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Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, is a city with an incredible history, vibrant arts scene, and plenty of attractions. It’s also the oldest state capital city in the United States and makes a great base for nearby historic, cultural, and natural destinations.
History of Santa Fe
The area around Santa Fe was originally inhabited by the indigenous Tewa people from the 10th through 16th centuries. They called it Oghá P’o’oge (White Shell Water Place). The Spaniards arrived in 1598, led by conquistador Juan de Oñate (1550-1626), who founded the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. It was comprised of parts of present-day Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
In 1610, the second governor of the province, Pedro de Peralta (c. 1584-1666), founded La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi).
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 saw the native Pueblo people drive the Spaniards out of New Mexico south to El Paso (today’s Ciudad Juárez, Mexico). They continued to run the province from the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe until 1692, when Diego de Vargas (1643-1704) reconquered the territory for Spain. The city grew into the most important trading and transportation hub west of the Mississippi River.
After the Mexican War of Independence, the city officially became the capital of the Mexican province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in 1824. The establishment of the Santa Fe Trail in 1822 opened new economic opportunities with Missouri, attracting both Native American and American traders.
Santa Fe under the United States
When Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836, it attempted to claim Santa Fe and other parts of Nuevo México. Texas joined the Union in 1846, and the United States sent soldiers to the city to claim the province as well. The New Mexico Territory formally became a part of the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. During the Civil War, General Henry Sibley (1816-1886) briefly occupied Santa Fe for the Confederacy for a few days in March 1862.
In 1880, Santa Fe was bypassed for the main railroad route through New Mexico and suffered from economic decline. Artists, writers, and retirees began arriving in the early 20th century. The city’s fortunes began to change after New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912, and it was named the state capitol. Historic buildings were restored and new buildings were erected using traditional styles and techniques, creating the Santa Fe or Pueblo Revival style of architecture.
Today, Santa Fe is a well-known arts and cultural center and a major tourist destination in the Southwest. It’s full of art galleries and historic attractions.
Getting to Santa Fe
Santa Fe has a small regional airport, the Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF), which lies ten miles to the southwest of the city. There are regular flights from Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, as well as seasonal flights from Chicago and Houston. It might be easier to fly into Albuquerque and drive.
Where to Stay in Santa Fe
The city is full of great options for all tastes and budgets.
Lamplighter Inn (Permanently Closed)
We stayed at the Lamplighter Inn (formerly America’s Best Value Inn Lamplighter), a short drive from downtown Santa Fe. It did its job for the night as a clean place to stay with comfortable beds. The hotel also features an indoor pool and complimentary breakfast. (Note: The Lamplighter Inn has been converted into affordable housing.)
Where to Eat in Santa Fe
You can find lots of great food all over the city.
Santa Fe Teahouse
Our first meal in Santa Fe was at the Santa Fe Teahouse, which is located on Canyon Road. They have a great selection of teas from all over the world, coffee, dessert, and a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I had a delicious chicken sandwich with a coffee while Martin and Gönül had tea and sandwiches.
Los Magueyes
For dinner, we ate excellent Mexican food at Los Magueyes, which is located downtown. I had a huge combo plate with enchiladas, a stuffed poblano pepper, a taco, a tostada, rice, and beans. I had to take some back to the hotel with me!
Popcorn Maven (Permanently Closed)
Popcorn Maven has a good selection of different flavors of popcorn just off Santa Fe Plaza. I think I stopped in there a couple times for snacks while I walked around Santa Fe.
Santa Fe Plaza
Santa Fe Plaza sits at the heart of historic downtown Santa Fe and is a National Historic Landmark. It was originally laid out when the city of Santa Fe was founded in 1610.
The plaza was surrounded by a defensive wall that enclosed barracks, a chapel, a prison, and the Palace of the Governors. It sat at the northern terminus of El Camino Real, the Spanish Royal Road from Mexico City.
During the Mexican period, the plaza was the western terminus of the Santa Fe Trail from Missouri. Wagons would use it as a campground and place to unload goods. A historical marker placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution and Territory of New Mexico in 1910 sits in the plaza.
When the United States annexed New Mexico, a fence was built to keep animals out. Trees were planted and paths were built as well as a bandstand and the Soldiers’ Monument. After New Mexico gained statehood in 1912, a historic preservation plan was established.
Today, Santa Fe Plaza is surrounded by historic adobe buildings and is a popular place for both locals and tourists to gather. There are street vendors selling food and crafts, and a handful of monuments and historic markers.
