Hey Guys!
If you’re planning a drive between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, taking the Turquoise Trail is one of the most scenic and interesting alternatives to Interstate 25. This historic route winds through desert landscapes and old mining towns, offering a slower but far more rewarding way to travel between the two cities.
In this guide, I’ll cover the best stops along the Turquoise Trail, what to expect on the drive, and why it’s worth taking this route instead of the highway.
Quick Overview
- Route: Albuquerque > Santa Fe via NM-14 (Turquoise Trail)
- Drive time: 1.5 hrs (without stops)
- Best for: scenic drives, history lovers, photography, small-town exploring
- Main stops: Tinkertown Museum, Madrid, Cerrillos, scenic overlooks
What is the Turquoise Trail?
The Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway is a historic route that connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe through the eastern foothills of the Sandia Mountains. Once a mining corridor, the area is now known for its artistic towns, desert scenery, and relaxed pace compared to the interstate.
So, let’s get started.
Today, we would be checking out of our hotel in Albuquerque and heading to our next destination, Santa Fe.
The drive to Santa Fe from Albuquerque takes approximately 1 hr if you take the shortest route.
However, we opted for the scenic route via the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway.
This route will usually take around 1.5 hrs without stops……it may take a little longer than driving the interstate, but I highly recommend it as it’s not only more scenic but there are several sites to see along the way.
As we were getting packed up to leave our hotel, we noticed lots of hot air balloons flying right outside our window!
Seeing the balloons right from our hotel window was the ONLY positive thing I can say about this place!! 🥴 
After checking out, we headed to our car where we spotted several more balloons!
We continued to see many more as we were driving!
I was snapping pictures left and right!
It was so cool being able to see so many ….and for free! 😉
After a few minutes of driving, we spotted a Starbucks and decided to make a quick stop for coffee and a muffin.
We then continued our drive to Santa Fe.
Our route began with a short stretch on the interstate before taking exit 175, where we left I-40 and started our drive along the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway.
Tip: Near this exit you can see Travertine Falls, Carlito Springs Loop & Carlito Springs Open Space
Also located off of this exit is the Cibola National Forest and the Sandia Peak Gondola…..the longest gondola ride in America, takes you to Sandia Crest, rising nearly 10,500 ft above sea level! There’s also a cafe at the top.
The drive along the scenic byway had incredible views!
Tinkertown Museum: A Whimsical Roadside Stop Near Albuquerque
After a short drive, we arrived to our first stop of the day, a quirky little museum called Tinkertown.
It’s located 30 mins from Albuquerque.
Tip: The museum is located 25 mins drive from the top of Sandia Crest…. you can drive to the top of the mountain instead of taking the gondola.
To be honest, museums aren’t usually our thing, so I was a little reluctant to include this stop. Believe it or not, I hadn’t done any research beforehand; it was just a place recommended along the drive.
We pulled in and there were no other cars in the parking lot…..that’s never a good sign!
After getting parked, we headed to the entrance.
The walls were lined with old bottles.
After seeing some of the quirky displays outside the museum, my hesitation only grew. I found myself thinking this might end up being a waste of our time.
Once we got to the entrance, we paid our $6 admission fee and headed inside.
From the moment we stepped inside, it was clear — this place was the epitome of quirky!
After doing some research, here’s what I discovered.
This place was created over 40 years ago by artist Ross Ward and the museum is filled with hand carved miniature worlds along with other oddities.
We were amazed by this man’s creativeness, talent and imagination!
The walls are literally made from 50,000 glass bottles embedded in concrete, and every nook and cranny revealed something unexpected!
At the admission entrance, we had been encouraged to grab a few dollars’ worth of quarters to enjoy some of the coin operated displays.
We were glad we did because they were so cool!
This place was unlike any “museum” I had ever visited! It was so interesting and the story behind the owner was equally as interesting!
Ross Ward was a wildly imaginative and self taught artist whose lifelong obsession with carving, painting, and storytelling has become one of New Mexico’s most popular roadside attractions.
He started creating miniature scenes as a boy….his first subjects were circus figures and Old West Towns carved in wood.
For years he carved figures and scenes that he displayed at state fairs and traveling carnivals and worked as a sign and show painter for carnival attractions across the country.
He eventually settled in New Mexico in the late 1960’s and began concentrating on wood carving full time.
What started as a personal hobby in the 60’s evolved into a sprawling folk-art environment where hundreds of wood carved miniature figures depicting animated Western towns, circuses and old time scenes.
It took Ross Ward over 40 years to carve, collect, and lovingly construct what is now Tinkertown Museum.
The museum opened to the public in 1983 and continued expanding as Ross added new creations over the years.
