New Mexico is an amalgam of historic sites, beautiful scenery and culture attractions. In New Mexico's Mountains, featuring Taos, majestic views and a variety of winter and summer activities, such as skiing, hiking, biking, and fishing, are provided. Travel to East New Mexico and witness some of the most impressive scenery in the United States. The capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe, offers some of the most extensive collections of Southwestern galleries. West New Mexico features attractions surrounded by more great, scenic vistas. The city of Albuquerque offers a large variety of activities and events, including the annual Balloon Fiesta and the New Mexico State Fair. Las Cruces is sure to delight visitors with its high quality golf courses. 

ATTRACTIONS

Northwest   Central   Southwest   North Central   Northeast   Southeast   National Parks

Northwest   

The Mission at Riverwalk - The Mission at Riverwalk showcases fine art from some of the Southwest's best artists. Exhibits change every month, and besides the gallery, The Mission at Riverwalk has a cafe and offers live performances in its theater.  422 W. Santa Fe Ave., Grants.  (505) 285-4632.

New Mexico Mining Museum - Visit the only underground uranium mining museum in the World. The museum displays ancient artifacts, gems & minerals from all over the world and a history on Route 66.

Farmington Museum - The new Farmington Museum at Gateway boasts a superb view of the Animas River from the glass enclosed Atrium. The Farmington Museum features three facilities: E3 Children's Museum & Science Center, Riverside Nature Center at Animas Park, and Harvest Grove Farm and Orchards Exhibit Barn at Animas Park.

Central  

Cliff's Amusement Park - Cliff's Amusement Park is the only amusement park in New Mexico. The park has been family owned and operated for over 40 years. Cliff's has over 23 rides, including fun water play elements! Providing Something for everyone to enjoy. Cliff's has great food, games, arcade and a gift shop.

Holocaust & Intolerance Museum & Study Center - A National Institute for the Prevention of Hate and Intolerance. Our organization is dedicated to combating hate and intolerance through education.

Lodestar Astronomy Center - The 20,000 square foot LodeStar Astronomy Center(tm) features a state-of-the-art planetarium, Virtual Voyages(tm) motion simulator, observatory, exhibit galleries, and StarWorks(tm), an astronomy themed retail store. The astronomy center is located at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque's Old Town.

Wildlife West Nature Park - Wildlife West Nature Park is a 122 acre wildlife refuge and enhanced zoo. It features native New Mexico plants and animals.

Pueblo Cultural Center - The Pueblo people are settled in nineteen communities, some of which have been continuously inhabited since long before the discovery of America. Still retaining their ancient and largely secret ceremonial life, they welcome visitors from all over the world, and offer a glimpse of the proud heritage which they have kept alive for more than a thousand years.

The Rio Grande Botanic Garden - Rio Grande Botanic Garden displays include seasonal color exhibits and permanent conservatory collections. The conservatory collections exhibit Southwest Desert and Mediterranean climate plants. A PNM Butterfly Pavilion is open during the warm months. The garden also features a Children's Fantasy Garden.

The Albuquerque Aquarium - Take a fascinating journey through the marine habitats of the Gulf of Mexico--salt marsh, eelgrass meadow, surf zone, coral reef, open ocean. You'll encounter 6-foot moray eels, spiny lobsters, shimmering schooling fish, beaky parrotfish, fluttering butterfly fish, and a 285,000 gallon tank full of sharks.

American International Rattlesnake Museum - The Rattlesnake Museum is an exciting and educational experience for the entire family. This animal conservation museum reveals the hundreds of ways that rattlesnakes and other 'less desirable' animals have influenced our lives. Examples are given through artifacts, memorabilia, and the largest collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world.

Highland Swing Miniature Golf - Challenging miniature golf with a New Mexico theme on old, beautifully landscaped course established in 1954. Highland Swing will host birthday parties, and group events, and fundraisers. Also features vintage video games and (contemporary) concessions.

The Beach Waterpark - The park offers a variety of attractions including a 700,000 gal. Wave pool, a quarter mile 'Lazy River', a children's play area, two inner-tube slides and 5 body slides.

