10 of the Most Welcoming Towns in New Mexico
New Mexico, which only joined the United States in 1912, has inspired trips and travelers ever since. The southwestern state's past, and hodge-podge of cultures, have melded Native American, Spanish, and American influences. But if New Mexico's large cities, like Albuquerque and Santa Fe, are famous, what about its small towns? The state's tourism motto, "The Land of Enchantment," is particularly well-chosen, as these small, warm and welcoming towns show. From Taos to Tucumcari and from the desert to the mountains, New Mexico's seemingly out-of-the-way places may just represent its character best.
Taos
Taos, a north-central town with 6,400 souls, serves up New Mexico history and above all culture, on a scale far larger than itself. The town has the Taos Pueblo, a Native American building complex and community with unique adobe constructions. The site's traditional architecture enjoys recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town's history in the Spanish colonial era lies on full display at the Hacienda de los Martinez Museum, another adobe building first erected in 1804.
Nature lovers should head for a hike in the Sangre de Cristo mountains to Taos' east or Carson National Forest to the northeast. Fans of more modern creat should seek out the Taos Art Museum at Fechim House and the Harwood Museum of Art. Numerous other private museums and stately homes surround the town. The American painter Georgia O'Keeffe, who is called the "Mother of American Modernism," took repeated trips to Taos to paint and live among the town's other artists.
Aztec
Aztec has a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Aztec Ruins National Monument draws 45,000 tourists annually and, centuries ago, was home to the Pueblo Native American tribe. The town's ancient structures were used for ceremonies, trade, and social gatherings. Other natural attractions include the unique Bisti /De-Na-Zin Wilderness, where petrified trees and stumps form strange and surreal forms of stone. Aztec, a town of 6,100, likewise enables adventures for outdoorsy types. For adrenaline junkies, a trip to the Aztec Speedway will offer thrilling races. For the disc golf enthusiast, the town offers a challenging 18-hole course at Tiger Lake, just east of downtown.
Roswell
The southeastern town of Roswell, with 47,400 inhabitants, stands among the largest of New Mexico's underrated towns. The town's largest claim to fame is also its strangest: the town has grown into a hub for visitors interested in the 1947 'Roswell Incident,' when, as the story goes, an alien spaceship crash-landed in the area. Roswell's alien- and space-related tourism industry has swelled since then, as suggested by the town's International UFO Museum and Research Center.
Also a hub for agriculture, aerospace, and fossil fuel production, Roswell's proximity to green spaces like Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Bottomless Lakes State Park means that there is something here for everyone. The Roswell Museum and Art Center highlights the legacy of Robert H. Goddard, a pioneer of modern rocketry.
Mesilla
Though it has just 1,800 residents, Mesilla remains one of the most historically significant towns in New Mexico. Following a difficult period of back-and-forth sovereignty between Mexico and the United States, Mesilla became a permanent US settlement in 1853. Civil War troubles continued to plague the town, and Wild West lawlessness — with its icons, including Billy the Kid — passed through here.
Mesilla today has held on to some of its scrappy border identity, with a mix of and traditions and cultures, and offers the modern traveler something fresh and different. Cultural tourists should head for the Fountain Theatre, the state's oldest theater, which opened in 1905. The Mesilla Plaza is a famous local site, recognized as a National Historic Landmark as early as 1961. Springtime travelers should aim to be in Mesilla on May 5th, when the town's annual Cinco de Mayo celebrations — a celebration of Mexico's independence from Spain — are celebrated town-wide.
Los Alamos
Los Alamos, population 19,200, owes its establishment to World War II and the twentieth-century arms race. The town was remembered, most recently, in the 2023 film "Oppenheimer," which depicts the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the US scientist who led the development of the first-ever atomic bomb from here. Film fans and amateur historians can explore the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, the Bradley Science Museum, and the Los Alamos History Museum to better understand how the atomic bomb was made a reality in Los Alamos during the 1940s.
For fans of (ancient) history, as well as fresh-air seekers, seek out the Bandelier National Monument, which offers breathtaking canyons and sheds light on 11,000-year-old local human settlements. Near to Los Alamos is the Valles Caldera Natural Preserve, one of the latest additions to the United States National Park System.