Soldiers’ Monument
First, in the center of the plaza is the Soldiers’ Monument. It was erected between 1867 and 1868 and stands 33 feet (10 meters) high. The monument consists of an obelisk and a plinth. It was built by architects John and Michael McGee and master stonecutter Tomas Baca. A time capsule was added on October 24, 1867, containing items of the period.
The monument has been viewed as racist and controversial. Three of the four panels are dedicated to Union soldiers who died on the battlefields of the Territory of New Mexico during the Civil War, while the fourth panel memorializes soldiers who died “in the various battles with savage Indians.” The word “savage” was chiseled off on August 4, 1974, by an anonymous person, and the obelisk was knocked down on October 12, 2020, during protests on Indigenous People’s Day.
Palace of the Governors
The most important historic building on Santa Fe Plaza is the Palace of the Governors (Palacio de los Gobernadores), which is a National Historic Landmark. It served as the seat of New Mexico government from 1610 until 1886. It’s the oldest continuously occupied public building in the country, and is the only capitol in the United States that has housed the governments of three different countries (Spain, Mexico, and the United States).
The palace was built in 1610 by the newly-appointed provincial governor Pedro de Peralta as the seat of government for Santa Fe de Nuevo México. It became the capital of the Mexican Territory of Nuevo México in 1821, and the capital of the American Territory of New Mexico in 1846.
The territorial capitol moved to a new building in 1886 and the Palace of the Governors fell into disrepair. It was renovated between 1909 and 1913 to become the Museum of New Mexico. It served as the museum until the summer of 2009 when the New Mexico History Museum opened next door. The Palace of the Governors continues to host museum exhibits today, and Native American artists sell their works under the portal.
New Mexico Museum of Art
On the northwest corner of the Santa Fe Plaza is the New Mexico Museum of Art. The building was designed by American architect Isaac Rapp (1854-1933) and completed in 1917. The façade was based on Spanish mission churches.
The New Mexico Museum of Art boasts a collection of over 20,000 paintings, photographs, sculptures, and other works. Among the featured artists are Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), Bruce Nauman (b. 1941), and Maria Martinez (1887-1980). The museum is open daily May through October and closed Mondays November through April. Admission is US$12 for out-of-state visitors, US$7 for New Mexico residents, and free for kids under 17 (as of May 2025).
La Fonda on the Plaza
Finally, on the southeast corner of the Santa Fe Plaza is La Fonda on the Plaza. It’s a historic luxury hotel built by Isaac Rapp in 1920. La Fonda sits on the site occupied by several other hotels since 1610. The building also houses shops, restaurants, and galleries.
New Mexico History Museum
The New Mexico History Museum is an excellent museum in historic downtown Santa Fe. It opened to the public on May 24, 2009. The museum has over 96,000 square feet of space for permanent and rotating exhibits covering the history of New Mexico from ancient Native American cultures to the present. The museum campus includes the Palace of the Governors.
The museum is open daily from May through October and closed Mondays the rest of the year. Admission is US$12 for out-of-state visitors, US$7 for New Mexico residents, and free for kids under 17 (as of May 2025). Displays are in both English and Spanish. The main entrance is on Lincoln Avenue, just north of Santa Fe Plaza.
Exhibits at the Palace of the Governors
The first exhibits at the New Mexico History Museum are at the Palace of the Governors. They include period furniture as well as authentic artifacts from the Spanish colonial period. Some works of art depict Spanish governors as well as events such as the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Another section contains more original artifacts and has the floorboards and walls exposed, where visitors can see original foundations and doorways.
Continuing through the Palace of the Governors are exhibits displaying items used in everyday life and farming, and works of art from the religious lives of Spanish colonists.
Modern Wing
The museum continues through the modern wing, first with displays about Spanish colonization and European settlement of New Mexico, then about Mexican independence and the Santa Fe Trail. There are also sections about struggles between settlers and Native Americans as well as the stories of some settler families.
The next sections covered the Mexican-American War and annexation by the United States followed by the Civil War and Indian Wars in New Mexico.
The arrival of the railroad and the rise of tourism in New Mexico through the Fred Harvey Company system is next, before displays about New Mexico statehood in 1912.
One interesting piece in the collection is the death mask of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (1878-1923). Next to it is Villa’s revolver.
Continuing are exhibits on the impact of World War II in New Mexico. They cover soldiers staying at the Fred Harvey hotels on their way to boot camp and off to war as well as the contribution of Navajo code talkers.
The displays also cover Japanese internment camps and German and Italian prisoner of war camps located in New Mexico. There’s also an entire room dedicated to the top-secret Manhattan Project and its headquarters at 109 East Palace in Santa Fe.
