Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Albuquerque Museum is the city's main museum of art and history, on Mountain Road NW beside Old Town in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It tells the story of the city and the wider region through paintings, photographs and historic objects, and it is a good place to get your bearings before walking Old Town.

The story behind it

Albuquerque began in 1706 as a Spanish colonial settlement built around a plaza, and that plaza is still the heart of Old Town, a short walk from the museum. The museum is run by the city and was set up in the 1960s to keep and explain the area's art and history. Its collections follow the region from the Spanish colonial period through the arrival of the railroad and into the twentieth century, with a long-running exhibition on the city's history called Only in Albuquerque.

The streets around the museum carry older layers still. Native Pueblo communities lived along the Rio Grande long before the Spanish arrived, and Old Town's adobe buildings reflect centuries of rebuilding and reuse. On San Felipe Street, the High Noon Restaurant & Saloon says its building began as a home in the late 1700s. Local legend adds a lady in white said to haunt it, a story worth hearing as a legend rather than a record.

What to look for

• Look for the outdoor sculpture garden, where large works sit in the open air and the setting changes with the light.
• Inside, pay attention to the Spanish colonial objects and the history gallery, which show how everyday life in the Rio Grande valley looked centuries ago.
• Notice the Southwest art and photography collections, which show how artists and photographers have pictured the landscape and the people of New Mexico.
• Step outside and look toward the nearby Old Town streets, where thick adobe walls, deep windows and portals show the older building style.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about one to two hours inside, more if you like reading every label, and check current opening hours before you go.
• Pair it with Old Town, which is a few minutes away on foot, so you can see the plaza and San Felipe Street on the same outing.
• Go earlier in the day for quieter galleries, and keep the late afternoon for strolling Old Town in softer light.
• Check the museum's website for special exhibitions, tours and any current entry arrangements.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Albuquerque suits anyone drawn to the legends of Old Town. You walk to each stop on foot, the app tells you about every place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Albuquerque turns the same area into a detective walk. You move from stop to stop through the streets, hear about each place as you reach it, and work through puzzles set in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in Albuquerque is made for younger explorers. It keeps children moving between places, with the app sharing a little about each one and a puzzle to solve at every stop. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.