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…
Constructed 1930. Completed in 1930 and listed on both the state and national historic register, the Federal Building is a striking combination of Mediterranean style and decorative Indian design motifs. While not a WPA building, it does contain two notable pieces of WPA art. “The Rebellion of 1680” by Loren Read more…
The 6’x4′ oil painting “Conchas Dam”, by Odon Hullenkremer, hangs on the 8th floor and depicts scenes that occurred during the construction of the Conchas Dam. Located on the eastern side of the state, the dam was completed in 1939 at a cost of $15.8 million. — Source “Treasures on Read more…
Constructed 1924. The Sunshine Theater, opened on May 1, 1924 as Albuquerque’s first big movie palace. The theater and high rise building block Sunshine Building were designed by renowned El Paso architect Henry C. Trost and have dominated the downtown Albuquerque skyline and historic Route 66 for nearly a century. Read more…
Constructed 1920. Silver Hill is a neighborhood in southeast Albuquerque which is significant as one of the oldest developments on the city’s east mesa. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Central Avenue, Yale Boulevard, Central New Mexico Community College and the UNM campus. The early to mid-Twentieth Century neighborhood features Read more…
Route 66 is a cultural icon of the automobile age. The whole route famously winds “from Chicago to L.A.,” crossing New Mexico from east to west. The Mother Route crosses through several MainStreet communities: Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Grants and Gallup. Albuquerque is a four-way crossroads of Route 66 in New Mexico, Read more…
Constructed 1993. An abstract sculpture of stucco, ceramic tile and neon, the Nob Hill Gateway welcomes visitors to the area. The sculpture is located near the Nob Hill Triangle Park. Central Ave & Girard NE Albuquerque, NM 87106 Photo courtesy of Terry Conrad (www.cabq.gov).
Constructed 1936. Recognized on both the state and national historic register, Monte Vista Fire Station, designed by city architect E.H. Blumenthal, was built with WPA funds and completed in 1936. The hollow block and stucco building was constructed with local materials and labor. It is built in the Pueblo Revival Read more…
Constructed 1930. On the north side of Central, the Monte Vista Addition was platted in 1926 by William Leverett. Due to topography and drainage concerns, the streets were laid out in an irregular pattern around two intersecting diagonal boulevards, Campus and Monte Vista. Leverett also set aside a large plot Read more…
Constructed 1938. Now a church, the Lobo Theater opened on August 19, 1938. The Lobo was a popular movie house for the nearby UNM campus student body and a premier venue for independent, classic and cult films. The Lobo hosted popular Oscar award night telecasts through the 1980s and 1990s, Read more…
Constructed 1927. The KiMo Theatre is one of our Albuquerque’s finest treasures and is home to a variety of dance, music, film, theater, cinema and more. The KiMo was opened on September 19, 1927 with an original seating capacity of 1,321. A contest selected the name, which means King of Read more…
Constructed 1920. The Huning Highland district was Albuquerque’s first platted subdivision beyond the downtown area in the early 20th century. Doctors, merchants and teachers moved to the area, where the predominant architecture was in the Queen Anne style. In the 1920s, Albuquerque’s suburbs expanded east. Huning Highland was designated a Read more…
Constructed 1939. The Hotel Andaluz is the former Albuquerque Hilton Hotel, one of the first hotels built by hotel baron Conrad Hilton, a native of San Antonio, New Mexico. The hotel was built at a cost of $700,000 in 1939, and originally offered 176 rooms. When completed, the Albuquerque Hilton Read more…
Constructed 1950. The Highland Theater was opened on April 20, 1950. Seating inside was provided for 1,188 patrons on a stadium plan, with a raised step section at the rear. The Highland closed as a movie theater in 1995, became a performing arts venue for about a decade and was Read more…
Constructed 1966. The Guild first opened in 1966. It was originally called the Guild Art Theatre. After undergoing several changes, currently the Guild is an independent theater. 3405 Central Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87106 | 505-255-1848 Image by Lindsay Waite.
Constructed 1941. The El Rey Theater is a historic, live music venue. The El Rey opened on June 27, 1941. By the mid-1970s it was known as the Reel Theater. The popular venue was owned originally by Luigi Puccini a cousin of the famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. The theater Read more…
The Downtown Albuquerque Murals and Public Art Walking Tour is a great way to explore downtown Albuquerque. The tour features 44 pieces of art and murals that are a diverse as the people in this community. The website link has more information about the art in the MainStreet and Arts Read more…
Barelas is an inner-city neighborhood of Albuquerque located immediately south of downtown. It consists of the triangular area bounded by Coal Avenue, the BNSF railroad tracks, and the Rio Grande. Originally a separate village, it was absorbed into Albuquerque during the railroad fueled growth of the 1880s but still retains Read more…
Constructed 1880. “This site and its significant historic structures, located in the historic Barelas neighborhood and between the rail road tracks and 2nd Street, reflect an important part of Albuquerque’s economic and industrial past. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad established locomotive repair shops and offices at the site in the Read more…
Constructed 1706. The focal point of community life since it was founded in 1706 by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, the Old Town Plaza district encompasses about ten blocks of historic buildings. On the north side is the San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in the city, which Read more…