Things to do
SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR
Jumpstart your day with a self-guided walking tour of the Historic Plaza area starting from the B&B.
Here are the Top 10 attractions (pick up a customized map before you leave the B&B):
O’KEEFFE MUSEUM
As an artist of national standing, Georgia O’Keeffe has been well known in America for many decades. More recently, her art has begun to attract similar attention and accolades abroad. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s collections include nearly 150 paintings and hundreds of works on paper (pencil and charcoal drawings, as well as pastels and watercolors). The collections also include personal property, from rocks and bones to dresses and paintbrushes, and a significant archive of documents and photographs relating to the artist’s life and times.
O’Keefe Museum houses the largest collection of Georgia O’Keeffe works. We recommend you start by seeing the two documentaries, one of them is narrated by Santa Fe’s own Gene Hackman. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, opened to the public in July 1997, with the goals of honoring and perpetuating Georgia O’Keeffe’s (1887–1986) artistic legacy and exploring her role in the development of the art of her time. When the Museum opened, its collection of 116 works included 94 by O’Keeffe, the largest group of works by the artist in any museum in the world.
NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF ART
New Mexico Museum of Art has works by many famed 20th-century artists. The building is a pueblo revival-style. Docent tour recommended. New Mexico Art Tells New Mexico History is a journey through the New Mexico Museum of Art’s rich collection of paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs bringing our state’s artistic heritage to you, the owners of these works—students, teachers, families, and art and history lovers. We have selected images highlighting New Mexico’s history and cultural traditions from pre-Conquest to our present day. The four Themes shown below offer you a view into the life and times of New Mexico and New Mexicans as our state grew and developed.
THE PLAZA
The Plaza is the heart of Santa Fe. It is also “End of the Santa Fe Trail”. Santa Fe Plaza has been the commercial, social and political center of Santa Fe since c. 1610 when it was established by Don Pedro de Peralta. The original Plaza was a presidio (fort) surrounded by a large defensive wall that enclosed residences, barracks, a chapel, a prison and the Governor’s palace. Eventually the wall gave way to large houses built by high-ranking Spanish officers and officials. In 1822 the famed Santa Fe Trail, a trade route from New Mexico to St. Louis, was opened with its terminus in the Plaza. Today the Plaza is ringed by structures in the Pueblo, Spanish and Territorial styles that reflect its diverse history. Among the most noted are the original palacio, the Palace of the Governors, built between 1610 and 1612 and San Miguel Mission, a noted landmark c. 1640, and one of the oldest churches in the United States.
NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM & THE PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS
New Mexico History Museum and the Placa of the Governors are on the north side of the Plaza. Take a quick walk-through an amazing New Mexico history. Telling New Mexico: Stories from Then and Now, the main exhibition of the New Mexico History Museum, sweeps across more than 500 years of stories – from early Native inhabitants to today’s residents – with stories told through artifacts, films, photographs, computer interactive, oral histories and more. Together, they breathe life into the people who made the American West: Native Americans, Spanish colonists, Mexican traders, Santa Fe Trail riders, fur trappers, outlaws, railroad men, scientists, hippies and artists. The exhibit is divided into six sections representing chronological periods from the pre-colonial era to the present. Each is set apart by time frames and contrasting views from first-person accounts of the people who lived during the different periods.
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTS
The best place to see the contemporary Native American art in Santa Fe. The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), a center of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), is dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of/for contemporary Native art, history and culture through presentation, collection/acquisition, preservation, and interpretation. The MoCNA is recognized as the pre-eminent organizer of exhibitions devoted exclusively to the display of dynamic and diverse arts practices representative of Native North America.
ST. FRANCIS CATHEDRAL BASILICA
If you’re an architecture buff, take some time to check out the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Located a block east of the Santa Fe Plaza, this breathtaking Romanesque cathedral stands out among the city’s adobe skyline. Constructed beginning in 1869, the cathedral’s main purpose was to help bring Catholicism to the Southwest. Sitting next to the cathedral is the small adobe chapel – all that remains of a previous church that was destroyed during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt – which contains the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary in the United States.
Built in Romanesque style between 1869 and 1886 by Archbishop Lamy, modeled after a church from his hometown in France. It has a 17th-century wooden Madonna known as Our Lady of Peace.
