| Agritourism | Cultural Tourism | Ecotourism |
| Edu-cations | Fiber Arts | Science Tourism |
Explore New Mexico's culture
While New Mexico has only been a state since 1912, its history goes back thousands of years. Our culture is a rich mix of the Native Americans who were the first residents, the Spaniards who colonized the region, and everyone who has since discovered the Land of Enchantment. A trip to New Mexico would not be complete without visiting museums, pueblos, and other historic locations that give visitors the opportunity to be enmeshed in our culture. Museums in New Mexico range from large, state-operated facilities to those in small communities run by volunteers. If you want to get a feel for the state, you should visit museums both large and small.
Pueblos
Puebloans have lived in the land that is now New Mexico since before 500 AD. The Acoma Pueblo has been continuously occupied since before the 12th century. New Mexico is home to 19 pueblos: Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, and Zuni. Visiting one of these pueblos is a special opportunity, especially if your trip coincides with a ceremony, feast day or dance. Visitors need to follow appropriate etiquette. Remember that pueblos are still occupied and what seems like an interesting historic location may in reality be someone's home. Make sure it is allowed to enter a doorway before going in. At Taos Pueblos, for example, some former homes are now used as shops for Taoseño artists, but other doors lead to living quarters. For more information on New Mexico's pueblos, go to www.indianpueblo.org.
Petroglyphs and Pictographs
Petroglyphs and pictographs are found throughout New Mexico as visible markers reminding us of those who lived here before us. Petroglyphs are rock carvings that represent powerful cultural symbols. Pictographs are painted on rock rather than chipped or carved into them. There are many areas in New Mexico where petroglyphs can be found and it is believed that most were carved by the ancestors of today's Puebloan people.
If you'd like to explore the rock art yourself, you're in luck. In Albuquerque, visit Petroglyph National Monument where there are an estimated 24,000 carvings that were created from the 1300s to the 1600s. In southern New Mexico, visit Three Rivers Petroglyph site, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This site about 17 miles north of Tularosa has over 21,000 petroglyphs. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people. There are petroglyphs and pictographs around the state, some in areas easy to access like Petrogylph National Monument and Three Rivers, and others miles away from any road access. There are some pictographs at Gila Cliff Dwellings at the lower Scorpion picnic area - ask any ranger to help you find them. At Chaco Culture National Historical Park, explore fantastic ruins of great houses and petroglyphs.
New Mexico State Monuments
Don't miss our state monuments while you're exploring New Mexico. They range from from very old sites to newer facilities honoring history.
| Monument | Location |
|---|---|
| Coronado State Monument | 485 Kuaua Road Bernalillo |
| El Camino Real International Heritage Center | I-25 Exit 115, 35 miles south of Socorro |
| Fort Selden National Monument | By Radium Springs, I-25 exit 19 |
| Fort Sumner State Monument | 3547 Billy the Kid Road Fort Sumner |
| Jemez State Monument | Jemez Spring on NM 4, west of Los Alamos |
| Lincoln State Monument | Lincoln, 12 miles east of Capitan on NM Hwy. 380 |
Museums
New Mexico's museums offer rich opportunities to learn more about the people, places, history and culture of the Land of Enchantment. Museums range from those that are operated by volunteers to preserves a community's history to state or national museums. Some have a very particular focus, such as the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum or the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, while others cover a wide range of topics, such as the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. So, be sure to plan a visit to one of more of these museums while you explore New Mexico!
