-4444
www.lanl.gov/museum

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Chama/Antonito 888-286-2737
www.cumbrestoltec.com

El Rancho de Las Golondrinas Living History Museum
334 Los Pinos Road
Santa Fe 505-471-2261
www.golondrinas.org

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
217 Johnson Street
Santa Fe 505-946-1000
www.okeeffemuseum.org

The Harwood Museum of Art
238 Ledoux Street
Taos 505-758-9826
www.harwoodmuseum.org

Indian Arts Research Center
School of American Research
660 Garcia Street
Santa Fe 505-954-7200
http://sarweb.org

Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
83 Avan Nu Po Road
Santa Fe 505-424-2325
www.iaia.edu

International UFO Museum & Research Center
114 North Main Street
Roswell 575-625-9495
www.roswellufomuseum.com

Loretto Chapel & The Miraculous Staircase
207 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe 505-982-0092
www.lorettochapel.com

Millicent Rogers Museum
1504 Millicent Rogers Road
Taos 505-758-2462
www.millicentrogers.org

Museum of Art
Museum of New Mexico
107 West Palace Avenue
Santa Fe 505-476-5072
https://www.metmuseum.org

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
710 Camino Lejo
Santa Fe 505-476-1269
www.miaclab.org

The Museum of International Folk Art
706 Camino Lejo, on Museum Hill
Santa Fe 505-476-1200
www.moifa.org

The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art
750 Camino Lejo
Santa Fe 505-982-2226
www.spanishcolonial.org

The New Mexico Museum of Space History
International Space Hall of Fame
Hubbard Space Science Education Facility
3198 State Route 2001
Alamogordo 505-437-2840
www.nmspacemuseum.org

Palace of the Governors & Chávez History Library
120 Washington Avenue
Santa Fe 505-476-5100
www.palaceofthegovernors.org

The Poeh Center
78 Cities of Gold Road
Santa Fe 505-455-5041
http://poehcenter.org

Roswell Museum & Art Center
1011 North Richardson Avenue
Roswell 575-624-6744
https://roswell-nm.gov/1259/Roswell-Museum-Art-Center

Santuario de Chimayo
Route 76
Chimayo 505-351-4360
www.archdiocesesantafe.org

The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
704 Camino Lejo
Santa Fe 505-982-4636
www.wheelwright.org

HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS / NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS

Albuquerque Aquarium
2601 Central Avenue NW
Albuquerque 505-768-2000
http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/aquarium
Exhibits showcase Gulf of Mexico saltwater species from a variety of habitats including estuarine, surf zone, shallow waters, coral reefs, open ocean, and deep ocean. A 285,000-gallon ocean tank contains brown, sandtiger, blacktip and nurse sharks swimming alongside brilliantly colored reef fish, eels, sea turtles, and open-ocean species.

Albuquerque Biological Park & Rio Grande Zoo
903 Tenth Street SW
Albuquerque 505-768-2000
http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark
http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/zoo
The unique environmental museum of Albuquerque Biological Park encompasses the Albuquerque Aquarium, the Rio Grande Botanic Garden, and Tingley Beach Aquatic Park as well as the 64-acre Rio Grande Zoo. The zoo offers close encounters with more than 250 species of exotic and native animals.

American International Rattlesnake Museum
202 San Felipe NW
Albuquerque 505-242-6569
www.rattlesnakes.com
Imagine a museum that celebrates the rattlesnake, an uncomfortably common sight in the Southwest. Exhibits include a number of snakes that rattle from behind glass as you walk by — no doubt, just offering a friendly greeting. Memorabilia and the opportunity to purchase unique treasures related to these fascinating reptiles add to the attraction.

Explora!
1701 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque 505-224-8300
www.explora.us/en
This science and children’s museum showcases more than 250 interactive science, technology, and art exhibits. Features include a laminar flow fountain, an experiment bar, an arts and crafts area, a high-wire bike, and a robotics lab.

Lodestar Astronomy Center
1801 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque 505-841-2800
www.nmnaturalhistory.org
Located in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, this center offers special events, guest speakers, and numerous programs including astronomy camps.

Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
500 University Boulevard NE
Albuquerque 505-277-4405
https://maxwellmuseum.unm.edu
Serving as an important anthropological research center, the museum houses temporary and permanent exhibits that include Ancestors and People of the Southwest, presenting the development of human beings over the last 4 million years.

Meteorite Museum & Collection
University of New Mexico
Institute of Meteoritic
Albuquerque 505-277-1644
http://meteorite.unm.edu/meteorites/meteorite-museum
As part of the university’s Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, the museum houses one of the world’s largest stone meteorites, the one-ton Norton County. This venue is ideal for those who find the skies to be a fascinating frontier and encourages touching alien objects that have floated through the universe for millions of years.

