Things to Do in Albuquerque Before or After AdvocacyCon 2026

Flying in for AdvocacyCon? Whether you've only got time between sessions or you're turning this into a longer trip, here's a real list, organized by how far you're willing to drive.

A note before the list: we know a lot of you are carrying something heavy into this weekend. This isn't a "have the best trip ever" list. It's here in case you want a quiet walk, a good meal, or somewhere to just sit for a while, whether that's five minutes from the Convention Center or a few hours out. Take what's useful, skip the rest, no obligation either way.

In the city

• Old Town Albuquerque — the closest option to the venue, historic 1706 plaza, San Felipe de Neri Church, quiet courtyards, easy in an hour or stretched into an afternoon

• Albuquerque Museum — art and local history, right next to Old Town, free admission on Sundays

• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center — gateway to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, museum and dance performances

• Turquoise Museum — one of the largest turquoise collections in the world, housed in a castle

• National Museum of Nuclear Science & History — Smithsonian affiliate, absorbing and unrelated to anything heavy if that's what you need

• Petroglyph National Monument — thousands of ancient carvings on volcanic rock, easy trails

• ABQ BioPark — zoo, aquarium, and botanic garden, genuinely peaceful if you want quiet over stimulation

• Rio Grande Nature Center State Park — easy riverside walk, good for birdwatching

Within an hour, if you're extending the trip

• Santa Fe — the oldest state capital in the U.S., the Plaza, Canyon Road galleries, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

  

• Madrid, NM — a funky little arts town on the Turquoise Trail

• Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument — cone-shaped rock formations and a slot canyon hike

• Acoma Pueblo / Sky City — the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America

  

Coffee, close by

• Blackbird Coffee House, tucked into a nook right in Old Town

• Little Bear Coffee at Civic Plaza, downtown, closest option if you just need five minutes between sessions

Food

• Sawmill Market, an indoor food hall near Old Town, good if your group can't agree on one cuisine

• 505 Central Food Hall, downtown, casual, works for mixed tastes

• Triana, for a proper sit-down dinner one night, Spanish tapas

If you're turning this into a real New Mexico trip

We know some of you fly in from out of state and want to make the most of it. A few worth the extra time: Bandelier National Monument (cliff dwellings, about 2 hours), Taos (Taos Pueblo and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, about 2.5 hours), and if you've got the better part of a week, White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns both make for an unforgettable southern New Mexico loop.

However you spend the time outside the conference itself, we hope some of it is restful. We'll see you at the Convention Center.