LORETTO CHAPEL
Built for the Sisters of Loretto, it is famous for its spiral staircase, which has no central support. Although it was built on a much smaller scale, the chapel bears a resemblance to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel. Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters’ prayers. Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including “Unsolved Mysteries” and the television movie titled “The Staircase.”
ROUNDHOUSE (the capitol)
The Capitol is one of the best kept secrets of Santa Fe. With more than 450 pieces of art, the capitol is the largest gallery in Santa Fe. Go to their website and click on Capitol Art Tour.
SAN MIGUEL CHAPEL
Built around 1612, this ranks as one of the oldest churches in the United States. San Miguel Mission, also known as San Miguel Chapel, is a Spanish colonial mission church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Built between approximately 1610 and 1626, it is claimed to be the oldest church in the United States. The church was damaged during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 but was rebuilt in 1710 following the Spanish re-conquest and served for a time as a chapel for the Spanish soldiers. The wooden reredos, which includes a wooden statue of Saint Michael dating back to at least 1709, was added in 1798. Though the church has been repaired and rebuilt numerous times over the years, its original adobe walls are still largely intact despite having been hidden by later additions. The church is a contributing property in the Barrio De Analco Historic District, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. If you have a bit more time, visit the Oldest House on de Vargas Street.
CANYON ROAD
Canyon road has been referred to as the largest museum in the world with more than 100 galleries. Yes, it has more art work than the Louvre in Paris. Of course, it is all new art.
MUSEUM HILL
Please remember to visit MUSEUM HILL on another day. It is right here in Santa Fe, only 2-miles drive from the B&B on Old Santa Fe Trail. There you will find:
MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART
As one of the few museums in the United States dedicated to folk art from around the world, the Museum of International Folk Art expands the understanding of folk art and encourages dialogue about traditions, cultural identity, community, and aesthetics. The museum is a dynamic, multidimensional learning environment that is an integral part of community life. Our collection and programming provide important connections between past, present, and future folk art and related traditions.
MUSEUM OF INDIAN ART AND CULTURE
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, one of four museums in the Museum of New Mexico system, is a premier repository of Native art and material culture and tells the stories of the people of the Southwest from pre-history through contemporary art. The museum serves a diverse, multicultural audience through changing exhibitions, public lectures, field trips, artist residencies, and other educational programs.
More than 65,000 visitors come to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture each year, of which 30% hail from New Mexico, 50% from other states, and 20% from foreign countries. It is MIAC’s mission to provide cross-cultural education to the many visitors to Santa Fe who take part in our programs and to New Mexican residents throughout the state. It is especially important that MIAC serve the Indian communities in our state and throughout the Southwest whose contemporary and ancestral cultures are represented in the museum’s collections.
As the 19th century came to a close, the American Southwest was undergoing enormous transition. Sculpture garden Tourists from Europe and the East Coast of America flooded the area, drawn by word-of-mouth from early visitors and quick to take advantage of the railroad, which had just arrived in the West. One of the Southwest’s major “attractions” was its vibrant Native American cultures.
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art
The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art opened to the public in 2002 in a historic residential building that was designed in 1930 by renowned architect John Gaw Meem in the Pueblo-Spanish Revival Style. It was sensitively adapted to provide exhibition display galleries and offices for administrative staff. Santa Fe Style architectural features and furnishings are highlighted.
Wheelwright Museum of American Indian
Founded in 1937, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is New Mexico’s oldest non-profit, independent museum. The Wheelwright offers unique exhibitions of contemporary and historic Native American art. We’re famous for our focus on little-known genres and for solo shows by living Native American artists. We are the home of the Jim and Lauris Phillips Center for the Study of Southwestern Jewelry, the most comprehensive collection of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry in the world.
LABYRINTH
Don’t forget to walk a beautiful labyrinth between the Folk Art Museum and Museum of Indian Art & Culture.
