Plan at least half a day at this four-in-one-attraction that features the Aquarium, the Botanic Garden, the Zoo and Tingley Beach.
At the Aquarium, trace the Rio Grande River from its source in the Colorado mountains through the city and into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. See toothsome sharks zigzagging in a 285,000 gallon tank alongside sea turtles and reef fish.
The zoo stretches for 64 acres along the Rio Grande. Giraffes, elephants, koalas and polar bears are among the most popular animals.
Be sure to stroll the Botanic Garden, a city oasis where flowers bloom spring through fall in the Pollinators Garden and cacti blossom in the Desert Conservatory.
The four-acre Sasebo Japanese Garden soothes with its koi pond and waterfall. At the Children's Fantasy Garden, giant rakes, watering cans and a walk-though pumpkin engage young kids.
If you still have time, visit Tingley Beach's three lakes -- good for fishing and pedal boating; bring a model boat to launch at the pond.
Albuquerque Attractions
Albuquerque Attractions
 | Albuquerque BioPark 2601 Central Avenue NW Albuquerque, NM • 505-768-2000 Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque Balloon Museum 9201 Balloon Museum Drive NE Albuquerque, NM • 505-822-1111 Albuquerque also gains fame as the hot air balloon capital of the U.S. Find out about the first hot air balloons that lifted off in the late 1700s at the Balloon Museum. Since those big contraptions belching fire looked like monsters to the farmers in whose fields the balloons landed, the pilots proved their civility by offering the farmers' champagne. The tradition continues today except now balloon riders drink the bubbly themselves. The museum is filled with such facts and lore, but there's lots of reading involved and not as many interactive exhibits as we'd like to see. Nonetheless, this is a colorful place. Our favorite exhibit: the virtual balloon flight. Even though we never master the art of decreasing the hot air at just the right time to land properly, we like trying. Best For: Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Explora! 1701 Mountain Road NW Albuquerque, NM • 505-224-8300 At Explora!, the city's hands-on, not-just-for-kids museum, children and adults push, pull, twist, turn and build things. With almost no instructions, we watch and then do, creating eight-inch bubbles from Frisbee-size wands. We help Scott, a fourth grader, construct a Rube Goldberg-like chain reaction machine by setting the ramps that lead the golf ball down a track that flips a seesaw that topples a block. The museum's so popular it had to create an adults-only night to stop some parents from pushing kids out of the way in order to play, too. On Mondays the museum opens an hour early for kids ages four and younger. Often the facility has special stories and activities. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Hot Air Balloon Rides, Rainbow Ryders 5601 Eagle Rock Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM • 800-725-2477 Albuquerque's "box," a pattern of wind currents, is what makes ballooning so special in the area. The wind comes off the mountains and then combines with air currents from the river. These create a pattern that allows pilots to lift off, float over the land and then return to the same spot, without really needing a chaser car. Something has to be really good to get us out of bed at 4:30 a.m., pick up time. The thermals, wind currents, are calmest in the morning. After the balloons are inflated with fans, we climb into the basket. One of the pilots turns on the propane burners, blasting hot air into the envelope -- the actual balloon -- and we lift off, gently, floating up and over the city. The city has many balloon companies. Every October, the area welcomes a hot air balloon festival where families can witness hundreds of colorful balloons ascending, floating and descending over the dramatic desert landscape. With the milder fall temperatures, October makes a fantastic time to visit Albuquerque. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Indian Pueblo Cultural Center 2401 12th Street NW Albuquerque, NM • 866-855-7902 The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center represents 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. Pottery, baskets, rugs and sculpture detail Pueblo life and culture at the facility's museum. While many of the static displays may bore some children, the Native American dancing won't. Dancers in colorful regalia decorated with ribbons, feathers and shields perform in the plaza. Visitors can join in. Our guilty pleasure -- browsing -- okay buying -- a turquoise and silver necklace or bracelet from the center's gift shop, a prime place to shop as it has one of the largest authentic Indian jewelry collections in the southwest. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | National Hispanic Cultural Center 1701 4th Street SW Albuquerque, NM • 505-246-2261 At the National Hispanic Cultural Center, an impressive collection of buildings, enjoy paintings and sculpture as well as music and dance performances by Latinos. Artist Frederico Vigil is expected to complete his 4,000-square-foot fresco lining the interior of the 45-foot-tall Torreon, a stone tower reminiscent of watchtowers constructed by the Spanish. The fresco depicts Hispanic history through the ages. Check the schedule for dance, music and family performances. iGlobalquerque! World Music Festival celebrates Albuquerque's various music and dance traditions in Albuquerque. Best For: Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science 1801 Mountain Road Northwest Albuquerque, NM • 505-841-2802 Dinosaurs rule at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. That's what we like best about the museum, which presents billions of years of New Mexico's natural history. Yes, dinos one roamed "Route 66." "Stan," the second largest T-Rex ever found, reaches nearly 40-feet long and 12-feet high. He holds forth at "Dawn of the Dinosaurs," one of the only hall's dedicated to Triassic creatures in North America. These smaller ancestors of the Jurassic era's thumping big boys tread the earth 251 million years ago. Find out about Phytosaurs, the top Triassic predator, a 32-foot long crocodile-like creature that lived in the area when the land was lush, filled with tropical plants and marshes instead of sandy deserts. Exhibits also describe New Mexico's era as a seacoast. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Old Town Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque grew from what we now call Old Town, the place where Spanish families settled in 1706. The plaza they constructed, anchored by a church, remains. Although the church has been rebuilt, it still maintains traditional, five-foot thick adobe walls. Life in Old Town, now a popular tourist draw with its boutiques, galleries, souvenir shops and restaurants, radiates from the plaza. In season, Mariachi bands stroll Old Town's the streets, shapely duos give free salsa lessons and cowboys engage in a western "shoot-out." And maybe most importantly of all, Old Town's the place for your kids to browse for souvenirs. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Sandia Peak Tramway Tramway Road Albuquerque, NM • 505-856-7325 Reputedly the longest continuous passenger cable tramway in the world, the 2.7-mile-long tram, carries visitors nearly 4,000-feet up to Sandia Peak, elevation 10,378 feet. In the 15-minute ride keep a look out for eagles and mule deer. Even in summer when the base temperature hovers around 90, it can be windy and cold at the top so bring jackets and sweaters. That way you'll stay outside long enough to enjoy the sweeping views. The athletic can hike or mountain bike down the mountain in summer. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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