Located in the far west of the state on Route 66 as it heads into Arizona, you will find Gallup, the heart of the Native American arts and crafts industry.
Gallup boasts a strong multicultural identity forged of its remarkable history as a mining and railroad boomtown.
With strong foundations in art, both visual and performing, this community is filled with opportunities to explore.
- Gallup, NM -
Posts: 10
Chief Theater
Constructed 1920. The Chief Theater on Coal Ave., originally opened in 1920. It could seat 650 patrons. In 1936, the Chief was completely remodeled in Pueblo Deco style. Its owner at the time R.E. Griffith, also owned the El Rancho Hotel. Long-closed as a movie house, the former Chief Theater Read more…
Downtown Gallup Murals
Constructed 2004. Beginning in the 1930s with the famous WPA murals, Gallup began a lasting tradition of publicly-accessible outdoor artwork. In the early 2000s, local artists were commissioned to retell Gallup’s story through a series of outdoor murals on downtown buildings. Each mural is unique in style and captures a Read more…
El Morro Theater
Constructed 1928. The 460-seat El Morro Theater opened in 1928, featuring a Spanish Colonial Revival exterior. The El Morro was named for the famous El Morro rock cliff near Zuni Pueblo also called “Inscription Rock.” The theater was designed by the Boller Brothers architectural firm of Kansas, who designed over Read more…
El Rancho Hotel
Constructed 1936. El Rancho Hotel was built in 1936 in an inspired ranch style fantasy by R. E. Griffith, the brother of film director D. W. Griffith. It was a popular home for dozens of Hollywood film stars who stayed there during Gallup’s heyday as a Western film location in Read more…
Gallup Cultural Center
Constructed 1918. The Amtrak stop in Gallup is a two-story stucco station built in 1918 in the Mission Revival architectural style. It was originally constructed to serve as an area headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway, the successor to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. A Harvey House hotel and restaurant, Read more…
Gallup Veterans Memorial
Constructed 2008. The city of Gallup, NM has completed a series of monuments dedicated to the service men and women of McKinley County. The various pillars honor veterans of World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf Wars, World War II Navajo Code Talkers, and more. The plaza Read more…
McKinley County Courthouse
Constructed 1939. Built in 1939, the McKinley County Courthouse was partially funded by the Public Works Administration and is listed on the state and national historic registers. Designed by the regionally renowned firm Trost & Trost, the four-story Spanish-Pueblo Revival style building is embellished in its interior with wood beams, Read more…
Octavia Fellin Public Library
The Octavia Fellin Library houses a collection of New Deal art obtained from the Gallup Arts Center (a WPA Arts Center) when it was demolished to make room for the new Gallup City Hall. Documents at the library detail each work as well as the history of the collection. The Read more…
Old Gallup Post Office
Constructed 1933. Built in 1933 and listed on the state and national historic registers, the blond brick building was constructed as part of the WPA project and still has the original carved beamed ceilings. It exhibits a mix of architectural styles, including Mediterranean, Decorative Brick Commercial, and Spanish Pueblo Revival. Read more…
Route 66 Scenic Byway
Constructed 1927. Historic Route 66 in Gallup is evident on the four-lane Historic Rt. 66 street and also on Coal Ave., one block south. The old highway split up into complementary one way routes from its origins. In few cities, can one experience as much of the original flavor of Read more…