Top Rated Attractions in Albuquerque

San Felipe de Neri is the visual, geographical and spiritual heart of Old Town. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the original Pueblo-style building was constructed in 1793; the distinctive Gothic wooden steeples were added in 1861. Rose gardens welcome the visitor to the church's front courtyard. Stepping into the cool interior you will discover beautiful tin work, vigas (wooden beams) and five feet thick adobe walls.

Take a walk through time from the big bang through the ice ages in one of the premier natural history museums in the country. Also, discover a great collection of massive dinosaurs while you watch technicians work on actual fossils. You can also experience the Dynamax Theater with its multi-story screen and super sound system. Step into the Time Machine and stop by the Lode Star Center that includes a high-tech, 175-seat theater, telescope and planetarium. The STARTUP Gallery tells the story of Albuquerque's role in the development of the computer. The Nature Works store in the museum features a unique inventory of items related to dinosaurs, birds, and various species of animals and scientific gadgets.

This non-profit community theater company combines a staff of professionals and local talent who volunteer their time to produce comedies, musicals, dramas and mysteries. The 1000-plus seat building was designed by famed Southwestern architect John Gaw Meen and built in 1936, giving this theater a rich historical feel, but modern acoustics and lighting provide a quality night of entertainment. The theater is easy to find on the historic Route 66 in the Old Town area.

The historic Nob Hill area along Central Avenue (Route 66) in Albuquerque's university area is home to a recently revitalized community of local boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and bars. Some local favorites include Papers!, a stationary and art supply store, Beeps, a novelty gift store, and the Flying Saucer, one of the city's best coffee shop cafes. Visitors to the area will also find plenty of antique shopping, bookstores, and specialty shops selling everything from yarn to groceries. Many of the local restaurants and bars host live music events, and each year in December, the district puts on a Shop & Stroll holiday entertainment event.

This one of its kind museum features exhibits chronicling the history of ballooning, with a special focus on Albuquerque's contribution (as "Balloon Capital of the World") to this lighter-than-air art form. Famous history-making balloons are on display, as well as other intriguing exhibits like nineteenth-century Japanese ballooning outfits, German war-balloons used for bombing operations, and artifacts from the very beginning of hot-air ballooning in the late eighteenth century. The museum facility overlooks the field from which balloons take off during the world-renowned annual Balloon Fiesta.

With a rich historical background, the Guild Cinema is an old theater that was first opened in 1966 as a store. It underwent several changes and was passed down to many owners until 2004. Today, it is one of the only theaters in the city that showcases art films. The cinema calls itself the only independent theater in the city and takes pride in screening multiple-genre movies. It is also available for private hire for parties and other events. Fun for movie buffs doesn't end here- Guild Cinema plays host to popular film festivals like the Troma Dance, International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and Summer in the Dark Festival of Film Noir among others.