Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
164
related to local history and the arts. The city's Museum of New Mexico, art galleries and
studios, historic churches, and cultural sights associated with local Native American and
Hispanic communities all merit a visit. It would be easy to spend a full week sightseeing
in the city, without ever heading out to any nearby attractions.
THE TOP ATTRACTIONS
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, inaugurated in
July 1997, contains the largest collection of O'Keeffes in the world: currently 1,149
paintings, drawings, and sculptures, and 1,851 works by other artists of note. It's the
largest museum in the United States dedicated solely to an internationally known woman
artist. You can see such remarkable O'Keeffes as
Jimson Weed,
painted in 1932, and
Eve-
ning Star No. VII,
from 1917. The museum presents special exhibitions that are either
devoted entirely to O'Keeffe's work or combine examples of her art with works by her
American modernist contemporaries. My favorite in recent years brought together works
of O'Keeffe and photographer Ansel Adams. The rich and varied collection adorns the
walls of a cathedral-like, 13,000-square-foot space—a former Baptist church with adobe
walls. O'Keeffe's images are tied inextricably to local desert landscapes. She first visited
New Mexico in 1917 (though the museum film says 1929) and returned for extended
periods from the '20s through the '40s. In 1949, she moved here permanently. An excel-
lent film at the museum depicts her life. Plan to spend 1 to 2 hours here.
217 Johnson St.
&
505/946-1000.
www.okeeffemuseum.org. Admission $8, free for students and youth
18 and under, free for all Fri 5-8pm. June-Oct daily 10am-5pm (Fri until 8pm). Closed Tues Nov-May.
7
New Mexico History Museum & the Palace of the Governors
Open
in 2009, the New Mexico History Museum presents the state's unique role in world his-
tory. Set in 96,000 square feet of exhibit space, the museum offers visitors an interactive
experience exploring a region occupied by Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache people, followed
by the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s, and, finally, the present day.
A part of the museum, the Palace of the Governors, offers a glimpse into the Pueblo
Revolt of 1680. Prior to the uprising, this was the local seat of power, and after Don
Diego de Vargas reconquered the natives, it resumed that position. Built in 1610 as the
original capitol of New Mexico, the palace has been in continuous public use longer than
any other structure in the United States. Out front, Native Americans sell jewelry, pot-
tery, and some weavings under the protection of the portal. This is a good place to buy,
and it's a fun place to shop, especially if you take the time to visit with the artisans about
their work. When you buy a piece, you may learn its history, a treasure often as valuable
as the piece itself. Plan to spend 2 or more hours exploring the museum and shopping
here.
Two shops are of particular interest. One is the bookstore/gift shop, which has an
excellent selection of art, history, and anthropology books. The other is the print shop
and bindery, where limited-edition works are produced on hand-operated presses. The
museum offers walking tours April through October. Call for the schedule.
North plaza.
&
505/476-5100.
www.museumofnewmexico.org. Admission $8 adults, free for children
16 and under, free for all Fri 5-8pm. 4-day passes (good at all 4 branches of the Museum of New Mexico
and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art) $18 for adults. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm. Closed New Year's Day,
Thanksgiving, Christmas.
New Mexico Museum of Art
Opposite the Palace of the Governors, this was one
of the first pueblo revival-style buildings constructed in Santa Fe (in 1917). The muse-
um's permanent collection of more than 20,000 works emphasizes regional art and
