Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce,
103 W. US 66, Gallup, NM 87301 (
&
800/242-4282
or 505/722-2228; www.the
gallupchamber.com), is just south of the main I-40 interchange for downtown Gallup.
281
WHAT TO SEE & DO
Exploring Gallup
Gallup has 20 buildings that are either listed on or have been nominated to the National
Register of Historic Places. Some hold trading posts worth visiting. A good place to start
is at the
Santa Fe Railroad Depot,
which also houses the
Gallup Cultural Center
,
at East 66 Avenue and Strong Street (
&
505/863-4131
). Built in 1923 in modified
Mission style, it has been renovated into a community transportation and cultural center,
with a museum worth visiting, as well as a gift shop and diner. Note especially the exhib-
its on regional history and the Master's Exhibit of paintings, pottery, and basketry from
area Native Americans (for more activities see “Sunset Dances,” below). The center is
open weekdays from 9am to 5pm, often with extended hours in the summer. Across the
street, the
Drake Hotel
(later the Turquoise Club but now abandoned), built of blond
brick in 1919, had the Prohibition-era reputation of being controlled by bootleggers,
with wine running in the faucets in place of water.
The 1928
White Cafe,
100 W. 66 Ave., is an elaborate decorative brick structure that
catered to the early auto tourist traffic. Now it's a jewelry store. Down the street, the
Eagle Café,
220 W. 66 Ave. (
&
505/722-3220
), open since 1920, serves diner food in
an authentic atmosphere. A few doors down,
Richardson's Trading Company,
222 W.
66 Ave. (
&
505/722-4762;
www.richardsontrading.com), has been selling good Native
American arts and crafts since 1913.
The
Rex Hotel,
300 W. 66 Ave., constructed of locally quarried sandstone, was once
known for its “ladies of the night.” It's now the
Rex Museum
(
&
505/863-1363
), a
somewhat random display of items from the Gallup Historical Society Collection, but
fun for history buffs. It's open daily but with unpredictable hours. Call before setting
out.
Gallup's architectural gems include the
Chief Theater,
228 W. Coal Ave. This struc-
ture was built in 1920; in 1936, it was completely redesigned in Pueblo-Deco style, with
zigzag relief and geometric form, by R. E. “Griff ” Griffith (who also built the El Rancho
Hotel), brother of Hollywood producer D. W. Griffith. Now this is
City Electric Shoe
Shop
(
&
505/863-5252;
www.cityelectricshoe.com), where Native Americans go to buy
feathers, leather, and other goods to make ceremonial clothing. It's known to locals sim-
ply as City Electric because it was the first shop in town to have an automated shoe-repair
machine. It also has a good selection of moccasins and hats. Also visit the 1928
El Morro
Theater,
207 W. Coal Ave., built in Spanish colonial revival style with Spanish baroque
plaster carving and bright polychromatic painting; it's where locals come to see movies
and dance performances.
10
Shopping
Nowhere are the jewelry and crafts of Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi tribes less expensive than
in Gallup. The most intriguing places to shop are the trading posts and pawnshops,
which provide a surprising range of services for their largely Native American clientele
and have little in common with the pawnshops of large U.S. cities.