Finally, there’s a room with photos of New Mexicans, their traditions, and famous landmarks with quotes on the wall. At the end is a map of New Mexico with caricatures of what’s found in each area.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Detouring a few blocks west of Santa Fe Plaza you’ll find the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. It’s the largest collection of works by American artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), including some of her most important works. The collection includes over 1,200 items.
The museum opened on July 17, 1997, and also runs tours to the Georgie O’Keeffe Home and Studio in Abiquiu. Admission is US$22 for adults, US$12 for kids age 6-18 and students with a valid ID, and free for kids under 6 (as of May 2025). It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. I made it a point to visit and enjoyed it very much.
Santa Fe City Hall
North of the plaza at Lincoln Avenue and Marcy Street is the Santa Fe City Hall. It was built in 1966 in the Pueblo Revival style and features a statue of St. Francis of Assisi out front.
Santiago E. Campos U.S. Courthouse
A block further north at the end of Lincoln Avenue is the Santiago E. Campos U.S. Courthouse. It belongs to the U.S. District Court of New Mexico. Construction on the building started in 1853 and it was originally intended to serve as the territorial capitol. Work was suspended several times due to funding shortages, lack of qualified workers, and the Civil War. The project continued after 1883 and the building was completed in 1889, but it became a federal land claims court instead and later named the U.S. Courthouse.
Architect Louis A. Simon (1867-1958) designed the Greek Revival addition constructed between 1929 and 1930. Six large murals by William Penhallow Henderson (1877-1943) were installed in the north and south entrance halls in 1938. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and it was restored in 2002. It was officially renamed in honor of Santiago E. Campos (1926–2001), the first Hispanic federal judge in New Mexico, in 2004. The obelisk in front was erected in 1884 and honors Kit Carson (1809-1868).
Santa Fe Public Library
A couple blocks east at Marcy and Washington is the Santa Fe Public Library. The Santa Fe Woman’s Board of Trade (WBT) opened the city’s first public library on January 15, 1896, in an old army barracks that later became the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts. They constructed a new building that opened in January 1907 as the Woman’s Board of Trade Library. The group provided books to wounded World War I veterans, prisoners in the city jail, and children in rural and urban schools.
In 1932, the WBT merged with the Santa Fe Woman’s Club to form the Santa Fe Woman’s Club and Library Association. They further developed library services in Santa Fe, expanding to provide books to nursing homes, seniors citizens, and Spanish-speaking citizens. The City of Santa Fe purchased the main branch in 1964 and began municipal ownership of the Santa Fe Public Library.
109 East Palace
A half block east of the plaza is 109 East Palace. Starting in 1943, it served as the Santa Fe office of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Anyone involved in the Manhattan Project creating the first atomic bomb passed through the office on the way to their secret mission in Los Alamos. A historical marker sits on the building.
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Across the street is the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA). It’s run by the Institute of American Indian Arts and is open daily except Tuesdays. Admission is US$10 for out-of-state visitors; US$5 for New Mexico residents, seniors age 60+, and students with a valid ID; and free for kids under 16 (as of May 2025).
The museum was founded in 1972. In 1992, the collection moved to the current location at the former Santa Fe Federal Building and old post office, which was built in 1922.
St. Francis Cathedral
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Catedral basílica de San Francisco de Asís), more commonly known as St. Francis Cathedral, is just around the corner.
St. Francis Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. It was built by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814-1888) between 1869 and 1886 and sits on the site of two older churches. The first was built in 1626 and destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The second was built of adobe between 1714 and 1717 and called La Parroquia. The cathedral was elevated to a basilica on October 4, 2005, by Pope Benedict XVI.
St. Francis Cathedral was built around La Parroquia, which was dismantled after construction was complete. A small chapel at the north side of the cathedral is all that remains of La Parroquia. The cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style.
Doors of St. Francis Cathedral
The bronze doors of the church were added during renovations in 1986. They were sculpted by artist Donna Quasthoff (1924-2021) and have 10 panels each, portraying the history of the church in Santa Fe.
Nave of St. Francis Cathedral
The interior of St. Francis Cathedral consists of a central nave and two aisles separated by arched Corinthian columns. The rose window and others were imported from Clermont-Ferrand in France. The altar screen contains a statue of St. Francis of Assisi surrounded by paintings of saints from the New World. The La Conquistadora Chapel is in the right transept while the left transept contains the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
The Stations of the Cross are of particular interest because they were made in the New Mexico Santero style by Marie Romero Cash. The Spanish style frames were carved by Roberto Montoya. Above the entrance is a choir loft where you can see the organ.
