Family
Friendly
Activities
in Santa Fe

Interactive exhibit at Meow Wolf, Santa Fe

One thing that a lot of parents learn quickly when they come to Santa Fe: Culture does not have to be something that you drag your kids to. Culture can be fun and fascinating by its own right. And if museums are not on your agenda, Santa Fe’s got rock climbing and bike trails, too!

Acclimating Your Family To Santa Fe

An ideal way to introduce the family to their new town is to go car-free on Santa Fe Trails, the City of Santa Fe’s bus transit system. Family members can download the Sante Fe Trails Find My Bus mobile app. Passengers 18 and younger ride for free, and bus passes are available for one day or one month. Taking the bus helps the environment, too—Sante Fe Trails is first transit system in the country to run buses on 100% compressed natural gas at an altitude of 7,000 feet.

Sign marking the La Tierra Trails, Montoyas Trail.
Outdoor sign for Genoveva Chavez Community Center.
We mentioned rock climbing above, and that really is an exciting way to start a Saturday out on the town. The Santa Fe Climbing Center is open every day, as late as 10 PM on Wednesdays, and as early as 9 AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We recommend making this one of the first stops of the tour, getting your blood pumping and seeing how much climbing you can squeeze while you’re still firing on all cylinders early in the day.

Other great destinations for active family-friendly fun are the Santa Fe Skate School, and the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, with year-round ice skating and swimming, among other activities.

Staying Active

Getting Cultured

Once you’ve burned off a few calories climbing, swimming or skating, you might want to check out the Museum of International Folk Art, which features a broad range of stunning and surprising pieces from around the world.


For younger kids looking for something a little more interactive, check out the Santa Fe Children’s Museum at 1050 Old Pecos Trail. The museum features different children’s programs every week and features a mix of science, art, historical, and cultural exhibits.

Ghost Dancer statue by Alan Houser on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Sign for the Santa Fe Botanical Garden.

When it’s time to end the day on a relaxing note, we extend our highest recommendations to the various gardens and sanctuaries found throughout the city, including the Sante Fe Botanical Garden. Another standout garden destination is the Wilford Gallery and Wind Sculpture Garden, where you can see paintings by local artists alongside delicate metalwork wind sculptures spinning gently in the breeze.

Relaxing and Recharging

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