The area’s rural agricultural heritage and its connection to the historic Camino Real (17th to 19th centuries) provide it with the potential for noteworthy cultural landscapes. This cultural byway has significance not only for the South Valley community but for the Albuquerque region and state of New Mexico as a Read more…
The Corrales Road (6.7 miles; N.M. 448) passes through an area north of Albuquerque that has been farmed for 1,300 years. Nestled along the Rio Grande, the Village of Corrales has a much different feel from its big city neighbor. The byway is a leisurely route through the bosque (riparian Read more…
Constructed 1868. Little is recorded of Corrales during the first 150 years of Spanish occupation since it was not on the major trade routes along the river from Santa Fe; even as late as 1870 the census records only 141 households with 687 residents, nearly all were farmers, ranchers or Read more…
Constructed 1875. Prior to moving to Corrales, Ward Alan and Shirley Jolly Minge began accumulating scarce Hispanic New Mexican artifacts that would have otherwise been lost. To accommodate their growing collection, the Minges, in 1952 sought out the perfect location for their new home. They found a venerable old adobe Read more…
Constructed 2011. The Soldiers’ Memorial Park was constructed to remember the firefighters and police officers that were killed during the initial response, and the fallen warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice post 9/11. The park contains a “Freedom Wall” with the names of fallen soldiers from New Mexico – or Read more…
Constructed 1932. The Onate Theater opened in 1932 with a seating capacity of 600 patrons. Named for the original Spanish colonizer of New Mexico, the Onate served as Belen’s main cinema until it was closed in the early 1990s. Local entrepreneur Anthony Baca purchased the theater in 1993 and converted Read more…
Constructed 1937. The original Belen City Hall was completed by the WPA in 1937. The building still belongs to the city, but is no longer in use. With assistance from New Mexico MainStreet, Belen MainStreet recently completed a Facade Squad on the building, painting and repairing the exterior of the Read more…
Constructed 1915. The Central Hotel is similar in architectural style and construction to its more substantial neighbor across the street, the Belen Hotel. The Central also thrived on the heavy railroad commerce ushered into Belen by the Santa Fe railroad after the Belen Cut-off was completed in 1907. The Central Read more…
Constructed 1909. The construction of the Belen cut-off railroad line through central New Mexico in 1907 was a great boon for the village of Belen. Within two years, the Santa Fe Railroad constructed a handsome depot and Harvey Hotel in the familiar Mission Revival style. Today, the Harvey House has Read more…
Constructed 1910. The Belen Hotel was quickly built to accommodate the surging railroad business enabled by the rerouting of the major Santa Fe Railroad train traffic through Clovis and the so-called Belen cut-off. The building was purchased over a decade ago by famed artist Judy Chicago and her husband Donald Read more…