J&R Vintage Auto Museum - J&R Vintage Auto Museum features nine classic automobiles that have competed in the Great American Race, including the 1995 winner, a 1917 Marmon.  Seventy automobiles in all!

National Atomic Museum - The National Atomic Museum is the Congressionally chartered official Atomic Museum of the United States, with an extensive collection of unclassified nuclear technology. The goal of the museum is to provide a readily accessible repository of educational materials and information reflecting the Atomic Age, and to preserve, interpret, and exhibit to the public memorabilia of this Age.

National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico - In keeping with New Mexico’s rich Hispanic heritage, the Office of Cultural Affairs and its new Hispanic Cultural Division are developing a world-class facility in Albuquerque’s South Valley to preserve, interpret, and showcase Hispanic arts and lifeways.

Sandia Peak Tramway - Experience the drama of an 11,000 square mile panoramic view of New Mexico from the World's Longest Tramway. From the base to the top of 10,378 foot Sandia Peak, time and terrain seem to move in harmony as passengers lift from the desert floor, above canyons and lush forests, to the mountain top. The Four Seasons Visitor Center is located atop Sandia Peak.

Tinkertown Museum - Located along the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway, is a must see miniature Old West Town & Three Ring Circus. Tinkertown museum is home to the largest animated miniature circus in the Southwest. It has been under construction for over 30 years.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science - The Museum has five permanent exhibit halls that take visitors on a Journey Through Time to provide snapshots of what New Mexico was like from the formation of the universe to the present day.

Hinkle Family Fun Center - It's the PLACE TO HAVE FUN! You can party, you can ride, or play Laser Tag inside, 'Jungle Play', and Bumper Cars, mini golf by streams and lakes.

Rio Grande Zoo - Rocky outcrops, grassy meadows, towering cottonwoods, shimmering waterfalls and tranquil pools create an oasis for exotic and native species. Visitors will come face-to-face with over a thousand animals of every shape and size, each one receiving the best of care every single day.

Maxwell Museum of Anthropology - One of the nation’s finest anthropology museums, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology offers exhibits and programs relating to cultures around the world, with a special emphasis on the cultural heritage of the Southwest.

Southwest  

Very Large Array - Visit the largest radio telescope in the world which has 27 moveable dish antennas on three 12 to 13-mile-long radial arms. The telescope sits 49 miles west of Socorro.

Double E Guest Ranch - Indulge your Cowboy Spirit with cattle roundups, cayuses, buffalo, trail riding, and the undiluted, raw sensations of southwestern New Mexico.

Las Cruces Museum of Natural History - The Las Cruces Museum of Natural History is dedicated to broadening people's understanding of natural history, science and the environment of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Museum provides exhibitions and a variety of educational opportunities for families.

North Central  

The Old Coal Mine Museum - Take a step back in time to the Old Coal Museum. Explore 3 acres preserving mining and Railroad history including antique vehicles, original buildings and equipment. The focal point of the Coal Mine Museum is Engine 767. This Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad locomotive was built in 1900 and is considered the most complete non-operating steam locomotive in the U.S.

Bradbury Science Museum - The Bradbury Science Museum maintains an archival collection of over 500 artifacts dating from the Manhattan Project and representing most of the major scientific efforts made by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Los Alamos Historical Museum - The Los Alamos Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving, protecting and interpreting the history of Los Alamos. The museum exhibits artifacts of early Pajarito Plateau dwellers as well as memorabilia from the Los Alamos Ranch School and displays from the Los Alamos National Laboratory's wartime era.

Museum of International Folk Art - Set in the foothills of northern New Mexico's spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) attracts students, scholars, and museum visitors alike, not only from the United States but from many countries abroad. Children and 'grown-ups' alike share the wonders of discovery in the Museum of International Folk Art.

Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian - The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian hosts changing exhibitions of contemporary and historic Native American art with an emphasis on the Southwest. Recent main gallery exhibitions have included contemporary basketry, a recreation of the studio of sculptor Allan Houser, paintings by Harry Fonseca, the art of Pablita Velarde, and contemporary Navajo pictorial weaving.