| Museum | Address |
|---|---|
| Albuquerque Biopark: Rio Grande Zoo, Aquarium & Botanic Garden; Tingley Beach Fishing Lakes | Zoo: 903 10th St. NW Aquarium: 2501 Central Ave. NW Tingley Beach: 1800 Tingley Drive |
| Albuquerque Museum of Art & History | 19th & Mountain Road NW Albuquerque |
| American International Rattlesnake Museum | 202 San Felipe NW, Suite A Albuquerque |
| Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum | 9201 Ballon Museum Dr. NE Albuquerque |
| A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center | 02 E Ojo Caliente Road Zuni |
| Billy the Kid Museum | 1601 E. Sumner Avenue Fort Sumner |
| Bond House Museum | Plaza de Española Española |
| Box Car Museum | North Main Street |
| Bradbury Museum | Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos |
| Branigan Cultural Center | 501 N. Main Street Las Cruces |
| Carlsbad Museum & Art Center | 418 W. Fox Carlsbad |
| Carrizozo Heritage Museum | 103 12th St. Carrizozo |
| City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection | 727 Grand Avenue Las Vegas |
| Columbus Railroad Depot Museum | NM Hwy 9 & 11 Columbus |
| Deming-Luna-Mimbres Museum | 301 South Silver Deming |
| Casa San Ysidro | Corrales 973 Old Church Road |
| Center for Contemporary Arts | 1050 Old Pecos Trail Santa Fe |
| Cleveland Roller Mill Museum | Cleveland |
| E. L. Blumenschien Home & Museum | 222 Ledoux Street Taos |
| El Rancho de las Golondrinas | 334 Los Pinos Road Santa Fe |
| Explora | 1701 Mountain Road NW Albuquerque |
| Farmington Museum | 3041 E. Main Street Farmington |
| Georgia O'Keeffe Museum | 217 Johnson Street Santa Fe |
| Geronimo Springs Museum | 211 Main Street Truth or Consequences |
| Haak'u Museum | Acoma Pueblo |
| Harwood Museum of Art University of New Mexico | 238 Ledoux Street Taos |
| Harvey House Museum | 104 N. First Street Belen |
| Hubbard Museum of the American West | Ruidoso Downs |
| Indian Pueblo Cultural Center | 2401 12th Street NW Albuquerque |
| Institute of American Indian Arts Museum | 108 Cathedral Place Santa Fe |
| International UFO Museum | 114 N. Main Street Roswell |
| Kit Carson Home & Museum | 113 Kit Carson Road Taos |
| La Hacienda de los Martinez | 708 Hacienda Road Taos |
| Las Cruces Museum of Art | 491 N. Main Street Las Cruces |
| Las Cruces Museum of Natural History | In Mesilla Valley Mall Telshor & Lohman, Las Cruces |
| Las Cruces Railroad Museum | 351 N. Mesilla Street Las Cruces |
| Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum | 710 East 2nd Street Lordsburg |
| Los Alamos Historical Museum | 1921 Juniper Street Los Alamos |
| Maxwell Museum of Anthropology | UNM Campus Albuquerque |
| Mesalands Dinosaur Museum | Mesalands Community College 222 East Laughlin Street Tucumcari |
| Miles Mineral Museum | 1500 S. Avenue K Portales |
| Millicent Rogers Museum | 1504 Millicent Rogers Road Taos |
| Museum of Contemporary Native Arts | 108 Cathedral Place Santa Fe |
| Museum of Indian Arts & Culture | 710 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill Santa Fe |
| Museum of Spanish Colonial Art | 750 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill Santa Fe |
| Museum of International Folk Art | 716 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill Santa Fe |
| National Hispanic Cultural Center | 1701 4th Street SW Albuquerque |
| National Museum of Nuclear Science and History | 601 Eubank Blvd SE Albuquerque |
| New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum | 4100 Dripping Springs Road Las Cruces |
| New Mexico History Museum / Palace of the Governors | 113 Lincoln Avenue Santa Fe |
| New Mexico Museum of Art | 107 W. Palace Avenue Santa Fe |
| New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science | 1801 Mountain Road NW Albuquerque |
| New Mexico Museum of Space History | Top of Hwy 2001 Alamogordo |
| New Mexico State University Museum | NMSU's Kent Hall Las Cruces |
| Old Mill Museum | Cimarron |
| Philmont Museums | Philmont Scout Ranch |
| Piedre Lumbre Education & Visitors Center | Ghost Ranch Abiquiu |
| Pioneer Store Museum | Wall Street Chloride |
| Raton Museum | 108 South Second Street Raton |
| Roosevelt County Museum | ENMU Campus 1500 S. Avenue K Portales |
| Roswell Museum & Art Center | 100 West 11th Street Roswell |
| Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum & Pioneer Village | 1000 James Canyon Hwy. Cloudcroft |
| Santa Fe Children's Museum | 1050 Old Pecos Trail Santa Fe |
| Shalam Colony & Oahspe Museum | 1145 E. Mesa Ave.,
Las Cruces Opening fall 2010 by appointment only |
| Silver City Museum | 312 W. Broadway Silver City |
| Site Santa Fe | 1606 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe |
| Space Murals Museum & Gift Shop | 12470 Highway 70 Organ |
| Taos Art Museum & Fechin House | 227 Paseo del Pueblo Norte |
| Tinkertown Museum | On the road to Sandia Crest |
| Toy Train Depot | 1991 North White Sands Blvd. Alamogordo |
| Tucumcari Historical Museum | 416 South Adams Street Tucamcari |
| Turquoise Museum | 2107 Central Ave. NW Albuquerque |
| University of New Mexico Art Museum | 1 University of New Mexico |
| Unser Racing Museum | 1776 Montaño NW Albuquerque |
| US Southwest Soaring Museum | 35 George Applebay Way Edgewood |
| War Eagles Air Museum | 8012 Airport Rd. Santa Teresa |
| Western Heritage Museum Complex & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame | NM Jr. College Campus 5317 Lovington Highway Hobbs |
| Wheelright Museum of the American Indian | 704 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill Santa Fe |
| White Sands Missile Range Museum and Missile Park | Just inside the main gate of White Sands Missile Range |
| Zuhl Collection | NMSU Alumni and Visitors Center, 775 College Drive Las Cruces |