One of the popular features of Museum Hill is the Milner Plaza Labyrinth, located just outside of our doors. It is one of more than two dozen labyrinths in the Santa Fe area. The Milner Plaza Labyrinth is a seven-circuit pattern that was designed by Allan T. Baer of Lloyd Tryk Architects and funded by the M.A Healy Foundation. The museum and the Labyrinth Resource Group of Santa Fe host community labyrinth walks on the summer and winter solstices. The Milner Plaza Labyrinth has distinctive acoustics as a result of a surrounding wall and graduated elevations.
MUSEUM HILL CAFE
There is a café called Weldon’s Museum Hill Café for as wonderful lunch.
There you will find great food with beautiful views. We hope you enjoy.
Rancho Golondrinas
505.471.2261 at 334 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87507: We invite you to take a journey to the past at “The Ranch of the Swallows.” This historic ranch, now a living history museum, dates from the early 1700s and was an important paraje or stopping place along the famous Camino Real, the Royal Road from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Experience the life of another time in a location unlike any other in America.
MUSIC IN THE EVENING
If you are looking for a little night life in Santa Fe, here are some places (click at the name to see who is playing):
Osteria d’ Assisi (Italian Restaurant) at 58 S. Federal – Piano/Vocals – 6PM to Close – 505.986.5858
El Meson (Spanish Restaurant, Jazz, Flamenco, Soul and Blues, Tango Tuesday, Tue to Sat) at 213 Washington – 505.983.6756
La Fiesta Lounge at La Fonda on the Plaza 8PM – 505.982.5511
La Cantina (Broadway, Jazz, Wed to Sun) at 125 E. Palace Ave – 6PM to Close – 505.988.9232
Cowgirl Hall of Fame BBQ (music daily at 8PM) at 319 S. Guadalupe – 505.982.2565
Vanessie Piano Bar at Water Street – 505.984.1193
El Farol (Spanish Restaurant, music daily) at 808 Canyon Road – 505.983.9912
5 DAY TRIPS AND HIKES
Here are five nice and eco-friendly day trips to choose from. Santa Fe National Forest has more than one and a half million acres to hike. You can start right from Santa Fe, or take a short drive to a wealth of hikes around Santa Fe area. The Sierra Club has a wonderful book called Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area. The book has more than 60 hikes to choose from. We have several copies of this book at the B&B, you can borrow it while you are visiting. Here are some good ones, of course, there are many more:
BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT, PUYE CLIFFS and VALLES CALDERA
Start with a tour of Puye Cliffs, continue to Bandelier, follow by a scenic drive to Valles Caldera (a dormant volcano). Visit the White Rock Overlook (view of the Rio Grande).
Start with Puye Cliff Dwellings
Stop by Tsankawi (if you have time)
Bandelier National Monument (the main attraction)
HIGH ROAD TO TAOS
Remember to get a map and borrow an audio tour from us with some great attractions on the way. Visit Santuario de Chimayo, Taos Pueblo, Rio Grande Gorge, Millicent Rogers Museum, some wonderful wineries and more.
O’KEEFFE COUNTRY AND GHOST RANCH
Visit the high desert that O’Keeffe fell in love with. Visit O’Keeffe house, Ghost Ranch, and Christ in the Desert Monastery.
HIKE AT TENT ROCKS NATIONAL MONUMENT (Kash-Katuwe)
A very unique and remarkable place to visit and hike. Before you leave, pick up a map from the innkeepers.
TURQUOISE TRAIL
Go down the memory lane by visiting the historic Turquoise Trail. We have a map for you with all the places to visit on the way.
OUTDOORS
Santa Fe Cultural Treasures (highly recommended): Meet the local artists by taking a tour with Santa Fe Cultural Treasures. For a unique Pueblo and artisan experience, call Robbie at 505.231.0855 and book your tour in advance.
Guided Hikes and Tours: If you prefer to visit with seasoned guides, try Santa Fe Walkabouts. They will pick you up from the B&B and drop you back after a great day of sightseeing or hiking. For reservations, call 505-216-9161, or visit SantaFeWalkAbouts.com.
Hike the Southern End of Rockies: Santa Fe National Forest has more than one and a half million acres to hike. We have some great suggestions, among them are Big Tesuque, Aspen Vista, Bear Wallow, Windsor and Borrego Trail.
Horseback Riding: Enjoy the unique desert scenery on well-trained and well-loved horses. Please call Harold Granthom at 505.424.7774, or go online to BrokenSaddle.com for reservations.
