This was my favorite outing during my trip to Albuquerque! This place is full of whimsy, art,…read morecreativity and joy! One of my favorite places in the world is The House on the Rock in Spring Green, WI. When I was at Tinkertown I felt like I was at a mini version of it. How cool to find out that Tinkertown was inspired by The House on the Rock! Tinkertown was created by artist Ross Ward. His wife keeps it running to honor his memory and to share his creations. Ross started creating figures out of wood in junior high school! I love the glass bottle walls. Bring some quarters or get them from the cashier for the many moving contraptions throughout the museum. There are hand painted inspirational signs throughout Tinkertown. There's a Western town. There are miniatures. There's an art car. It's filled with so much! I felt giddy at this place just like I did at House on the Rock. It's a place for all ages. Free parking out front.

Sometimes big joy comes in tiny packages... Tinkertown…read morereally is the perfect quirky roadside stop near Albuquerque, and it's great for children and adults alike. There's something magical about a place built from pure imagination, one small detail at a time. It's a bit overwhelming, but in the most positive way possible! You'll marvel at the walls made of glass bottles, random trinkets, and all the miniatures on display. Bring some coins to operate the animated displays! And do spend some time in the gift shop! Free parking.

Tips: buy tickets ahead of time online (time slots do sell out often), arrive 10 minutes early…read more(there is a direct connected parking lot for the museum with spots reserved for their guests), and be prepared to learn so much! The front door may be locked if you don't arrive in time, my tips are yours to success :)) This museum is family owned, and the layout in a beautiful historical castle is just amazing. Antiques adorn every room. The displays are well lit and have information for you to read and over 50 QR codes to scan for more interactive experience. Every room is curated by specific topics and designed to showcase an amazing collection and teach the patrons so much. Whether you're interested in the mining aspect, different countries that used turquoise over the generations, spotting imitations, what mines produce different variations, or learning about the family who started the museum, there is something for all. There are sample stones and areas set up to test your own knowledge at different turquoise and spotting fakes. And a mine you can go inside. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to going back next time in town. Dont forget to stop and browse the collection for sale in the gift shop. I picked up a few pieces from the sleeping beauty mine, my fav!

This is a comprehensive, family owned museum all about turquoise! The collection is vast with a…read moremulti faceted view of turquoise across time and the world! I really appreciated the opportunity to visit this museum and learn more about turquoise and more.

What a great museum! The docents are amazing and passionate about the history of this place. Hoping…read moreto return very soon.

If you are a history buff or interested in the history of Fred Harvey, the Harvey Girls and the…read moreHarvey hotels and restaurants this is a must stop. We arrived a few minutes before the Fred Harvey Whistle Stop Cafe closed at the museum and Francis, the woman who runs the restaurant graciously sat us down and told us what was left for the day. Mr. B had the Homemade Chicken and Dumplings and I just wanted a slice of the incredible looking carrot cake. Francis brought the food out, and it was amazing. The decor of the cafe, and the food gave you the feeling you are sitting in grandma's kitchen having a home cooked meal. The chicken and dumplings were full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. The carrot cake was moist and honestly the best slice of carrot cake I have had. Once we finished our meal, Francis gave us a tour of the museum. It was like stepping back into history with original dishes from the Harvey House restaurant, there is local history and railroad history too. It was well worth the stop, and I highly recommend a visit. It is a bit confusing to find, but it sits right at the railroad, just follow the signs. There is a nice size parking lot, so that is easy and everyone at the cafe and the museum are extremely kind, helpful and very knowledgeable about the history.

Super fun stop if you are into classic cars or just want to take a break and see some truly…read morebeautifully rebuilt classics. We enjoyed walking the aisles and seeing the classics at their best. There were so many (like the Buiks) that I had never heard of, but loved! Tons of Chevys of all kinds in here. We are a Ford family so I wished there were a few more of those, but I got a few in and it was fun! $5 entry, lots of parking. Nice stop to stretch your legs and see some history.

7-17-25 $5, worth it…read more I don't know why, but I didn't ask the ladies name that was working there today, shame on me, she was pleasant and should be acknowledged. Here's to you, thank you. This was a bonus stop that you can only do when you are doing a road trip. I just never know where you're gonna be. I love the history of Route 66 back in the day my family had a Hugh connection with that road. We've been on most of it, but not all of it and it's always fun to hit another part. I'm not sure why I had to buy another hat, but I did. The museum was fabulous. Not just the cars, but all the paraphernalia, and the old signs were great.. I WOULD RECOMMEND

The Santa Fe Botanical Garden is exceptionally well-kept, providing a fantastic chance to immerse…read moreoneself in the distinctive beauty of the New Mexican Desert. The walking paths are easy to follow, clearly marked, and offer beautiful views of the native flowers and plants that thrive in this environment. We took our time exploring all the different sections of the gardens, making the most of our visit. It truly was such a lovely, peaceful atmosphere for a quick get away from Albuquerque on the 4th of July.

I go to a lot of botanical gardens when I travel and this one was just ok. For the $16 admission…read moreprice, I'd say skip this one. It's small and you will be done in an hour at absolute most if you go really slow and take your time. The garden itself is beautiful, but for how large it is and the time you'll spend here it's not worth it. It is neat to see plants native to New Mexico here. Staff was friendly, and the gift shop had some cute things in it. Only porter potty bathrooms here. Located right by the other museums, so its a cool stop if you are in the area but honestly I'd say skip it and just walk around the museum plaza area instead.

New Mexico 01-2024 ABO Ruins Salina Misson in the Mountaire area of New Mexico. Medieval…read moreArchitecture looks like castle ruins. It was extremely cold with the wind whipping wildly. It was like 6 degrees !! It's located in the mountains and it's a beautiful drive up the ruins. It's Free to check it out. Check out all the photos, it's absolutely amazing there!

We visited Gran Quivira while passing through the area. I had never heard of the Salinas Pueblo…read moreMissions and didn't know much about it. In researching it, I got the impression all 3 sites were comparable. Unfortunately having visited Gran Quivira and seeing the pictures at the park headquarters, I think the other 2 sites were better. The have larger structures still standing. Gran Quivira may be the largest of the three, but outside of the main church, there's not much left. The ruins tend to be pretty low and largely overgrown. The main church has walls maybe 15 feet tall made with local stone. This site has not just ruins of the mission, but also of a village that sprouted up around it. We walked around it and saw it in maybe 30 minutes or less; would have been less if we'd used the ramp but it was closed due to the possibility of lightning. Gran Quivira was alright, but I'd check out Abo or Quarai instead if you get the chance. The fact that we saw the impressive ruins at Chaco Culture NHP the day before may have left me less impressed. Check these out if passing through, but I wouldn't go out of my was to see Gran Quivira.

Every summer I visit museums participating in the Blue Star Families program. I came across Origami…read morein the Garden on the blue star family website. The Garden is a stunning, peaceful, and unique art installation. I've been fascinated with origami since I was a child and to see massive origami sculptures spread across the garden is so amazing. Each piece tells a beautiful story in front of the backdrop of the New Mexico landscape. I am so glad that I've been able to visit twice in the last month. I've had such a good time walking through the beautiful garden and listening to the large chimes on the trees and reading the pieces. There's also beautiful depiction of unfolded origami, which is so unique and stunning. If you make the stop, I recommend visiting the gift shop. They have tons of origami paper to choose from paper, crane decor, sculptures for purchase and paintings for purchase. I purchased one of their double happiness, double crane red T-shirts and it's a new favorite of mine.

Such a beautiful space, incredible art, and gorgeous views... it's very soothing for a stroll, and…read morethe juxtaposition of art and nature is perfect. Everything is nicely curated and the pieces are stunning. I couldn't get enough of that giant vase of flowers, which rotated in the wind. You can learn to fold some basic origami at the gift shop. Staff is very friendly. They have Japanese parasols you can borrow if the sun is too harsh. Entrance and parking are free, but please make a donation!

I really love this museum, I can't wait for it to reopen to see the improvements they are making!…read moreMy favorite part is walking through earths full timeline, and the discovery area with the live animals. It's so bright and a huge space! I think they're well balanced by having great info for adults, but making the space extremely visually engaging for children. The movie area is cool, but the 3D glasses tend to give me a headache. Def worth stopping by, and I can't wait to review again after they reopen!

Oh my goodness, what a great museum!…read more So many different topics are interactive dinosaurs. Displays and hands-on activities to engage people of all ages. The sci-fi display, a special display showing books and other media that predicted future events and electronics, was exciting. The gift shop reflected the museum's different themes. In terms of the cost of the memorabilia, the lab kits, books, and stuffed animals were affordable and reinforced what was learned throughout the museum tour.

The Bradbury Science Museum is a hidden gem! It's free and the staff was so helpful in letting us…read moreknow about their theaters showing informative videos. The displays are informative and have interactive features on different science subjects they deal with. I enjoyed the earthquake and implosion chair to help you determine the difference between the two. I love the Monte Carlo method prediction station where you predict the joker card and figured out the method was amazing that you forget you're learning lol Playing President in a Cuban Missile Crisis station where you make decisions on how to save America and then see what President Kennedy decided was wonderful. This made history so much fun. You should definitely check out this museum.

Wonderful and free museum. A bit small, only one story but they cram a lot of information in there!…read moreThe staff is very nice and can answer a lot of questions about the museum, several are former employees of the actual Lab which is pretty cool. A good mix of historical information from the Manhattan project and what the lab is going right now. A lot of stuff I didn't know about what they do. **Updated hours for construction June 2026-??