Rancho de las Golondrinas (The Ranch of the Swallows)
(505) 471-2261
Admission charged.
April to October 31 Wednesday-Sunday 10-4 Closed Mon. & Tues
15 miles south of Santa Fe on 1-25, take Exit 276 to La Cienega, follow signs.
Depicting life in New Mexico in the 1800's, this Living History Museum is a restoration of a period village replete with roaming Churro sheep, goats and chickens.

Santa Fe Children's Museum
1050 Old Pecos Trail. Next to the Armory of Arts
(505) 989-8359
10-5 Thurs-Sat Noon-5 Sunday, open Wed. in summer closed Mon.
Great Fun For Children. Lots of interactive activities, always something new and interesting going on. Adults enjoy it too!

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology
710 Camino Lejo
827-6344
Presenting the diverse stories that illuminate the art and history of Native America through two millennia. Housed in a large new wing, the exhibit "Here, Now and Always" tells the story of the Native American presence in the Southwest with more than 1,300 objects and a multimedia production created during the eight-year period the museum spent in collaboration with Native American elders, artists, scholars, teachers, builders and writers. These consultants worked with a team of Indian and non-Indian museum curators and designers to develop an exhibit that combines the actual voices of contemporary American Indians with ancient artifacts. The architectural design helps bring centuries of culture and tradition to life.
The exhibit uses stone and silver, clay and wool, feast days, fairs and family stories to tell of the enduring communities of the Southwest. To orient visitors, it incorporates the landscape itself, mesas and settlements, plazas and sacred peaks. Visitors proceed by theme through the galleries. You can visit a pueblo kitchen, an Apache wickiup, a Navajo hogan, a 1930s trading post and a contemporary vendor's booth at a tribal feast day celebration. The stories in "Here, Now and Always" are told on video tape by 24 American Indians. It is very important for children to see and hear as much as they can absorb of the story of those who have lived on and cared for the earth before us. More info

Museum of International Folk Art
706 Camino Lejo
827-6350
Houses the world's largest collection of traditional folk art from around the world. Just as the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture provides a fascinating and informative orientation to the American Indian cultures of the Southwest, the Folk Art Museum does the same for New Mexico's Hispanic culture. The Hispanic Heritage Wing features Spanish Colonial folk art and an interactive computer program in its "Familia y Fe/Family and Faith" exhibit. The finely crafted displays delineate the central position of extended family relationships and the Catholic faith in northern New Mexico's Hispanic culture. The exhibit also underlines the resourcefulness of the pioneer families who lived for more than a century in tremendous isolation from manufactured goods, European medicine and formal education.
This museum holds the world's largest collection of international folk art. In the "Multiple Visions: A Common Bond" exhibit, for example, you'll find objects from more than 100 countries displayed in fascinating dioramas. Toys from 19th-century Europe, Chinese prints, embroidered Indian mandalas, Mexican Day of the Dead mementos and examples of early 20th-century Americana are among the treasures. This exhibit alone displays more than 10,000 pieces of folk art, all donated by the Girard Foundation Collection. More info

St. Francis Cathedral
131 Cathedral Place
at the end of San Francisco Street
982-5619
Call for schedules of Masses. The 8:00 am Mass on Sunday is one that children enjoy. It is conducted in Spanish and features a mariachi band and an enthusiastic Spanish choir. The whole service is vivid and full of life.

Randall Davey Audubon Center
1800 Upper Canyon Rd.
983-4609
To reach the center, follow Canyon Road past the intersection of Camino Cabra at Cristo Rey Church to Upper Canyon Road. The center is the very last structure on Canyon Road 9 -5 PM daily. trail fee is $1 for nonmembers.
In 1847, at the beginning of the U.S. occupation, the first sawmill in the territory was built here, providing planks for the construction of Santa Fe's Fort Marcy, where U.S. troops were garrisoned. At the turn of the century, Candelario Martinez farmed this land until he sold the property to artist Randall Davey in 1920. Davey converted the mill into a two-story home and used the Martinez hacienda for his studio. The house still contains a representative sample of Davey's work and his furnishings.
The Audubon Society acquired this property in the mid-1980s and operates it as a nature center and the group's New Mexico headquarters. Included is land along the Santa Fe River. The center's trails begin in the piņon and juniper woodlands and meadows and climb up to cool ponderosa pine forest. More than 100 species of birds have been observed here, along with coyote, black bear, mountain lion and mule deer. In addition to the do-it-yourself nature trails, the center offers guided hikes, wildlife interpretive programs and summer activities for children. The center's gift shop sells bird seed, books and other items of interest to naturalists.

Rafting in Santa Fe
There are a variety of rafting trips in the area, some for the adventurer who loves the thrill and terror of a ride over rapids! However, there are also some for the family to enjoy together. The rafting season lasts from April to October and includes many trips that are peaceful and placid, some include fishing, others provide visits to areas of interesting rock formations and petroglyphs, and still others drift to river side restaurants for a leisurely meal. Check the yellow pages under "river trips" for the possibilities.

The Planetarium
Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave.
438-1777, 438-1677
Tickets are $3.50 for adults, $2 for children 12 and younger and for seniors 65 and older and for SFCC students with a current ID. Tickets go on sale a half-hour before showtime.
The Planetarium, one of the city's newer, out-of-the-way attractions, offers a changing schedule of productions intended to give the audience a better feeling for the night sky. The Celestial Highlights program the first Thursday of each month provides an introduction to the stars and constellations that will be visible for the next 30 days. Showtime is 7 PM. The planetarium, on the upper level in the west wing of the Community College, also offers family programs each Saturday at 10:30 AM and a different program on Fridays, usually with showings at 6:30 and 8 PM. Recent productions included Sesame Street characters and a report on the findings of the Magellan spacecraft.

Cochiti Pueblo and Lake
I25 south to exit 259. Take NM 16 to the pueblo.
465-2244
open daily.
Cochiti Pueblo is famous for its handmade story teller dolls, animals and pottery. Also it is known for the ancient deep toned ceremonial drums that certain tribesmen make by hand. Cochiti Lake is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and is popular for camping, swimming, sailing, and boating.

Tent Rocks
Bear left as you pass the dam after visiting Cochiti Pueblo. The entrance to the park is 1/4 mile on the right after the pueblo (there is a 6 mile rough dirt road to the entrance). Open daily from dawn to dusk.
A hike through this park will pass by ancient rocks that have been shaped by centuries of wind and rain into mysterious tent like objects. The hike is spectacular. Children who are old enough to enjoy walking will be fascinated by the twists and turns through narrow canyons of rock that lead to beautiful vistas of juniper and ever changing rock formations. As the sun and clouds move across the landscape the colors and contours change again and again. Sturdy shoes, a picnic and lots of drinking water are the tools for the hike. Strollers and baby carry packs are not negotiable along this trail. It is a rugged area, but well worth the effort.