Sadly, in 1998, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and eventually could no longer work…however, he continued expressing his creativity by turning his jeep into an art piece. He covered it in pennies and bottle caps before passing away in 2002 at the age of 62.
Some photos from the inside
The grounds also have lots of buildings and unique displays from his circus years.
One of the most unexpected and fascinating exhibits was a 35 ft wooden sailboat called Theodore R.
The sailboat was built in England in 1936 and later bought by Fritz Damler, Ross Ward’s brother in law.
In 1981, Fritz quit his job, traded in his house, and set off on an epic journey, sailing the boat around the world over the next ten years!
During that 10 years, he covered around 80,000 miles, navigating oceans, crossing the Panama Canal, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, and even exploring the Mediterranean before returning to the US in 1991!
The museum also has a gift shop where you can find quirky gifts, books, souvenirs and more!
After going through this museum, I can say that we definitely made a great decision by coming here and I highly recommend it!
Read reviews here
After leaving here, we continued our drive along the Turquoise Scenic Byway.
The views were incredible!
Madrid – A Hidden Gem Full of Art and Character
Our next stop would be Madrid...
Madrid is a tiny village perched in a narrow canyon of the Ortiz Mountains…a place that feels part Old West, part artsy bohemia.
It began as a coal mining town in the late 1800’s and became a town complete with wooden miner’s cabins and rail connections. When coal demand dried up after WWII, most of the residents left and the town faded, even being listed for sale in the 1950’s.
In the 70’s, artists and craftsman began moving into the abandoned buildings, revitalizing the town with galleries, studios, and unique shops.
After arriving to Madrid, our first stop was to find something to eat……we came up on a restaurant called, Mine Shaft Tavern and decided to try it out.
The Mine Shaft Tavern is one of the oldest continuously operated taverns in the area and is famous for its green Chile cheeseburgers and live music.
The inside of the restaurant was very neat!
Much of the interior has been preserved since its 1947 rebuild and it shows — from the long, 40 ft lodge pole pine bar that once served tired coal miners to the warm wood beams overhead that give the space a rustic, cozy feel.
After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.
We both decided on the bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and fresh mozzarella cheese on a ciabatta bun with a side of fries.
It was delicious!
Read reviews here
After lunch, we decided to take a stroll through the quirky little town.
Madrid is now a lively, walkable town of about a few hundred residents with more than 40 galleries and shops that are housed in colorful historic buildings that reflect both its mining past and its artistic present.
Click here for things to see/do in Madrid
We passed the Refinery ….it’s a cool little brunch spot.
We spotted the Madrid Old Coal Town Museum..
The museum is a little history stop that brings the town’s gritty coal mining past to life. It’s housed in original mining company buildings along Main Street.
The museum preserves artifacts, tools and machinery from the days when Madrid was a thriving coal camp.
One of the coolest features of the museum, is an old 1901 steam locomotive.
Read reviews here
We spotted a sign that told about all the things that Madrid was once famous for….such as Toyland and their Christmas light display.
Madrid’s Christmas lights were so popular that airlines rerouted their flights over the town so their passengers could see them. Walt Disney visited Toyland in 1936 inspiring him to create his own amusement park in 1955.
The town continues the tradition by putting on a day long celebration that features live performances, workshops and activities, holiday shopping, dazzling light displays and an annual Christmas parade.
Continuing our walk
We spotted so many quirky & creative shops!
We passed the Java Junction …..a coffee shop that also serves locally baked goods. The first floor of the cafe offers lodging as well.
We came up on Connie’s Photo Park.
Connie’s Photo park features hand painted wooden cutouts with face holes —letting you pose as everything from a cowboy or space alien to a 1960’s rocker or Old West character.
The park has no admission fee but there is a donation box nearby.
We thought it was so cool and a perfect way to capture the quirky, creative energy of Madrid!
We definitely couldn’t pass up having our pictures taken in front of some of the cut outs! 😉
Read reviews here
We then passed the Old Boarding House Mercantile.
Many of the buildings in Madrid date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mercantile began its life as a boarding house and company store, providing a place where miners lived, shaped and gathered during Madrid’s heyday.
Today, the store embraces that history while offering a curated selection of goods —from snacks and basic groceries to local gifts, souvenirs, and unique finds that reflect Madrid’s creative spirit.
You may even recognize the mercantile from the movie, Wild Hogs….Madrid’s old timey storefronts have made the town a favorite backdrop for movies.
Speaking of the movie Wild Hogs, you may also recognize this building ….Maggie’s Diner.
It was built just for the movie.
It’s not really a diner…..it’s a souvenir shop…..They have a ton of t-shirts to pick from along with other merchandise.
The inside still looks like it did when it was built for the movie..