The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture - One of four museums in the Museum of New Mexico system, is a premier repository of Native art and material culture and tells the stories of the people of the Southwest from pre-history through contemporary art. The museum serves a diverse, multicultural audience through changing exhibitions, public lectures, field trips, artist residencies, and other educational programs.

Blumenschein Home & Museum - The home is filled with a superb collection of the Blumenschein family's art, a representative sampling of works by other famous Taos artists, fine European and Spanish Colonial style antiques, and the family's lifetime of personal possessions. The home beautifully illustrates the lifestyle of Taos artists in the first half of the twentieth century.

Santa Fe Opera - Universally recognized for the quality of its productions, the variety of its repertory and for the many artists, now internationally known, who have performed on its stage. Performers and opera lovers alike have been drawn to the Opera's magnificent mountain setting as well as the special ambiance that is Santa Fe.

Lensic Performing Arts Center - Lensic Performing Arts Center is a world-class, state-of-the-art performance venue in the heart of Santa Fe, fully restored to its original glory and redesigned to house the best of theater, music, dance, poetry and film.

Santa Fe Children's Museum - The Santa Fe Children's Museum is a place for families to learn and play together. The interactive exhibits, beauty of the outdoor garden, diversity of programs, and professional staff make for a special museum visit.

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - This is America's most authentic steam railroad, just as it was for a century, from the coal tipple to the conductor's smile. Twisting and turning through the beautiful San Juan Mountains on tracks that tamed the West, you'll cross the Colorado - New Mexico border eleven times.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas - El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum located on 200 acres in a rural farming valley just south of Santa Fe. The museum, dedicated to the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico, opened in 1972. Original colonial buildings on the site date from the early 18th century.

Museum of New Mexico - Older than the state of New Mexico itself, the Museum of New Mexico houses the country's most intriguing collection of art, history and culture in four museums and five monuments statewide. Come discover the true heart and soul of the Southwest.

Northeast  

The Las Vegas City Museum - Housed in a 1940's era Works Project Administration (WPA) building, the city of Las Vegas manages a collection of Rough Riders memorabilia and artifacts belonging to Northern New Mexico's territorial history and regional culture.

Herzstein Memorial Museum - The Herzstein Memorial Museum offers a rare collection of artifacts from the age of dinosaurs to the present. The museum also features a gift shop offering unusual books and souvenirs.

Southeast  

Roswell Museum and Art Center - A visit to the Roswell Museum and Art Center is food for the soul and fire for the imagination. One of the Southwest's great museums, we offer an impressive collection of fine art, history, and space science technology.

The Hubbard Museum of the American West - See educational videos about horsemanship, history, sculpture and horse racing. The famous Straddling collection of bits, spurs, bridles and saddles from around the world. An amazing collection of carriages, wagons and horse drawn vehicles spanning hundreds of years.

Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts - The mission of the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts is to enrich the cultural lives of South-Central New Mexico's residents and visitors. At the heart of the Spencer, in its 514-seat hall, you’ll encounter a powerful experience of the performing arts — outstanding acoustics, intimate seating, and artistry of the highest caliber.

New Mexico Museum of Space History - The New Mexico Museum of Space History is located in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It is a complex consisting of a space museum, Planetarium, IMAX® dome theater, and an International Space Hall of Fame.

Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum - The purpose of this museum is to preserve and promote local, regional, and sometimes national history through exhibits, projects, presentations, and various other methods of conveying ideas.  1301 North White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo.  (505) 434-4438.

Alameda Zoo - The Alameda Park Zoo is a well shaded, seven acre Zoo home to 90 different species, and nearly 300 animals. Visitors enjoy majestic lions, colorful birds, endangered wolves, and are entertained by the antics of a variety of monkeys. The Zoo also offers travelers a shaded picnic area and playground on a seven acres of city park.

The Blackwater Draw Museum - The Blackwater Draw Museum displays artifacts and exhibits associated with the Blackwater Locality No. 1 Archaeological Site, one of the most important archaeological sites in the New World. Over 13,000 years of site usage are described, from mammoth hunting to modern culture. A souvenir shop offers related books and gifts.

ENMU Natural History Museum - The Natural History Museum consists of an Exhibit and a Research Collection. The Exhibit features live plants and animals native to the Llano Estacado and other regions of eastern New Mexico.