Raton
In the northeast corner of New Mexico and close to the Colorado border, the small town of Raton, with 6,000 residents, beckons for a closer look. Its name is appropriate, given the place's small size: the word Raton is Spanish for "mouse." Raton is a natural choice for fresh-air lovers, with parks like the downtown Roundhouse Memorial Park, Climax Canyon Park, and Sugarite Canyon State Park just northeast of town. Nearby Lake Maloya and Alice Lake offer fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. The US rail company Amtrak stops in town as a part of its Southwest Chief service between Los Angeles and Chicago.
Silver City
Found in the state's southwest, Silver City, a place of 9,500 inhabitants, gets its western-sounding name from the mineral boom that brought thousands to the state beginning in the 1870s. The town has Western history, from outlaws to homesteaders, and a more modern creative spirit, similar to northern Taos. The town's Silco Theater, first built in 1923, underwent renovation and has operated as a movie house since 2016.
Silver City's downtown also includes the Grant County Art Guild Gallery, which highlights local artists' work, as well as the Silver City Museum. Nature enthusiasts can head to the nearby Gila National Forest, a massive preserve with hiking, waterfalls, and scenic overlooks. The town remains a center of culture for the Apache and other Native American communities.
Chimayo
The north-central Chimayo, population 3,200, sits north of Sante Fe in north-central New Mexico. It enjoys a robust reputation among Catholic and other spiritual travelers. The town's name comes from the phrase "Tsi Mayoh," the name of a local hill in the Tewa tribal language. Some Catholics call Chimayo the "Lourdes of America," a reference to the French town and major pilgrimage site of the same name. Chimayo earned its reputation as a place to visit following the 1816 construction of the chapel called El Santuario de Chimayo. According to tradition, dirt from one of the chapel's rooms holds healing power, and the chapel today draws about 300,000 Catholic pilgrims each year. Aside from its religious heritage, Chimayo is a center of Hispanic weaving traditions. The Chimayo Preservation Association runs the Chimayo Museum, where visitors can learn more about the town and surrounding region's vibrant cultural histories.
Alamogordo
As a larger town, Alamagordo, with 31,300 inhabitants, offers many options for the curious traveler. Located north of El Paso, Texas, the town is close to White Sands National Park. The sand at this park is sugar-white, closer to the beaches of a Caribbean vacation than a southwestern desert. Alamogordo is also home to the New Mexico Museum of Space History, where visitors can browse explanations and artifacts related to US space exploration.
A similar spirit of national service continues at Holloman Air Force Base, a dominant source of activity and jobs in Alamogordo. The town likewise hosts the American Armed Forces Museum. For a touch of culture, visitors can seek out the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, which produces a busy calendar of shows each year. And for a total change of pace on the way in or out of northern Alamogordo on Highway 54, look out for the sculpture called "The World's Largest Pistachio." It looks just like it sounds.
Tucumcari
Tucumcari, population 5,100, has a unique historic district that has attracted visitors for decades. Found in northeastern New Mexico, near the border with the Texas Panhandle, the town holds a clutch of museums and other points of interest for the traveling history buff. The town's Main Street features numerous old structures still in use today, including the Odeon Theatre from 1937 and the Tucumcari Railroad Museum, housed in a former rail station first built in 1926. The Mesalands Dinosaur Museum is an obvious draw for families traveling with children. Tucumcari Mountain will interest walkers and hikers of various levels of skill and fitness. Finally, for the traveling impulse in everyone, the town's Route 66 Monument offers a fitting tribute to America's "Mother Road."
New Mexico's Small Towns Are Waiting To Welcome You
Given how much New Mexico's small towns have to offer, it is not surprising that the state has drawn outside travelers since before its founding as a state. The "Land of Enchantment" accurately describes the state's spiritual pull on its visitors. From the Native American histories in Taos and Aztec to the industrial histories made in Mesilla, Los Alamos, and Alamogordo — not to mention the artistic creativity that seems to be everywhere — New Mexico's attractions keep visitors coming today. A trip to the state might enchant you, too.