The last place we headed before heading to our next stop was a chocolate store we had seen earlier.
We love chocolate so we always try out local chocolate stores whenever we can! 😉
The name of the place is called, Shugarman’s Little Chocolate shop.
The chocolate shop is known for its handmade chocolates, truffles, barks and confections.
They are crafted with organic, fair trade ingredients …..and ya’ll know I love that!
They had all kinds of unique flavors like dark chocolate with green chili and cashews or hibiscus ginger white chocolate.
The staff was very friendly and helped us choose something delicious by allowing us to sample some of the chocolates.
We ended up purchasing about 1.5 lbs of chocolate and didn’t notice the sign on the wall that said the cost was $15.50 per 1/4 lb!! Yikes!!!
It was really good, high quality chocolate but I would never spend that much on chocolate again!!
Read reviews here
After buying our expensive chocolate, we continued our drive.
We stopped along the way to take pictures of the incredible views!
We passed these cool looking art installations along the way..
Cerrillos – Old Mining History and Desert Charm
We came to signs that pointed to Cerrillos Hills State Park so decided to check it out.
On the way, we passed the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. 
This is one of the most prominent historic buildings in Los Cerrillos.
The original parish church was built around 1884 during the height of the mining boom. As the town grew, so did the need for a larger building so in 1922, the current church was completed.
Click here for things to see/do in Los Cerrillos
We spotted this huge tree near the church!
This place looked like a ghost town! We didn’t see anyone around!
I later read that the town only has a population of about 100 people.
The buildings looked old and run down…..many of them date back to the late 1800’s.
Tip: The town/are was used as a backdrop for the movie Young Guns.
As we were heading to the Cerrillos Hills State Park, we passed an old cemetery so decided to check it out.
It was all grown up with grass so we snapped a few pictures and continued our drive.
Cerrillos Hills State Park is not your typical park with lakes or campgrounds. It’s a historic, natural landscape of rolling juniper hills, historic mine sites and interpretive trails where you can see old mine shafts and prospect pits once worked by Native Americans, Spanish colonists and 19th century miners.
The park is approx. 1100 acres and features about 5 miles of trails ….the trails wander through landscapes and are dotted with signs that explain the mining history and offer views of the surrounding mountains.
The road into the park was a mix of dirt and gravel and very dusty!
I had a couple of hiking trails on the list but decided against them because it felt so remote and desolate.
So, we headed back towards town where we spotted a sign that pointed to the Casa Grande Trading Post and Mining Museum so we decided to go check it out.
In front of the store, vintage mining equipment was displayed like an open air museum.
Located next to the store was a small petting zoo. 
After checking out the petting zoo, we headed inside the store.
The trading post is much more than a souvenir shop — it’s a sprawling 28 room adobe building built by Todd & Patricia Brown in 1975 using 65,000 handmade adobe bricks!
What started as their home grew into a roadside destination filled with history, art and Southwestern flair that perfectly fits the character of this old mining town.
The place was packed full of unique rocks, handmade sterling silver jewelry and rare Cerrillos turquoise from the Brown family’s own Little Chalchihuit mine claim, minerals, vintage bottles, and curios you won’t find anywhere else.
My husband was in rock heaven lol….he loves rocks but shhhhh don’t tell him I told you that! 😉
You can also access the museum from the store….however, it costs $4 to enter.
The museum featured tons of mining equipment, such as tools, relics, old photos and much more…..we passed on the museum.
I had never seen so many different types of rocks!
Turquoise has been mined for centuries in this area…..archaeological evidence shows people began extracting turquoise as early as the 10th century (around 900 AD).
Jewelry companies, including Tiffany & Co., took an interest in Cerrillos turquoise enough to market it in New York ….this helped elevate the stone’s profile nationally.
The Casa Grande Trading Post & Mining Museum has been featured in many publications and on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow.
We both picked out a piece of locally made jewelry to purchase and then headed to our next stop.
Read reviews here
Santa Fe – Historic Adobe City and Final Stop on the Turquoise Trail
After leaving here, we continued our drive to Santa Fe.
We arrived to Santa Fe about 30 mins later.
The trees were changing colors….it was so pretty!
Driving around the town
Santa Fe known as “The City Different,” is the nation’s oldest state capital. It’s celebrated for its rich blend of Native American, Spanish, and Anglo cultures, distinctive adobe architecture, and world-renowned art scene.
After finally finding a parking spot, we began our walk through town.
We had a couple of churches on our list to see so that’s where we headed.
The first one we came to was called, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
The church was built between 1869 and 1886.
Unlike the traditional adobe buildings around downtown, the cathedral was designed in a striking Romanesque Revival style.
French architects and Italian stone masons were brought in to build it’s sandstone walls, rounded arches, Corinthian columns and rose windows.
