Destination Guides > North America > USA > Southwest USA > New Mexico> Albuquerque
Albuquerque
This pleasant city is a popular stop for travellers driving along the famed Route 66, which passes through the city centre. The city was founded in 1706 and the city’s historic Old Town is a nice place to meander.
Practical Information
Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau
Corner 2nd Street & Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 842 9918 or 800 733 9918
Website www.abqcvb.org
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Old Town Information Center
303 Romero Street, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 243 3215
Website www.abqcvb.org
Open Jan-Mar 9.30am-4.30pm daily; Apr-Oct 9am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec 9.30am-4.30pm daily
Coming & Going
AIR
Few backpackers fly into Albuquerque International Sunport (tel (505) 244 7700; website www.cabq.gov/airport/) south of the city centre. Bus 50 runs between the airport and the city centre.
BUS
Both Greyhound (tel (505) 243 4435; website www.greyhound.com) and TNM&O Coaches serve Albuquerque. Buses connect Albuquerque with Denver, Los Angeles and Santa Fe.
Local Transport
ABQ RIDE (tel (505) 843 9200; website www.cabq.gov/transit/) runs Albuquerque’s local buses. As you would expect bus route 66 runs along Route 66. One-way bus fares cost $1.
The New Mexico Railrunner Express (website www.nmrailrunner.com) is a new suburban train service. It is of little use for most travellers, although there is talk of a future extension to Santa Fe.
Accommodation
Route 66 Hostel
1012 Central Avenue Southwest, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Tel (505) 247 1813
Sights
OLD TOWN
Albuquerque’s Old Town with its fine adobe plaza has been restored to reflect how Albuquerque looked in the early 1900s. Although it’s a bit of a tourist trap, the Old Town is a lovely part of town and definitely worth a visit.
Albuquerque Museum of Art & History
This museum features displays of art and New Mexican history with interesting exhibits on the state’s Spanish colonial past.
2000 Mountain Road, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 243 7255
Website www.cabq.gov/museum/
Admission $4, free 1st Wed of month
Open Tue-Sun 9am-5pm
New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
This museum combines dinosaurs with the hands-on displays of a science museum and includes a planetarium and IMAX theatre.
1801 Mountain Road, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 841 2802
Website www.nmnaturalhistory.org
Admission $7
Open 9am-5pm daily
Rattlesnake Museum
This offbeat museum features the world’s largest collection of rattlesnakes.
202 San Felipe NW, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 242 6569
Website www.rattlesnakes.com
Admission $3.50
Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
ELSEWHERE IN ALBURQUERQUE
Albuquerque Aquarium
Albuquerque’s one million-litre aquarium is home to marine life including sharks.
2601 Central Avenue NW, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 764 6200
Website www.cabq.gov/biopark/aquarium/
Admission $7
Open 9am-5pm daily
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
This centre is an excellent introduction to the culture and history of all New Mexico’s Native American pueblos.
2401 12th Street NW, Albuquerque
Bus 36
Tel (505) 843 7270
Website www.indianpueblo.org
Admission $4 ($1 students)
Open 9am-4.30pm daily
Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
This museum on the University of New Mexico campus has excellent exhibits on Native American culture and history.
University Boulevard, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 277 5963
Admission free
Open Tue-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm
Rio Grande Zoological Park
This leading zoo is home to a large range of animals from around the world.
903 10th Street SW, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 768 2000
Website www.cabq.gov/biopark/zoo/
Admission $7
Open 9am-5pm daily
Petroglyph National Monument
This 27km-long archaeological site contains around 25,000 images carved into the rocks between 700 and 300 years ago by Native Americans and Spanish settlers.
6001 Unser Blvd NW, Albuquerque
Tel (505) 899 0205
Website www.nps.gov/petr/
