welcome to New Mexico

See the True West in New Mexico

In 1879, the Santa Fe Railroad reached Lamy, New Mexico, and in 1880, traveled the final 16 miles (26 km) to Santa Fe, replacing the storied Santa Fe Trail. As the Santa Fe Railroad extended westward, the new town of Albuqueque, platted in 1880, quickly enveloped the area’s original settlement, Ranchos de Albuquerque, founded in 1706.

The railway fostered the great cattle boom of the 1880s and cow towns sprung up throughout the territory. Cattlemen feuded with each other and with authorities, most notably in the Lincoln County War. Outlaws, including the notorious Billy the Kid, roamed the area. The cattle barons could not keep out sheepherders, and eventually homesteaders and squatters overwhelmed the cattlemen by fencing in and plowing under the "sea of grass" on which the cattle fed. Conflicting land claims led to bitter quarrels among the original Spanish inhabitants, cattle ranchers, and homesteaders. Despite these changes, cattle ranching survived as a mainstay of the New Mexican economy.

Centuries of continued conflict between the Spanish and the Apache and Navajo plagued the territory. The Navajo returned to their original homelands in 1868. Sporadic Apache raiding continued until Apache chief Geronimo finally surrendered in 1886.

Experience ghosts in New Mexico

EXPERIENCE

Ghosts: Black Jack Ketchum, Mr. Bond, Carrie Tingly Children's Hospital ghost, the Death Waltz, Eagle's Nest ghosts, Grant Corner Inn ghost, Josefita Otero, Mrs. Julia Staab, KiMo Theater ghost, La Fonda Hotel ghosts, La Llorona, La Residencia ghost, Maria Teresa Restaurant ghosts, Mrs. M, Rancho de Corrales lovers, Sara Ruiz, St. James Hotel Ghosts

Cowboys & Historical Figures in New Mexico

LEARN

Cowboys & Historical Figures: Archbishop Lamy, Charles Bent, Kit Carson, Willa Cather, Mable Dodge Lujan, Flying Padre, Greer Garson, Geronimo, Conrad Hilton, Fred Lambert, Mable Dodge Lujan, John Gaw Meems, Robert Ollinger, Millicent Rogers, Will Schuster, Carrie Tingley, Lew Wallace
Billy the Kid: New Mexico Tourism Feature Website
Museums: American International Rattlesnake Museum, City of Las Cruces Log Cabin Museum, Cleveland Roller Mill Museum, E.L. Blumenschein Home & Museum, Kit Carson Home & Museum, Farmington Museum, El Malpais National Monument, Fort Selden State Monument, Fort Union National Monument, Harvey House Museum, Historical Center For Southeast New Mexico, Lincoln State Monument, Las Vegas City Museum & Rough Rider Memorial, Miles Mineral Museum, New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Old Mill Museum, Palace of the Governors, Pecos National Historical Park, Raton Museum, Roosevelt County Museum, Silver City Museum, Tucumcari Historical Museum

Enjoy Chuckwagon Suppers & Western Shows in New Mexico

ENJOY

Chuckwagon Suppers & Western Shows: Elkhorn Lodge Chuckwagon Suppershow, Flying J Ranch Chuckwagon Supper and Western Show, Moreno Valley Cowboy Evening, Solano Starlight Ballroom , Wildlife West Chuckwagon Supper

Explore ghost towns and movie sets in New Mexico

EXPLORE

Ghost towns: Alma, Cerrillos, Chloride, Clairmont, Cubero, Elizabethtown, Golden, Lake Valley, Loma Parda, Madrid, McCartys, Mogollón, Montoya, San Fidel, Shakespeare, Steins, Winston
Movie Sets: Bonanza Creek Ranch, Cerrillos, Cook Ranch & the Silverado Set, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Eaves Movie Ranch, Madrid, White Sands National Monument, Zia Pueblo

Equestrian events and rodeos in New Mexio

PLAY

Equestrian Event: The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride
Rodeos: Lea County Rodeo, New Mexico State Fair, Road Forks & Rodeo, Shiprock Navajo Fair, Zia Regional Rodeo

New Mexico dude ranches

RELAX

Dude Ranches: Bishop's Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa, Burnt Well Guest Ranch, Double E Ranch, Felix Canyon Ranch, Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch, JX Ranch, Lodge at Chama, Vermejo Park Ranch