Santa Fe Southern Railway
Offers sightseeing railroad rides from the railroad station in the middle of town, to Lamy to the south with the Amtrak station. The good news is that there are several departures, some involving food service check the web site, and the train itself is interesting and colorful. The bad news is that the route that it follows, although advertised by the railway as featuring "the subtle beauty of the high desert," is generally not as scenic as the really scenic high country to the north and east, or simply walking around the downtown area.
Like many towns initiated by the Spanish, Santa Fe has a central square that is a gathering place for all types. For hours of entertainment, pull up a bench and people watch; you'll rapidly gain an appreciation for how the "City Different" nickname applies. Especially nice in the summer evenings as the temperatures drop although rain may drop as well and the people come out.
theaters
There are many movie theaters spread around the city, and lots of art houses that play some of the more off-beat and humorous movies.
Architecture
The State Capitol Building
One of the country's most unusual and striking state capitol buildings; usually open to visitors during working hours. It's known locally as "the Roundhouse," and even a casual look will tell you why.
There are several photogenic churches in town, most of them open for visits during daylight hours when no church services are in progress please be respectful and don't attempt flash photography:
The Miraculous Staircase
Santa Fe's origins as a venture of early Spanish colonists have made it the home of a number of legends, myths and stories mixing indigenous and Catholic themes, one of the most famous being the legend of the Miraculous Staircase. The choir loft at Loretto Chapel is reached by a winding staircase with two complete revolutions, and no obvious means of support; it looks like it floats in the air. Legend says that a mysterious carpenter built this staircase single-handed in the 1870s, then vanished without a trace before he could be paid or even identified. Some say that this carpenter was none other than St. Joseph, patron saint of carpenters, come to earth. When you visit Loretto Chapel, take a good look at the staircase and decide for yourself whether it requires divine intervention to stay intact.
National Register of Historic Places
An enormous number of Santa Fe structures are on the National Register of Historic Places (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nR). Rather than recapping the whole list here, visit the web site. A good way of sampling the Historic Places is to start at the Plaza itself one of the designated places and work your way out. At least 40 places on the Register can be reached conveniently from here.
Museums
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art
A small but splendid museum which showcases many Hispano artworks and artifacts from the original Spanish settlers of the area. The museum also sponsors the annual Spanish Market (http://www.spanishmarket.org) see under "Do"/"Festivals".
Santa Fe Children's Museum
Many participatory exhibits and various accessible critters both inside and out; the indoor area holds several construction toy areas and a bubble-making area, while the outdoor area features a garden and greenhouse with plenty of kid's activities available.
New Mexico Museum of Art
Though it has been outflanked by the O'Keeffe Museum to some extent, this museum has a somewhat more diverse, although still New-Mexico-centric, collection. The Museum's St. Francis Auditorium is one of the primary venues in town for concerts, particularly of a classical or folk flavor.
Museum of International Folk Art
Of particular delight in this museum is its massive Girard exhibition, which contains many large, colorful displays of toys, nativity scenes, textiles, model villages, and traditional arts from around the world. The museum also features a superb collection of local Hispanic art as well as a good roster of changing exhibits. Home of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market (http://www.folkartmarket.org) held in July see under "Do"/"Festivals".
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
A large museum with American Indian artworks and exhibits on their culture and history, including a rather superb collection of pottery and displays of both historic and contemporary Indian life.
SITE Santa Fe
A private contemporary arts venue with an ongoing schedule of exhibitions of artists who merit international recognition - this is really cutting edge stuff.
Rancho de los Golondrinas
A massive outdoor "living history" museum portraying Spanish colonial days, with reconstructions of a village, farms, orchards, a vineyard, and a large water mill. In May you'll be dodging swarms of bored children on school field trips; visiting in the fall is better.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Devoted to the 20th-century artist who settled near Abiquiu, a small town north of Santa Fe. Only free after 5pm on the first Friday of every month, and only applies to New Mexico residents.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Excellent Native American art collection, with a quaint little gift shop, the Case Trading Post, that sells superb examples of Native arts that reflect the quality of the collection. Frequent special events.
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
The Institute for American Indian Arts IAIA, (http://www.iaia.edu) is a long-standing Santa Fe institution that helps to promote the Santa Fe Indian Market (http://www.swaia.org) see under "Do"/"Festivals". Their museum holds a superb collection of contemporary Indian art.
Palace of the Governors / New Mexico History Museum
The oldest public building in the United States, the Palace of the Governors is a 17th-century building that once served as the main capitol building and now houses an excellent historical museum and shop, with exhibits on the history of the building and a functioning antique print press. Behind the Palace is the New Mexico History Museum, with three floors of exhibits on the history of New Mexico, including numerous artifacts from the prehistory to the present. Local Native American artists sell their work beneath the portal facing the Plaza (http://www.newmexicoindia...).
Santa Fe has a variety of interesting museums, most in the downtown area and easily reached on foot. Museum Hill (http://www.museumhill.org/), south of downtown, is accessible via public transportation. The first four listed below are sub-units of the Museum of New Mexico, (http://www.museumofnewmex...), for which you can buy a shared pass for $20 that allows access to all four museums and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art within a four-day period. If you only have time for one, individual passes are available.