Albuquerque Old Town

Albuquerque Old Town is the historic heart of New Mexico's largest city, a beautifully preserved district of adobe buildings, galleries, museums, and restaurants centered on the San Felipe de Neri Church, which has stood on the north side of the plaza since 1793. Founded in 1706 as the Villa de Alburquerque by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, Old Town preserves the original plaza layout and much of the adobe architecture of the Spanish colonial period, creating one of the most atmospheric historic districts in the American Southwest.

The plaza and surrounding streets are home to over 150 shops, galleries, and restaurants, many of them selling authentic Southwestern and Native American arts and crafts. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, located just outside the historic district, is one of the finest natural history museums in the Southwest, featuring a remarkable dinosaur hall that showcases New Mexico's extraordinary paleontological heritage. The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History rounds out the museum cluster with excellent exhibits on four centuries of New Mexican history and culture.

Old Town is particularly magical in winter when the surrounding neighborhoods are illuminated by thousands of farolito luminarias during the holiday season, and during the annual Mariachi Festival and other cultural events throughout the year. The district is easily walkable and rewards slow exploration: peek into the hidden courtyards (placitas) tucked behind the storefronts, sample local cuisine ranging from traditional red chile enchiladas to contemporary New Mexican fusion, and browse the extraordinary selection of Native American jewelry, pottery, and weaving.