DISCOVER DOWNTOWN
Santa Fe’s picturesque downtown district is packed with boutiques and restaurants, but it’s also where, maybe surprisingly, you’ll find many of the city’s greatest museums. On historic Santa Fe Plaza, the Palace of the Governors is the oldest building still in continuous use in the continental U.S. built by European settlers. Dating back to 1610, the Palace now is one of three buildings making up the campus of the New Mexico History Museum. Also downtown are the New Mexico Museum of Art and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.
GET ACTIVE
The Santa Fe Climbing Center is the only indoor climbing gym in northern New Mexico. Climbers of all skill levels can push themselves to the limits with challenges and games on the indoor rock walls. For some outdoor exploration, take a tour of the famous Puye Cliff Dwellings or explore the petroglyphs at Bandelier National Monument, both nearby in Los Alamos. Or, hike at your own pace at Santa Fe Canyon Preserve, where an easy 1.3-mile loop offers opportunities for wildlife viewing and interpretive signage to learn more about the local environment.
EXPLORE CREATIVELY
As an internationally known destination for arts and artists, Santa Fe has a reputation for creativity that groups can explore all around town. Meow Wolf, which began in Santa Fe and has since expanded across the country, is an immersive art experience in which kids can explore, create, and understand in hands-on ways. Wise Fool Circus Arts lets kids “run away with the circus” for a day and practice trapeze and acrobatics with expert instruction. And the Santa Fe Botanical Garden presents local flora in exciting ways, with sculptures on permanent and rotating display mixed in along the paths.
LEARN MORE
Tourism Santa Fe
800-777-2489 | santafe.org
Main Image: Santa Fe Botanical Garden; Credit: Tourism Santa Fe