Museum of Southwestern Biology
University of New Mexico
Department of Biology
Albuquerque 505-277-1360
www.msb.unm.edu
Serving as a teaching and research facility, the museum houses collections of vertebrates, arthropods, and plants from the American Southwest, Central and South America, and from throughout the world.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
601 Eubank Boulevard SE
Albuquerque 505-245-2137
www.nuclearmuseum.org
Established in 1969, this venue is an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
1801 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque 505-841-2800
www.nmnaturalhistory.org
Home to the Lodestar Astronomy Center, this innovative and “hands-on” educational museum features an active volcano, an ice-age cave, dinosaurs, a time machine, and the larger-than-life Dynamax Theater. Exhibit halls take visitors on a journey through time with Timetracks, snapshots of New Mexico from the formation of the universe to the present day.

Rio Grande Botanic Garden
2601 Central Avenue NW
Albuquerque 505-768-2000
http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/garden
Bordered on the west by the famed Rio Grande and the largest cottonwood gallery forest in the world, this lush and peaceful garden encompasses 20 developed acres. Preservations include a 10,000-square-foot glass conservatory housing native and exotic plants from desert and Mediterranean climate zones and a seasonal butterfly conservatory.

HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS / HISTORIC SITES

Bandelier National Monument
New Mexico Route 4
Los Alamos 505-672-3861
www.nps.gov/band
Best known for mesas and sheer-walled canyons as well as several thousand ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier also includes more than 23,000 acres of designated wilderness. The best-known archeological sites in Frijoles Canyon were inhabited from the 1100s into the mid-1500s, although the area was inhabited before that time.

Coronado State Monument
485 Kuaua Road
Bernalillo 505-876-5351
www.nmhistoricsites.org/coronado
The partially reconstructed ruins of the ancient Pueblo of Kuaua is featured at the monument named for Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, who probably camped near the site with his soldiers in 1540 while searching for the fabled Cities of Gold. The pueblo was occupied from 1300 AD and abandoned near the end of the 16th century.

El Camino Real International Heritage Center
Socorro 575-854-3600
www.nmmonuments.org
The center tells the story of the first European settlements of North America and the road that made it possible through exhibitions, trails, and programs. Visitors to performances or events in the outdoor amphitheater will hear the traditional music and songs that once were enjoyed around the campfires.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Gila National Forest
Silver City 505-536-9461
www.nps.gov/gicl
Surrounded by national forestland, this site offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who lived in the Gila Wilderness from the 1280s through the early 1300s. The surroundings probably look today very much like they did when the cliff dwellings were inhabited.

Jémez State Monument
Jemez Springs 505-829-3530
www.nmmonuments.org
The ruins at Jemez are among the most impressive in the Southwest, and a 1,400 foot interpretive trail winds through the seven-acre site to add educational highlights. The visitor center contains exhibits interpreting historic events from the perspective of the Jemez people.

Petroglyph National Monument
Las Imagenes Visitor Center
4735 Unser Boulevard
Albuquerque 505-899-0205
www.nps.gov/petr
Ancient petroglyphs are surrounded by a world teeming with native wildlife, from hawks spiraling down from the high mesa to roadrunners scurrying into the sage or a desert millipede. Petroglyphs and associated archeological sites provide glimpses into a 12,000-year saga of human life.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Mountainair 505-847-2585
www.nps.gov/sapu
Once thriving Pueblo Native American trade communities seen ripe for missionary efforts in the early 17th century, although by the late 1670s the entire Salinas District was devoid of Indian and Spaniard settlers. Today’s ruins include four mission churches and the magnificent ruins of three large Anasazi Pueblos that date back to the 1200s.

Historic Markers
New Mexico launched its Historical Marker program in 1935 — an historical occasion in its own right. As you travel through the Albuquerque area, you’ll find sites and moments from yesterday spelled out on road signs along the way.

#6 Pueblo of Sandia
The Pueblo was settled for the second time by Tiwa-speaking refugees and a few Hopis in 1748. In 1680, the Pueblo was abandoned at a time when many of the Tiwas fled to Hopi country during a revolt. The church was built in 1864 and renovated in 1976.

#8 Bernalillo
On the Camino Real, Bernalillo was founded after the 1692 Spanish conquered New Mexico for the second time, a siege led by Diego de Vargas in 1692. This is also the place where Vargas died in1704.

#12 Spanish Entrada Site
Among the many prehistoric and historic sites nearby is the camp where Coronado’s troops may have spent the winter of 1540.

#62 Old Town Plaza
On the Camino Real, the plaza dates from the early 18th century. The Confederate flag waved for a short time in March of 1862 when General Henry H. Sibley and his Texas volunteers occupied Albuquerque.

#65 Inglesia De San Ysidro
Dedicated to San Ysidro, the patron saint of farmers, this church was built in 1868 after a flood destroyed an earlier building. The church integrates materials that were salvaged form the original structure.

Historic Route 66
America’s “Mother Road” still paves the way to attractions and wonderful stops as it meanders past New Mexico’s cities, Pueblos, and landmarks. The famous highway is the focus of preservation efforts, including the restoration of vintage Route 66 neon signs that now glow with their original brilliance. From the wonderful TeePee Curio Shop sign in Tucumcari to the wild and crazy neon Rotosphere in Moriarty or the elegant Lexington Hotel sign in Gallup, the beauty and artistry of classic neon is once again dazzling and delighting Route 66 enthusiasts.

