Santa Fe Train Adventure + Museum Tour (2024 AFS Annual Meeting)

Description

Did you know that New Mexico is home to the largest state-sponsored museum system in the U.S.? Only the Smithsonian Institution is a bigger system run by a governmental institution. Join us for a trip to New Mexico’s capitol city, Santa Fe, for a visit to the city’s thriving Railyard Art District, main Plaza, Museum of International Folk Art, and several other fantastic museums in town. Lunch is not included in the tour price. 

Your northern New Mexico adventure starts with a ride on the famous Rail Runner train from downtown Albuquerque to the Santa Fe Railyard Art District. (Don’t miss the roadrunner painted on the train!) In this area there are cafes, restaurants, shopping, and the new Vladem Contemporary Art Museum within easy walking distance. The area is also where the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market now takes place in July. 

Our second stop in the “city different” is the downtown Plaza, the historic center of life in early Santa Fe and still a vibrant community center and tourist district. Watch for lowriders, cowboy hats, and American elm trees. The New Mexico History Museum and New Mexico Museum of Art are steps away, as are the famous La Fonda hotel, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and numerous shops and eateries. 

In the afternoon, we will journey up to Museum Hill, home of the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) and Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC). The team at MOIFA will host us for a brief welcome and overview, followed by several hours of free time to visit MOIFA’s galleries and MIAC and other museums in the area. The day ends with a return train trip to Albuquerque, perhaps in the glow of a fabulous high-desert sunset.

About the all-museums access “Culture Pass” included in the tour price: In general, museum basic costs are $7 for New Mexico residents and $12 for non-residents. Culture Pass is $30 for access to 8 museums, 7 historic sites - these include 5 museums in Santa Fe that tourgoers will be at/near. It also includes the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque.