Located east of Rio Grande Boulevard in between Central Ave. and Mountain Rd. (west of downtown).
A nice sightseeing area, Old Town is where the city was founded in 1706 and is a place where centuries of history and modern life merge; 18th century architecture with narrow brick paths is blended with adobe architecture, and there lots of little nooks and crannies, small restaurants, and specialty shops. Old Town has a central plaza with a gazebo which is bordered on the north by the San Felipe de Neri church, the oldest building in Albuquerque. In Christmas time, thousands of luminarias (paper bags filled with sand and illuminated from within by a lit candle) line the streets. Guided tours of Old Town are available from a private operator or from the Albuquerque Museum .
There are several museums located within easy walking distance of the Old Town plaza. Most of them are on Mountain Rd., just a few blocks northeast of the Plaza.
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, 2000 Mountain Rd NW, +1 505 243-7255, . Tu-Su 9AM-5PM except major holidays. Guided walking tours of Old Town start here. Loads of exhibits with Southwest art, artifacts from the history of colonial New Mexico and Albuquerque through the years (with some pretty neat items, like conquistador armor and an antique car), and an outdoor sculpture garden. The Albuquerque Museum also operates the historic home of Casa San Ysidro in nearby Corrales for tours. $4, $2 seniors, $1 children, under age 3 free (admission free first Wednesday of the month and every Sunday 9AM-1PM).
American International Rattlesnake Museum, 202 San Felipe St (a block south of the Old Town plaza), +1 505 242-6569, . M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-5PM. This great little museum's claim to fame is the largest collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world. There's lots of snakes (and various other reptiles) and snake-related memorabilia, such as artwork and films, and the gift shop is not to be missed. $3.50, $2.50 children.
¡Explora! Science Center and Children's Museum, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, +1 505 224-8300, . M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM except major holidays. A truly splendid science and children's museum, this museum has lots of interactive exhibits teaching science, technology, and art. There are some fantastic exhibits here, like a laminar flow fountain (with water jets you can turn on and off), an experiment bar, a high-wire bike (that will surely test your withstanding of heights), and a robotics lab. $7, $5 seniors, $1 children, under age 1 free.
An Albertosaurus stands guard at the Natural History Museum entrance
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Rd NW, +1 505 841-2800, . 9AM-5PM daily (closed on major holidays, and non-holiday M in Jan and Sep). This splendid museum has well-constructed geological and paleontological displays which illustrate a "journey through time", covering everything from the birth of the planet to the Ice Age. There's plenty of dinosaurs around, from the statues outside the main entrance, to a T. rex in the atrium, to one massive hall with several complete (and massive) dinosaur skeletons. Additionally, an entire wing of the museum is devoted to astronomical exhibits, and there's also an exhibit about the birth of the personal computer, which happened right here in Albuquerque. A planetarium and a large-screen theater are also in the building. $7, $6 seniors, $4 children, under age 3 free (separate fee required for planetarium and Dynatheater).
Turquoise Museum, 2107 Central Ave NW (in the strip mall on the NW corner of Central and Rio Grande), +1 505 247-8650, . M-F 9:30AM-5PM, Sa 9:30AM-4PM. While the location isn't ideal (located in a strip mall near Old Town, rather than in the historic district itself), this small gift shop/museum has some interesting exhibits about turquoise and its manufacture, history, and mythology. $4, $3 children.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Albuquerque
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Albuquerque - updated Apr 2024
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Albuquerque Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
