HISTORY TOUR

Historic Old Town

Old Town Plaza

Centered around the bustling plaza, Old Town has been the city’s focal point since the farming village sprung up on El Camino Royal. The adobe bell towers and walls of San Felipe de Neri Church anchor one side of the plaza and local shops, galleries and restaurants line the others. During the Christmas season, luminarias light up the plaza. In the summer, musicians and dancers entertain visitors.

Ristras of red chiles decorate the adobe buildings. Explore the side streets, walkways and garden patios to discover artist-owned galleries, boutiques, antiques, cafes and coffee shops. Native American vendors sell jewelry from sidewalk blankets, while galleries offer exquisite crafts from nearby Pueblos.

Strolling Old Town, you’ll feel the distinct Southwest blend of Albuquerque’s multicultural heritage. Sample delicious New Mexican style food at Church Street Cafe, or sample food from multiple restaurants with A Taste of Old Town Walking Tours. For an insider’s view of the history of Old Town, join a walking tour with Old Town Art & History Tours or a history tour with #ABQTours. 

Albuquerque Museum

Paintings and photographs document the changing landscape as villages grew to cities at the Albuquerque Museum. Galleries filled with art that blends Native American, Hispanic and modern influences present a unique view from one of the most creative states in the nation.

Step into the history galleries and discover how early settlers lived, and how “Alburquerque” progressed from a stopover on El Camino Real, and later on the Santa Fe Trail, into today’s Southwest metropolis. History and art don’t just hang on the walls, either. The life-sized sculptures that decorate the grounds capture glimpses from the past, present and future. Docent-led tours of the sculpture garden explain the significance of the classic and abstract sculptures. The museum gift shop carries unusual cultural and art-themed gifts. ​

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

Learn about the prehistoric history of Albuquerque at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Life-sized dinosaurs guard the exhibit halls and interactive exhibits let you experience what life was like back in the day. Exhibits portray the dire wolves, mammoths and saber-tooth cats that disappeared as New Mexico's environment evolved from the grassland savannas of the Ice Age to today’s desert landscape. “Space Frontiers” details the state’s history of space exploration dating from the ancient sun-dagger solstice markers at Chaco Canyon to the latest Mars Mission.

The DynaTheater features nature movies on a five-story screen, and the Planetarium takes visitors on a voyage through the cosmos.​

Historic Route 66

Celebrate the Mother Road in Albuquerque. The city has the longest, continuous urban stretch of Route 66 that goes through the center of the city as Central Avenue. Vintage motels and diners, many with refurbished neon signs, still line Central Avenue from Nob Hill to Nine Mile Hill on the western horizon. Cruising the strip at dusk when the neon starts to flash is a trip into a past era. 

On the corner of Fifth Street and Central Avenue sits the KiMo Theatre, a vintage Pueblo-Deco masterpiece. Elaborate Native American themed ornamentation decorates the Art Deco exterior. The theater began as a Vaudeville venue and now hosts visual and performing arts. Stop at the corner of Fourth Street and Central Avenue, the only place where you can stand on the corner of Route 66 and Route 66.

Find more information on Route 66, including more detailed itineraries.

National Hispanic Cultural Center

With architecture that reflects influences of Mayan, Spanish and post-Columbian cultures, the National Hispanic Cultural Center is located on the banks of the Rio Grande in the heart of the historic Barelas neighborhood. The Hispanic community grew up around the river ford on El Camino Royal, the Spanish colonial road that connected Mexico City to Santa Fe. 

Though dedicated to preserving living Hispanic culture more than history, the center’s programs present a well-rounded perspective of the influence and contributions of Hispanic culture through the centuries. The evolving Hispanic culture has incorporated influences from Native Americans and the many cultures that fused to create life in Latin and North America. The remarkable art museum, daily programs and performing arts immerse visitors in the colorful and complex culture that has called New Mexico home for 500 years.​

Casa San Ysidro and Old San Ysidro Church 

In 1870, don Felipe Gutiérrez built a rancho with a Spanish-Colonial house in Corrales on land his family had owned since 1704. In 1952, Ward Alan and Shirley Jolly Minge needed a place to exhibit their lifetime collection of New Mexican Hispanic articles and artifacts. They purchased the Gutiérrez house and renovated it to represent a traditional 1870 rancho complete with a family chapel, courtyard and enclosed corral. The Albuquerque Museum acquired the collection and house as a premier example of the Hispanic lifestyle during the 19-century Territorial Era.

Across the street, the Old San Ysidro Church, now used for public activities, dates back to 1868. Built with three-foot-thick adobe walls and hand-hewn vigas and latillas, the church is a prime example of a Hispanic village church with wooden floors and mud-plastered, whitewashed walls. The church cemetery with its traditional Hispanic icons and statues, is adjacent to Casa San Ysidro.