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You are here: Home > Visiting Santa Fe > Things to Do > Kids' Activities

Kids' Activities

Santa Fe appeals to kids as much as adults. The city has plenty of places to keep children of all ages happy, from skiing, hiking and biking trails to outdoor parks. Skateboarders can ride to their heart's content at two skateboard parks, one downtown at 302 W. De Vargas St. and the other, General Franklin E. Miles Park, at 1027 Camino Carlos Rey.

Kids flock to a popular summer storytelling series and a much-loved children's museum, which offers an exciting array of interactive exhibits and innovative activities. Learning can be fun, too, at the community college's planetarium and at a living history museum devoted to Spanish Colonial life.

The links below reveal ideal places for children. But do explore other areas on our site to find great ideas for family fun in Santa Fe, including a family cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking where kids learn to make tortillas, red chile sauce and other New Mexican treats.

Bandelier National Monument

HCR 1, Box 1, Suite 15
Los Alamos, NM 87544
(505) 672-0343
Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier also includes over 23,000 acres of designated Wilderness. It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist. Proclaimed on February 11, 1916. Acreage: 32,737, all federal. Wilderness area: 23,267

Oz Summer Camp

942 Canyon Road
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-995-9021
An arts based summer camp for children ages 6-12, in Santa Fe.

Storytelling at the Wheelwright

704 Camino Lejo
(800) 607-4636/(505) 982-4636
Joe Hayes has been captivating audiences at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian for 25 years with his Southwestern stories from Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures. An award-winning storyteller and author with bilingual skills, Hayes delights children and adults alike with his distinctive tales about La Llorona (the Weeping Woman), the Day it Rained Tortillas and dozens of other Southwestern subjects. Bring a chair or blanket and gather around the museum's tipi for a free evening of excellent entertainment.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays July 7-Aug. 12.

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 989-8359
If you're a kid, or a kid-at-heart, make this museum one of your first stops for family fun. With interactive exhibits, diverse programs and an outdoor garden, this is a place where families can learn and play together.

Randall Davey Audubon Center

1800 Upper Canyon Rd.
(505) 983-4609
Kids can explore nature to their heart's content at the Randall Davey Audubon Center, part of the National Audubon Society. The historic house belonged to Randall Davey, a celebrated modernist painter, before the National Audubon Society took ownership in 1983. With 135 acres of land, the center offers guided bird walks, two nature trails and historic home tours. Look for more than 130 species of rare and common birds as well as plenty of wildlife, butterflies, flowering plants and forests of fir and spruce trees. Stop by the on-site Nature Store, filled with toys and books for kids as well as binoculars and other birding items.

Planetarium at Santa Fe Community College

6401 Richards Ave.
(505) 428-1000
Explore the wonders of the universe at this planetarium, which offers entertaining and educational programming for all ages. Learn about Native American and Chinese sky lore, view scientific documentaries or simply sit back and marvel at all that is out there in deep space.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

334 Los Pinos Road
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 471-2261
What once was a stop on the Camino Real is now a living museum that has preserved the Spanish Colonial and Territorial way of life on a 200 acre ranch just outside of Santa Fe. Docents in period dress, period buildings from around the Southwest and hands-on demonstrations make this a perfect spot for families.

Santa Fe Southern Railway

410 S. Guadalupe Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 989-8600
Santa Fe Southern Railway brings you a “moving experience” - a slice of railroad history and stunning high desert vistas. Take a train ride from the century-old, mission-style Santa Fe Depot and travel to the sleepy village of Lamy and back in vintage cars ranging in age from 1919 to 1950. The Scenic Day Train operates year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. From April – October, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are added. Departure times vary; call for information. Check out the Saturday night Campfire BBQ Train (departs 5:00 PM), which runs April – October. Seasonal events include a train ride with the Easter Bunny, a Halloween ghost story train, a Christmas ride with Santa and a Hanukkah train with games and stories.