Yesterday’s streets sprung to life when the sun set into the crimson Western sky, painting the town with a palette of ruby reds, sapphire blues, and emerald greens that promised exploration and discovery. Neon cowboys, sombreros, teepees, cactus, longhorn steers, thunderbirds, swallows, ponies, and other critters and characters always came out at night to beckon the weary or adventurous traveler. Places with neon-lit names like the Bow and Arrow, the Royal Palacio, the Pig Stand, the Lariat, the Oasis, the Arrowhead, the Desert Sun, and the Trails West called out to passers by to stop for a truly unique experience.

Maps are available upon request for those who want to rediscover the enchantment and colorful attractions along America’s most famous highway, Route 66:

Route 66 Association of New Mexico
Albuquerque
www.rt66nm.org

Albuquerque’s Rich Legacy
It was the ancient Anasazi Indians who first settled in northwestern New Mexico from 1100 to 1300 AD, forming several communities that were connected by a sophisticated network of transportation and communication. According to expert estimates, as many as 15,000 simple, agrarian people were living peacefully in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley by the late 14th century. In 1540, the Spanish explorer-conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his company arrived, searching for gold in the mythical seven cities of Cibola.

By 1706, a self-serving and ambitious provisional governor by the name of Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdez had petitioned Spain for permission to declare the region a villa, naming it Albuquerque in honor of the Duke, Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva. It comes as little surprise that the Duke approved the petition, Cuervo had his villa, and Albuquerque is still affectionately known to its residents as The Duke City.

In the late 1800s, Albuquerque welcomed a new element to community life — one that would change the economic and population growth forever — the railroad. As early as 1942, the Sandia National Laboratories was established as a highly restricted munitions research and development facility. The next year, the Army claimed a former school for boys that perched high upon a mesa above Santa Fe and launched the Manhattan Project to build the world’s first atomic bomb.
The military still plays a vital role in Albuquerque’s economy. In contrast to many military installations around the nation, Sandia’s importance has only increased since the end of World War II. In combination with its “sister” facility in Livermore, California, this exceptional facility has become the center for some of the most sophisticated and advanced scientific and technological exploration in the world.

SPORTS AND RECREATION / PARKS & NATURE

Albuquerque City Programs
The Duke City’s proximity to breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, mountains, lakes, rivers, and canyons makes outdoor activity a possibility throughout the year. City parks are just around any corner, filled with opportunities for fun and relaxation. The list includes lit ball fields, full basketball courts and half courts, games fields, play areas, community centers, youth baseball fields, and gymnasiums. Public swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf courses are conveniently located throughout the city. For details on facilities and amenities, contact:

Albuquerque Recreation Division
1801 Fourth Street NW
Albuquerque 505-768-5353
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Specialized Facilities

Albuquerque Tennis Complex
Jenny Cline Tennis Facility
7205 Constitution NE
505-224-6682
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Aquatics Division
Programs & Facilities
505-768-5368
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Los Altos Skate Park
10140 Lomas NE
Albuquerque 505-768-5353
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Recreation Programs

Albuquerque Bike Trail Maps
505-768-5326
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Basketball Programs
City Sports Office
505-224-6682
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Flag Football Programs
City Sports Office
505-224-6682
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Model Rocketry Launching & Building
Outdoor Recreation
505-768-5328
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Rock Climbing Wall
Outdoor Recreation
505-768-5328
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Tennis Lessons
505-224-6682
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Winter Sports
Outdoor Recreation
505-768-5328
www.cabq.gov/recreation

Community Centers

Alamosa Center
6900 Gonzales Road SW
505-836-8760
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Barelas Center
801 Barelas Road SW
505-848-1343
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Cesar Chavez Center
7505 Kathryn SE
505-256-2680
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Dennis Chavez Center
715 Kathryn SE
505-848-1341
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Don Newton-Taylor Ranch Center
4900 Kachina NW
505-768-6006
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Heights Center
823 Buena Vista SE
505-848-1334
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Herman Sanchez Center
1830 William Street SE
505-848-1336
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Holiday Park Center
11710 Comanche Road NE
505-764-6425
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters
Jack Candelaria Community Center
400 San Jose SE
505-848-1324
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Jeanne Bellamah Center
11516 Summer NE
505-767-5910
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Loma Linda Community Center
1700 Yale SE
505-764-1525
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Los Duranes Center
2920 Leopoldo NW
505-767-5900
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

McKinley Center
3401 Monroe NE
505-767-5930
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Mesa Verde Center
7900 Marquette NE
505-767-5920
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Singing Arrow Center
13001 Singing Arrow SE
505-291-6200
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Snow Park Center
9501 Indian School NE
505-767-5885
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Thomas Bell Center
3001 University SE
505-848-1332
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Valle del Norte Center
1812 Candelaria NW
505-342-1322
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

West Mesa Center
5500 Glenrio NW
505-836-3487
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Westgate Center
1400 Snow Vista SW
505-836-8723
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters

Whittier Center
1100 Quincy SE
505-767-5885
www.cabq.gov/communitycenters