6 Best Sights in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Vibrant with growers and maker wares, the sprawling Sunday market here (May from October, 10–2) is a fine excuse to explore this wondrous, light-filled, almost cathedral-like space, said to have been the largest steam locomotive repair facility in the country in its heyday. The early-20th-century Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe buildings here, built on the Atlantic & Pacific originals from the 1880s, put you at the center of how Downtown (or New Town, as it was then known)—and modern Albuquerque—came to be. The market occupies the 1917 Blacksmith Shop. Nearby, the railyard's 1914 Storehouse building now houses the growing Wheels Museum, which captures local rail history with model train equipment and lots more ( www.wheelsmuseum.org). A spectacularly massive 1944 AT&SF Steam Locomotive (No. 2926) is currently under restoration in the Sawmill neighborhood and may be visited during limited public hours; it may eventually find its home here as well ( www.2926.us).

Toe-tapping music and the freshest of fresh produce—and surely the delicious shade created by the towering cottonwoods here in Robinson Park—have folks gathering every Saturday morning from April through October. This sweet respite on the western fringe of Downtown also hosts city crafts makers—high-quality wares range from fine block-printed linens to small-batch soaps and creative ceramics—and purveyors of baked goods. Or simply pick up a hot (or cold) brew and enjoy a stroll.

Tapping a significant collection of Southwestern artifacts and archival photos, the Maxwell's engaging shows encompass three fascinating fields: archaeology, cultural anthropology, and evolutionary anthropology. As the first public museum in Albuquerque (established in 1932), its influence has grown over the years, but its compact space ensures that exhibits are scaled to the essentials. A viewer—whether of a permanent exhibit on peoples of the Southwest or a temporary one—will be intrigued and informed, but not overwhelmed. Of special note is their rare and substantial collection of Mimbres pottery from AD 800–1000. The museum's gift shop has a fine selection of reliably vetted Native American crafts.

Beneath the stumps of five extinct volcanoes, this park encompasses more than 25,000 ancient Native American rock drawings inscribed on the 17-mile-long West Mesa escarpment overlooking the Rio Grande Valley. For centuries, Native American hunting parties camped at the base, chipping and scribbling away. Archaeologists believe most of the petroglyphs were carved on the lava formations between 1100 and 1600, but some images at the park may date back as far as 1000 BC. Accessible in three separate (and mostly shade-free---bring water and a hat!) sections, each is a short drive from the helpful Visitor Center, where rangers will supply maps and help you determine which trail is best for the time you have. The somewhat sandy but packed flat 1½-mile (round-trip) Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail has readily visible petroglyphs all along its length; at 2.2 miles, the unpaved trail at Rinconada Canyon reveals its large concentration of petroglyphs about halfway in; and, closest to the Visitor Center is the Boca Negra Canyon loop trail, with three paved spurs that each take you up close to distinctive clusters of petroglyphs as well.

Designed by Arthur Rossiter in 1925 in a Spanish–Pueblo Revival style, this was the main Albuquerque library for some 50 years (renowned Santa Fe woodblock artist Gustave Baumann contributed the lovely interior embellishments). Repurposed as the Special Collections division in 1975, the old library now houses local history resources—including an exemplary collection of Albuquerque-theme historical postcards—as well as a small museum comprised of historic printing presses and related ephemera, known as the Center for the Book. Changing exhibits and public programs in the dramatic double-story, viga-lined main reading room are always well presented.

This world-famous institution played a major role in reviving the fine art of lithographic printing, which involves working with plates of traditional stone and modern metal. Tamarind certification is to a printer what a degree from Juilliard is to a musician. A small gallery within the modern facility exhibits prints and lithographs by well-known masters like Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Jim Dine, Judy Chicago, Kiki Smith, and Ed Ruscha, as well as up-and-comers in the craft. Guided tours (reservations essential) are conducted the first Friday of every quarter at 1:30.