Two towers rise from the facade but were originally intended to be topped with taller steeples that were never built due to budget constraints.
Above the entrance, a stained glass dove window — a replica of the one in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, was added in 2005.
Read reviews for the church, here
Since the church was closed when we arrived, we walked a short distance to the next church on our list called, Loretto Chapel.
This church was built in 1873 through 1878 using sandstone quarried locally around Santa Fe.
It’s a Gothic Revival style church that was inspired in part by the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.…the stained glass windows were imported from France.
Since the church is opened 364 days a year and operates as a private museum, we decided to go inside and check it out.
Tip: There is a $5 admission fee to visit the museum
After paying the entrance fee, the first thing we spotted was a model of the famous staircase.
The chapel is well known for its “miraculous staircase“.
It is said that when the chapel was completed in 1878, builders realized it lacked any practical way to reach the choir loft — a platform about 20 ft above the floor.
According to the story that has by been passed down by the sisters, they had prayed for 9 days for a solution and on the 9th day, a mysterious carpenter appeared at the chapel with only a few simple tools and built a staircase to reach the loft.
The reason why it’s so special is that there is no central support or newel post…its stability comes from its shape and the way segments were joined.
It makes two full 360 degree turns as it rises to the loft. The staircase is held together primarily by wooden pegs with no nails or glue.
When it was first built, the staircase had no railing as you can see in this picture….the railing wasn’t added until 1887.
The chapel is very small on the inside and not as elaborate as most Catholic Churches we have visited.
Still beautiful nonetheless
Read reviews here
After leaving here, we headed to another nearby church called, San Miguel Church.
San Miguel Church is a small but incredibly historic Spanish colonial church that many consider to be the oldest church building in the continental US still standing and in use.
The original sanctuary was built around 1610.
It was partly destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680 but was rebuilt in 1710 on the same site.
The church is built of thick adobe walls in a simple Spanish mission style.
Read reviews here
The church was closed when we arrived so we couldn’t go inside but right beside the church was the oldest house & museum so we decided to check it out.
The De Vargas Street House, now known as the “oldest house” in Santa Fe is said to have been built sometime around 1610, when Santa Fe was established as the capital of New Mexico.
Local legend holds that parts of the house rest on the foundation of an ancient Native American pueblo going back as far as the 1200’s CE — long before Spanish settlement.
Archaeologists and historians have found sections of puddled adobe walls that were typical of pre Spanish Pueblo construction, suggesting a very long footprint of habitation at the site.
Tree ring dating on wooden ceiling beams in parts of the house indicate wood cut between 1740 and 1767.
The house’s interior is made up of thick adobe walls that gave the rooms a cave like feel.
The ceilings were supported by exposed wood beams ….some of the beams are original and date back to the mid 1700’s.
Inside the house there were historical displays, artifacts, and period style objects illustrating life in early Santa Fe.
The upper story isn’t original and was rebuilt in the 1920’s ….it wasn’t open to visitors.
There were old pictures that lined the wall showing what it looked like years ago.
After checking out the house, we walked around the gift shop for a few minutes looking for a t-shirt.
Not finding what we wanted here, we headed out to find another souvenir shop to purchase our usual souvenirs …..a t-shirt and coffee cup.
Read reviews for the old house, here
Where to Eat
After making our purchase, we spotted a restaurant called, Upper Crust Pizza and decided to try it out.
We walked inside and took a few minutes trying to decide what to order ….everything sounded so good!
After making our decision, we headed outside and grabbed a table on the deck.
Is it just me, or does food always taste better when you’re eating it al fresco? 😉
It’s one of our favorite things to do when we travel…..soaking up the sun and scenery while we enjoy a good meal.
After waiting about 20 minutes, our pizza was ready ….we couldn’t believe the size of this thing!
Not only was it huge, it was loaded with delicious toppings!
It was so good!
Read reviews here
After enjoying dinner, we headed back to our car and set off to our Airbnb.
We had booked Airbnb’s for the remainder of our trip so no more Motel 6’s!! 😉
Where to Stay
After a short drive, we arrived to our Airbnb called the La Casa Louisa.
The house was very clean and nice!
It had a nice modern kitchen, a large living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a really nice outdoors space.
After getting settled in, we enjoyed some of the delicious chocolate that we had purchased from Shugarman’s Little Chocolate Shop.
Later, we headed outside and spent some time by the outdoor fire pit.
It was such a beautiful night!
Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned for Day 4.
Read Days 1 & 2 below:
Exploring New Mexico – Day 1 – Albuquerque – Oct 2025
Exploring New Mexico – Day 2 – Albuquerque – Oct 2025
Click here to see links to all of my blog posts