Also of note is the baptismal font in the center. It was made of Brazilian granite and dedicated on June 3, 2001. The basin takes the shape of the cross and has three steps, representing the three days between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
Statues at St. Francis Cathedral
In front of St. Francis Cathedral are three statues. The statue of St. Francis of Assisi was installed in 1967, and the statue of Archbishop Lamy was made by Jeno Juszko (1880-1954) and dedicated in 1915.
A statue of Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680), the first Native American from North America to be beatified sits nearby. She was canonized in October 2012. St. Kateri was an Algonquin-Mohican woman from New York who converted to Christianity at a young age. The statue was created by Estella Loretto from the Jemez Pueblo and installed in 2003.
Cathedral Park
Just north of the church is Cathedral Park. It’s a pleasant space with tall shady trees and benches. There’s also a memorial dedicated to the first settlers of Santa Fe.
Loretto Chapel
A short walk south is the Loretto Chapel is a former Roman Catholic church. It’s now used as a wedding chapel and museum.
The chapel is open daily except Christmas Day from 9am to 5pm. It may, however, close during normal business hours when weddings are scheduled. Admission is US$5 for adults, US$4 for seniors age 65+, US$3 for kids age 7-17, and free for kids under 7 (as of May 2025).
The Loretto Chapel was commissioned in 1873 by the Sisters of Loretto for the Loretto Academy, a Catholic girls’ school. It was built by French architect Projectus Mouly (d. 1879) and consecrated in 1878. The design was based on Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. The spires, buttresses, and stained glass windows were imported to Santa Fe from France.
The students and nuns of the Loretto Academy used the chapel daily until the school closed in 1968. The rest of the academy’s buildings were demolished, and the chapel was converted into a privately owned museum and wedding venue.
Miraculous Staircase
The most famous feature of the Loretto Chapel is the “miraculous spiral staircase”. It rises 20 feet to the choir loft without the support of a central pole. It was built mostly of wood and is held together by wooden pegs and glue rather than nails or other fasteners. The staircase was most likely built in 1881 and has 33 steps, representing each year of Jesus’ life.
According to legend, even after the church was complete, the Sisters of Loretto had no access to the choir loft. With the unexpected death of the architect, they had to find a solution on their own. Several carpenters were consulted, but none were able to find a solution due to the confined work area.
The nuns prayed to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, for nine straight days. On the ninth day, a stranger appeared and offered to build the staircase. He worked alone using simple tools and disappeared before the nuns could pay him or learn his identity.
The nuns were impressed by the craftsmanship of the staircase and began to attribute the work as a miracle, and that the carpenter must have been St. Joseph himself. Depending on the version of the story, it took just one night or between six to eight months to build it.
Because descending the staircase was frightening, handrails were added in 1887 by another carpenter, Phillip August Hesch (1832-1914). They have been mostly closed to the public since the chapel became a private museum.
Identity of the Builder
The builder of the staircase was most likely François-Jean Rochas (1843-1895), a French rancher and carpenter who arrived in New Mexico in the 1870s. His name appeared in a logbook stating that the Sisters of Loretto had paid him US$150 for wood in 1881. Also, the Santa Fe New Mexican wrote an article on his death by murder in 1895:
“He was a Frenchman, and was favorably known in Santa Fe as an expert worker in wood. He build [sic] the handsome stair-case in the Loretto chapel and at St. Vincent sanitarium.”
Barrio de Analco Historic District
Barrio de Analco is a historic neighborhood south of the heart of downtown Santa Fe. It was settled in 1620, shortly after the foundation of the city in 1610. It’s one of the oldest residential neighborhoods of European origin in the United States.
Barrio de Analco suffered major destruction during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and was rebuilt by Spanish colonists in 1692. The neighborhood was made up of working-class Spaniards as well as Native Americans and Mexicans.
Today, Barrio de Analco is a National Historic Landmark District made up of seven buildings along East De Vargas Street. The architecture is a mix of Spanish Colonial and Territorial styles, and the buildings are made of adobe.
Oldest House Museum
One of the buildings is the Oldest House Museum. The construction date is unknown, but the owners claim it was built around 1647. It may sit on foundations of the old Analco Pueblo, which dates back to the 13th century and was still standing when Spanish colonists arrived in the area.
Entrance to the house is through the gift shop, which was constructed in the late 19th century. Admission is free but donations are accepted (as of May 2025).