Roswell Symphony Orchestra - Roswell is one of the very few communities in the state with an all-professional Symphony. The orchestra gives five (5) subscription concerts, four (4) chamber concerts, an annual free concert at Spring River Park and Zoo, and a Children's' concert every year.

Smokey Bear Museum - The Museum has a terrific and priceless selection of Memorabilia on Smokey. Over 500 items are on display at the Museum. Some memorabilia are dating back to the early 1940's.

International UFO Museum & Research Center - The IUFOMRC at Roswell, New Mexico has become the world-wide center for UFO information.

National Parks

Bandelier National Monument - On the canyon-slashed slopes and bottoms of the Pajarito Plateau are the ruins of many cliff houses and pueblo style dwellings of 13th-century Pueblo Indians.

Capulin Volcano National Monument - Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, stands more than 1200 feet above the surrounding High Plains of northeastern New Mexico. The volcano is long extinct, and today the forested slopes provide habitat for mule deer, wild turkey, black bear and other wildlife. Abundant displays of wildflowers bloom on the mountain each summer. A 2-mile paved road spiraling to the volcano rim makes Capulin Volcano one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world. Trails leading around the rim and to the bottom of the crater allow a rare opportunity to easily explore a volcano.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park - Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains over 85 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave—the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.  Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park - Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's richest and most facinating cultural and historic areas.  Chaco Canyon was a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture between A.D. 850 and 1250. It was a hub of ceremony, trade, and government for the prehistoric Four Corners area - and a phenomenon unlike anything before or since.

El Malpais National Monument - This monument preserves 114,277 acres of which 109,260 acres are federal and 5,017 acres are private. El Malpais means "the badlands" but contrary to its name this unique area holds many surprises, many of which researchers are now unraveling. Volcanic features such as lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and complex lava tube systems dominate the landscape. Closer inspection reveals unique ecosystems with complex relationships. Sandstone bluffs and mesas border the eastern side, providing access to vast wilderness.

El Morro National Monument - "Inscription Rock" is a soft sandstone monolith, rising 200 feet above the valley floor, on which are carved hundreds of inscriptions. The monument also includes pre-Columbian petroglyphs and Pueblo Indian ruins.

Fort Union National Monument - Fort Union was established in 1851 by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin V. Sumner as a guardian and protector of the Santa Fe Trail. During it's forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together. The third and final Fort Union was the largest in the American Southwest, and functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest. Today, visitors use a self-guided tour path to visit the second fort and the large, impressive ruins of the third Fort Union. The largest visible network of Santa Fe Trail ruts can be seen here.

Pecos National Historic Park - Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, two Spanish Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch, and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass.

Petroglyph National Monument - More than 20,000 prehistoric and historic Native American and Hispanic petroglyphs (images carved in rock) stretch 17-miles along Albuquerque's West Mesa escarpment. Associated archeological sites provide important chapters in a 12,000 year- long story of human life in the Albuquerque area.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument - Once, thriving American Indian trade communities of Tiwa and Tompiro speaking Puebloans inhabited this remote frontier area of central New Mexico. Early in the 17th-century Spanish Franciscans found the area ripe for their missionary efforts. However, by the late 1670s the entire Salinas District, as the Spanish had named it, was depopulated of both Indian and Spaniard. What remains today are austere yet beautiful reminders of this earliest contact between Pueblo Indians and Spanish Colonials: the ruins of four mission churches, at Quarai, Abó, and Gran Quivira and the partially excavated pueblo of Las Humanas or, as it is known today, Gran Quivira.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail - Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 1821 until 1846, it was an international commercial highway used by Mexican and American traders. In 1846, the Mexican-American War began. The Army of the West followed the Santa Fe Trail to invade New Mexico. When the Treaty of Guadalupe ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the United States to the new southwest territories. Commercial freighting along the trail continued, including considerable military freight hauling to supply the southwestern forts. The trail was also used by stage coach lines, thousands of gold seekers heading to the California and Colorado gold fields, adventurers, fur trappers, and some emigrants. In 1880 the railroad reached Santa Fe and the trail faded into history.

White Sands National Monument - At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico.  Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world's largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path.