Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
New Mexico
Renowned among wildlife photographers the world over, these fields and marshes, 18 miles south of Socorro, are the wintering ground for over 100,000…
Must-see attractions in The Southwest
Albuquerque
Collectively run by New Mexico's 19 Pueblos, this cultural center is an essential stop-off during even the shortest Albuquerque visit. Revamped in 2016,…
Palace of the Governors & New Mexico History Museum
Santa Fe
The oldest public building in the US, this low-slung adobe complex began as home to New Mexico’s first Spanish governor in 1610. It was occupied by Pueblo…
New Mexico
This prehistoric pueblo was built around AD 1100, and connected with the larger settlement at Chaco via a road that ran due south. Its central feature, a…
Museum of International Folk Art
Santa Fe
Santa Fe’s most unusual and exhilarating museum centers on the world's largest collection of folk art. Its huge main gallery displays whimsical and mind…
Las Vegas
A true high-roller's casino, this younger sibling and an extension of the Venetian to which it is linked doesn't rely on flashy attractions to get punters…
Santa Fe
For more than 400 years, the Plaza has stood at the heart of Santa Fe. Originally it marked the far northern end of the Camino Real from Mexico; later, it…
Western New Mexico University Museum
New Mexico
Fresh from a $3.2 million renovation, this excellent museum in the schools's former gymnasium boasts the world's largest collection of 1000-year-old…
Arizona Museum of Natural History
Greater Phoenix
Even if you're not staying in Mesa, this museum is worth a trip, especially if your kids are into dinosaurs (and aren't they all?). In addition to the…
Taos
Rooted in the private collection of model and oil heiress Millicent Rogers, who moved to Taos in 1947, this superb museum, 4 miles northwest of the Plaza,…
New Mexico
Dating back 150 years and little changed since, Mesilla is a charming old adobe town. Despite the souvenir shops and tourist-oriented restaurants, its…
Salt Lake City
A family-friendly museum at Thanksgiving Point that houses one of the world's largest displays of mounted dinosaurs. The exhibits, many of which are hands…
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
Santa Fe
This top-quality museum sets out to trace the origins and history of the various Native American peoples of the entire Southwest, and explain and…
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
Las Vegas
Changing with the seasons, Bellagio’s conservatory displays ostentatious floral arrangements, installed by crane through a soaring 50ft-high ceiling. The…
Nevada
Just 12 miles north of Carson City off Hwy I-580, almost halfway to Reno, you'll find this fabulous regional park with manicured gardens perfect for…
Las Vegas
Steve Wynn's signature casino hotel (literally – his name is emblazoned across the top) Wynn and younger sibling Encore are a pair of curvaceous, copper…
American International Rattlesnake Museum
Albuquerque
Anyone charmed by snakes and all things slithery will find this museum fascinating; for ophidiophobes, it’s a complete nightmare, filled with the world’s…
Arizona
The eruption of Sunset Crater (AD 1040–1100) briefly enriched the surrounding soil, luring the ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni and others to the region. By AD…
New Mexico
The 200ft sandstone outcropping at this monument, also known as Inscription Rock, has been a travelers' oasis for millennia. The only reliable water…
Arizona
Prescott's chief museum highlights the town's period as territorial capital (1863–67). The 1928 museum is named for its founder, pioneer Sharlot Hall …
Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner
New Mexico
The convoluted name sums up the tragic history of this bleak, windswept spot, beside the Pecos River 6 miles southeast of town. Fort Sumner was built in…
Grand Canyon National Park
Enter the front door of the lodge and see...the Grand Canyon, somehow looking even larger framed by the massive windows of the sunroom. Built in 1937 out…
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
New Mexico
This terrific museum doesn’t just display engaging exhibits on the state’s agricultural history – it's got livestock too. Enclosures on the working farm…
Maynard Dixon Living History Museum
Southwestern Utah
In Mt Carmel, the Architectural Digest–noted Maynard Dixon Living History Museum is where renowned Western painter Maynard Dixon (1875–1946) lived and…
New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
Albuquerque
Dinosaur-mad kids are certain to love this huge modern museum, on the northeastern fringes of Old Town. From the T. rex in the main atrium onwards, it’s…
Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
Tucson
Divided into the Enchanted Realm, Exploring the World and the History Gallery, this delightful museum of miniatures presents dioramas that are fantastical…
Grand Canyon National Park South Rim
Walk about 1 mile along the mostly level and shaded dirt road to marvelously uncrowded Shoshone Point, a rocky promontory with some of the canyon’s best…
Grand Canyon Region
Calling the view at Horseshoe Bend 'dramatic' is an understatement – the overlook sits on sheer cliffs that drop 1000ft to the river below, as it carves a…
Las Vegas
You may have more fun at this no-frills arcade than playing slot machines back on the Strip. Tim Arnold shares his collection of 200-plus vintage pinball…
Park City
A well-staged interactive museum touches on the highlights of the town's history as a mining boomtown, hippie hangout and premier ski resort. There are…
Grand Canyon National Park
While not the biggest, or highest, this is perhaps the most dramatic viewpoint in the canyon: you're literally on the edge of a 3000ft drop.
Sedona
Long before Sedona became a destination, only a handful of enterprising people had settled in this geological wonderland. The desert city sits at 4350ft…
Sedona
When you wander beyond the urban edges of Sedona, the landscape reveals clues to the area’s evolution. Discover secret swimming holes, bridges shaped from…
Las Vegas
The Eiffel Tower Experience is the signature attraction at Paris Las Vegas, a mini version of the French capital that includes the Hotel de Ville, facades…
Las Vegas
Hipsters who thought they were too cool for Vegas finally have a place to go where they don't need irony to endure – or enjoy – the aesthetics of the…
Las Vegas
Opened in 1997, the mini-megalopolis of New York–New York remains a perennial hit with spring breakers. Tables in the casino's 'Party Pit' are set against…
Las Vegas
In Vegas parlance, a gambler who bets big is called a high roller. It's also the name of the world's tallest observation wheel, which tops out at 550ft…
Las Vegas
This mini version of the French capital might lack the charm of the City of Light, but its efforts to emulate Paris' landmarks, including a 34-story Hotel…
Las Vegas
In a city famous for neon signs, one reigns supreme: the 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada' sign, facing south and straddling Las Vegas Blvd just…
Las Vegas
An incubator for up-and-coming fashion designers and local artisans, the edgy Container Park, fronted by a giant metal grasshopper, stacks pop-up shops on…
