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All the United States New Mexico Santa Fe

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Santa Fe

26 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Updated March 27, 2026
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Unusual Attractions in Santa Fe

Chill forest

Santa Fe, New Mexico

House of Eternal Return

An immersive environment that is part haunted house, part choose-your-own-adventure, and part jungle gym.
Ra Paulette’s Hand-Carved Caves

New Mexico

Ra Paulette's Hand-Carved Caves

One man has carved a number of natural New Mexico caves into psychedelic sandstone temples.
Collection of rock art at La Cieneguilla

Santa Fe, New Mexico

La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site

These Pre-Columbian petroglyphs contain representations of birds, deer, hunters, and even some early Native flute players.
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Ethyl.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Ethyl the Whale

Life-sized sculpture of a blue whale made of hand-recycled plastic trash.
Loretto Chapel Staircase

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Loretto Chapel

Wedding chapel's mysterious spiral staircase said to be miraculously constructed.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Girard Wing

A sprawling collection of over 106,000 toys from around the world.
Zozobra.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Burning of Zozobra

Setting this massive marionette aflame rids Santa Fe of doom and gloom for another year.
See All 26 Things To Do in Santa Fe
In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Close Encounters With Aliens and Explosions in New Mexico

In the arid and remote expanses of New Mexico's landscape, booms and zooms abound. From the volatile effects of the Manhattan Project to the otherworldly possibilities of Roswell's UFO, the Land of Enchantment has never shied away from the controversial or far-reaching. Here are several places to encounter those legacies across this southwestern state.

View Itinerary
Telescopes open up a window to the stars.

Explore Santa Fe, New Mexico

Art 6
Museums 5
History & Culture 4
Native Americans 3
Rock Formations 3
Architecture 3
Gardens 2
Sculptures 2
Science 2
Installations 2
Geology 2
Rocks 2
Architectural Oddities 2
Art Museum 2
Outsider Art 2
Insects 1
Clocks 1
National Parks 1
Churches 1
Meteorites 1

Santa Fe Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. mikewalker
    3
  2. barbarawoolsey
    2
  3. anastatia
    1
  4. michaelksugar
    1
  5. caitlinrinn
    1
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Add an unusual place to Santa Fe.

Places Edited

  1. tylercole
    9
  2. Collector of Experiences
    8
  3. mikewalker
    8
  4. breaingram
    6
  5. icatsstaci
    5

Places Visited

  1. icatsstaci
    21
  2. mikewalker
    21
  3. andycarlos
    21
  4. Edward Denny
    17
  5. Chasb
    17
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Visit a place in Santa Fe.

Recent Santa Fe Activity

  • rebeccamichellecall

    wants to go to Loretto Chapel

  • rebeccamichellecall

    wants to go to Santa Fe Botanical Garden

  • rebeccamichellecall

    wants to go to La Conquistadora, Our Lady of Conquering Love

  • rebeccamichellecall

    wants to go to Palace of the Governors

  • rebeccamichellecall

    wants to go to Spitz Clock

Stories About Santa Fe

Each year, thousands gather to watch the burning of Zozobra.

How Zozobra Set Alight the Hearts of Santa Fe Residents

Each year on the Friday before Labor Day, this community gathers to let go of its worries—by burning a 50-foot puppet.
Sponsored By Visit Santa Fe
The Loretto Staircase.

The Miraculous Loretto Chapel Staircase

The Sisters of Loretto prayed nine days for this staircase—and on the ninth day, it came.
Sponsored By Visit Santa Fe
Archival photo of the staircase inside Loretto Chapel.

The Enduring Mystery of the Loretto Chapel Staircase

This staircase and its construction have dumbfounded visitors for decades.
Sponsored By Visit Santa Fe
The left side of “Multi-Cultural,” a collaborative mural painted in 1980. State officials approved a plan that would destroy the painting.

New Mexico Will Tear Down a Historic Chicano Mural to Build an Art Museum

The artist, Gilberto Guzman, once wanted to restore the painting. But state officials say it’s too unstable.
by Sabrina Imbler
January 13, 2020
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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