View List On MapMore Top 10 Lists
- Tours
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- Ask a Local
- Locals have answered 14 questions about Santa Fe.
- Ask Santa Fe Locals
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1. Loretto Chapel
- Miracles in the High Desert
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
- Nile Expert Tip: The miraculous staircase is one of the most visited sites in the Southwest. Loretto Chapel is just one...
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2. St. Francis Cathedral
- Historic Landmark
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
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3. Santa Fe Plaza
- Historic Downtown Area
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
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4. San Miguel Mission
- Oldest Church In The United States
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
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5. Lensic Theater
- The nonprofit Lensic Performing Arts Center enriches lives by bringing diverse art and people together in the historic Lensic Theater, a cornerstone of downtown Santa Fe since 1931. The Lensic presents and supports local and national artists and serves as a center for education, community and youth events through its accessible and affordable programming.
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- Events
- The Plaza
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6. New Mexico Museum of Art
- New Mexico's Oldest Art Museum
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- The Plaza
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7. Palace of the Governors
- 400 years of history
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
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8. Canyon Road
- Galleries, studios, shops and dining
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- Landmarks
- Eastside
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9. El Rancho De Las Golondrinas
- You've woken up at 4 a.m., braved the crowds, gorged on breakfast burritos and hot chocolate, marveled...
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- Art Museums/Galleries
- Greater Santa Fe
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10. Cross of the Martyrs
- A brief climb to a cross overlooking the city, site of religious gatherings, especially during Fiestas de Santa Fe.
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- Landmarks
- The Plaza
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The Best of NileGuide
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In a city as historic as Santa Fe, you could argue that all of it is a landmark. But there are definitely specific places that you have to visit, touch, photograph and contemplate to truly say you've been to the City Different.
Topping our list is the Loretto Chapel, and specifically, the Miraculous Staircase inside. It's so cool it's been depicted in made-for-TV movies ("The Staircase") and "Unsolved Mysteries." At the least it's a historic engineering marvel, a perfectly balanced spring of a staircase; at most, a miracle to some. The attached Inn at Loretto isn't old, but its distinctive architecture mirroring Taos Pueblo makes it a well-photographed landmark in its own right. St. Francis Cathedral is a gothic anchor and the heart of Santa Fe's spirituality.
San Miguel Mission has the honor of being the oldest still-in-use mission in the United States; the New Mexico Museum of Art is distinctive for its pueblo mission-style architecture, let alone the historic artistic treasures found within. The Palace of the Governors is the oldest government building in the U.S.; don't miss shopping direct from the Native American artists who sell under the portal daily.
El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a drive south of town, but the historic buildings at this living-history museum are well-worth the excursion. The Cross of the Martyrs can be seen from vantage points near the Plaza, but the hike up to it affords sweeping views of Santa Fe and the surrounding mountains.
- Best Of Santa Fe
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Restaurants
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Nightlife
- Music in Santa Fe
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- Bars and Clubs near Canyon Road
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- Bars and Clubs near St. Francis Cathedral
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