Hot-Air Balloon Rides: Rise along with the morning sun. Your friendly pilots will pick you up from the B&B. Please call Johnny or Debbie at 505.699.7555 or visit them at SantaFeBalloons.com.
Stargazing and Astronomy Adventures: See the stars as you have never seen before.
RESTAURANTS
Santa Fe is filled with some wonderful restaurants; luckily most of the best restaurants are a small walk from the main B&B. We will have a map for you when you check-in with a plenty of more restaurants. Here is a list of our guests’ favorite, starting with New Mexican:
The Shed – 113 1/2 East Palace Ave – sfshed.com – (505) 982-9030
Café Pasqual’s – 121 Don Gaspar Ave – pasquals.com – (505) 983-9340
La Boca (Spanish) – 72 West Marcy Street – labocasf.com – (505) 982-3433
El Meson (Spanish) – 216 Washington Ave – elmeson-santafe.com – (505) 983-6756
Coming Soon – 94 West Marcy Street – ilpiattosantafe.com – (505) 984-1091
Santa Cafe (American) – 231 Washington Ave – santacafe.com – 984.1788
La Plazuela – 100 East San Francisco Street – (505) 995-2334
Osteria D’ Assisi (Italian) – 58 South Federal Place – osteriadassisi.com – (505) 986-5858
Coming Soon – 227 Galisteo Street – galisteobistro.com – (505) 982-3700
Dinner for Two (French) – 106 N. Guadalupe Street – dinnerfortwonm.com – (505) 820-2075
Mucho Gusto (Mexican) – 839 Paseo De Peralta, Suite H – muchogustosantafe.com – 505-955-8402
Local Restaurants that are Worth a Drive
As you may know, some of the best restaurants in Santa Fe are just a small walk from the B&B, there are also some other local favorites that are worth a small drive. These range from a hole-in-the-wall to a mom-and-pop restaurant, but all of them are good finds, and are well liked by our guests, mostly for lunches. Here are some of the popular ones. Please make sure to call before driving there. Please click on the restaurant name to see the reviews, or click on the address to see the location.
Clafoutis French Bakery – 402 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe, NM 87501 – (505) 988-1809
Tune-Up Cafe – 1115 Hickox Street – tuneupsantafe.com – (505) 983-7060
Jambo Cafe – 2010 Cerrillos Road< /span> – jambocafe.net – (505) 473-1269
Chocolate Maven Bakery – 821 West San Mateo Road – chocolatemaven.com – (505) 984-1980
Harry’s Roadhouse – 96 Old Las Vegas Highway – harrysroadhousesantafe.com – (505) 989-4629
Pantry Restaurant – 1820 Cerrillos Road – pantrysantafe.com – (505) 986-0022
DIRECTIONS to the B&B
We highly recommend that you follow these directions to avoid busy streets used by most GPSs. Our address is 105 Paseo de la Cuma, Santa Fe, NM 87501:
Turn RIGHT at the 3rd light toward the Plaza and the Downtown. Go 2 miles. You will go through 3 light.
Turn RIGHT at the 4th light on PASEO DE PERALTA. Go 1.1 miles. The road will curve to the left. Go through 2 lights and 3 Stop signs.
Turn RIGHT at the 3rd light onto OLD TAOS HWY. Go only a short block. You will see a white iron fence on your left.
<= Turn LEFT on Paseo de LA CUMA. It is the street after the white fence. The B&B is the 2nd house on your RIGHT.
<= Turn LEFT at the 1st light onto PASEO DE PERALTA. Go through one light.
<= Turn LEFT onto OLD TAOS HWY. Go only a short block. You will see a white iron fence on your left.
<= Turn LEFT on Paseo de LA CUMA. It is the street after the white fence. The B&B is the 2nd house on your RIGHT.
Please let us know if we can assist with anything to make your visit to Santa Fe more memorable. We look forward to meeting you .
Shaan and Colleen
Innkeepers and Owners
Casa Cuma Bed & Breakfast
505.216.7516 Call or Text
(Also known as Santa Fe Bed & Breakfast)
TERMS
Your visit is subject to all of our terms and policies. Please see details at casacuma.com/terms.