The Oldest House consists of two stories. The first story is original and contains vigas (wooden beams in the ceiling) dating back to the mid-18th century. The second story was reconstructed in the 1920s and is closed to visitors.
San Miguel Chapel
Across the street is the San Miguel Chapel. It’s often referred to as the oldest continuously used church in the United States.
The San Miguel Chapel is typically open to visitors daily for a few hours. There’s no fee to enter, but the suggested donation is at least US$5 per person (as of May 2025). Mass is offered the first Sunday of every month at 3pm.
The original San Miguel Chapel was built in 1610 by Tlaxcalans accompanying Spanish settlers from Mexico, under the direction of the Franciscans. It was rebuilt twice, in the late 17th century and again in 1710.
The walls of the San Miguel Chapel are about five feet thick. The ceiling contains wooden vigas, of which two are square and thought to date back to 1710. Stations of the Cross, frescoes, and sculptures line the walls.
Altar
The altar belongs to the original chapel and was built by the Tlaxcalans. The altar screen dates back to 1798 and contains a wooden statue of St. Michael the Archangel carved in Mexico in 1709. It has been in place since at least 1776.
The top of the altar screen features a painting of St. Michael the Archangel by Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco (1713-1785) made in 1745. Below is a painting of Jesus dating back to the mid-18th century which was found behind the screen during renovations in 1955. The two paintings in the center are flanked by four oval oil paintings on canvas dating back to the early 18th century. They’re Mexican in origin and depict St. Teresa of Ávila, St. Gertrude, St. Louis, and St. Francis of Assisi.
Bell
Another interesting feature is the bell that hung in the bell tower before 1872. It’s on display inside and weighs 780 pounds (350 kilograms). It was cast in 1856 in Santa Fe, although an inscription mistakenly bears the date 1356:
“San José ruega por nosotros
Agosto 9 de 1356”“St. Joseph pray for us
August 9, 1356″
Lamy Building
Just south of the San Miguel Chapel is the former St. Michael’s Dormitory, which is now known as the Lamy Building. It was built in 1878 as the main building of St. Michael’s College, the predecessor of St. Michael’s High School and the College of Santa Fe (later the Santa Fe University of Art and Design). St. Michael’s College was established by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814-1888) of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The first classes were held in the fall of 1859.
In 1877, the leader of the school, Brother Botulph, raised funds to build a new building. Construction started in April 1878 and it was completed by November of that year. It had three stories, with the lower two made of adobe and the third floor made of wood. The third floor was destroyed by fire in 1926, reducing the building to its current height of two stories. It continued to be used as a dormitory until 1966 when the school moved to a new campus.
The State of New Mexico purchased the building and renamed it the Lamy Building after Archbishop Lamy. It now houses the New Mexico Tourism Department.
New Mexico State Capitol
Nearby is the New Mexico State Capitol. Unofficially known as the Roundhouse, it was dedicated on December 8, 1966. It’s the only circular state capitol building in the United States.
The building was designed by Willard C. Kruger (1910-1984) to resemble the Zia sun symbol when viewed from above. It has four levels, and stone carvings of the Seal of New Mexico sit above each entrance.
You can take a free self-guided tour of the building Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturdays from Memorial Day through August from 9am to 5pm (as of May 2025). Inside, you can admire the rotunda, the galleries overlooking the House and Senate chambers, and an impressive collection of art. Guided tours are by appointment only.
A 6 ½ acre garden surrounds the capitol building containing over 100 varieties of plants and trees. There are also several sculptures and other works of art scattering the grounds.
Canyon Road in Santa Fe
Canyon Road is a historic street full of art galleries. In fact, there are over 100 art galleries, boutique shops, and restaurants all in just a half mile.
Canyon Road runs along an irrigation ditch dating back to 1680. It was once a quiet residential neighborhood but began to attract prominent artists in the 1920s. As Santa Fe became a tourist destination, the popularity of the street grew and several art galleries started popping up.
The buildings along the street are made of adobe and are constructed in the Pueblo Revival style. Many have inner courtyards, which is common in Spanish colonial dwellings. When they were used as homes, the buildings were often inhabited by the owners and their extended families.
The galleries on Canyon Road have attracted some of the most important art collectors in the country. Many have relationships with museums and are represented at major art fairs.
Styles include traditional, contemporary, abstract, photorealistic, Native American, Western, and international. There are sculptures, paintings, photography, engravings, and much more.
As you can see by the photos, even if you aren’t interested in purchasing art, it’s fun to walk down the street just to look at the sculptures. You can also pop into the galleries to admire some incredible work.
