Historic Old Town050

Albuquerque's Historic Old Town is a busy tourist area with the usual New Mexico fare: pottery, silver, turquoise, coyotes, and Kokopelli (an Anasazi deity).

The Plaza is surrounded by original adobe style buildings and homes (dating back to the 1700's) that have been converted into shops. The San Felipe de Neri Church, which has been in operation for almost 300 years, is located on the north end of Old Town Plaza.

For souvenirs and trinkets, Roadrunner of Old Town, Inc. and Old Town T-shirt Company are good choices. La Casita de Kaleidoscopes, The Hello Dollie Doll Shop, New Mexico Bead and Fetish, and Angel Town offer a variety of specialty items.

Snake lovers should visit the International Rattlesnake Musuem located southeast of Old Town Plaza.

For a real treat, visit Historic Old Town on Christmas Eve for a spectacular luminaria (sand-filled paper bags with lit candles) display. The candles are lit just after sun down.

Tours: The Albuquerque Museum offers a walking tour of Historic Old Town Tuesday-Sunday at 11am (mid March -mid December).

The Visitor's Center is located on the Plaza San Luis (west of Old Town Plaza) and is open April to October, daily 9am-5pm; November to March, daily 9:30am-4:30pm.

Historic Old Town is within walking distance of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, The Albuquerque Museum, Explora, and Tiguex Park.