Things To Do in Las Vegas, NM

The Railroad District

When you first enter Las Vegas, you may want to take a brief driving tour through the railroad district and "east Las Vegas" to get a sense of how the railroad's arrival in the 1870s shaped that side of the city. Turn east on Douglas Avenue, which will take you to Railroad Avenue. In this district are turn-of-the-20th-century brick buildings housing such businesses as Moonlite Welding and Blue Dart Upholstery Shop. The center of the railroad district is the old Fred Harvey Castañeda Hotel at 510 Railroad. Built in 1898, it is one of the early Harvey Houses to be built in the Mission Revival style. It no longer operates as a hotel; however, you'll want to stop and take a peek into the lobby, which is still elegant, with a molded tin ceiling and arched windows.

The Historic District

The chamber of commerce on Grand Avenue has a map of a self-guided tour of this area. What's most notable is the town's early Spanish history; adobe buildings going back to the first Spanish visits in the 16th century are still standing alongside the ornate structures of the late 1800s. In addition, it's hard to find such a well-preserved collection of Territorial-style buildings. Most of the interesting structures can be found in the Plaza-Bridge Street area.

In particular, don't miss the Plaza Hotel, 230 Old Town Plaza, the finest hotel in the New Mexico Territory back in 1881. Its three-story facade, topped with a fancy broken pediment decoration, was the town's pride and joy, and it has been happily restored.

Another highlight is the Dice Apartments, 210 Old Town Plaza. Although the low adobe building is unimpressive, its history is distinguished -- it is the sole building on the plaza that predates the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846. In that year, Gen. Stephen Kearny, commander of the Army of the West, stood on a one-story building on the north side of the plaza (probably this one) to address the town's population, claiming New Mexico for the United States.

For shopping, be sure to browse through Rough Rider Antiques, at 501 Railroad St. (tel. 505/454-8063). You'll find Southwestern furniture, eclectic Western art, and quilts here. Another good shopping stop is Plaza Antiques, 1805 Old Town Plaza (tel. 505/454-9447), a fun place to browse for antique clothing and kitchen tables. A great place to browse for books on regional history is Tome on the Range, 158 Bridge St. (tel. 505/454-9944).

Housed in a 1940s-era Work Projects Administration (WPA) building, the Las Vegas City Museum and Rough Riders Memorial Collection, 727 Grand Ave. (tel. 505/454-1401, ext. 283), is a fun spot to spend about an hour. The largest contingent of Rough Riders was recruited from New Mexico to fight in the 1898 Spanish-American War. This museum chronicles their contribution to U.S. history and also contains artifacts relating to the history of the city. Another exhibit documents the history of Las Vegas. Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm, and by appointment.

In the plaza area, the Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center, 127 Bridge St. (tel. 505/425-8803; www.lvsmchamber.org), offers a glimpse into efforts to restore the town's 918 historic buildings as well as information about the Santa Fe Trail. Set in the 1890s Winternitz Building, it's a fun stop, if you find it open. Hours vary greatly, as it is staffed by volunteers.

Weaving Magic

You can watch weavers at work at Tapetes de Lana on the Las Vegas Plaza. Appropriately set in a late-1800s textile shop, this fun import shop, weavers' studio, and cafe offers a peek into the art as well as lovely works to buy. Hanging from antique stone walls are scarves, shawls, and Rio Grande-style rugs woven as part of a job-training program for people with low income, many of whom have mastered the art beautifully. Now the shop has a cafe selling organic free trade coffee, baked goods, salads, sandwiches, and pizza. It's located at 1814 Plaza (tel. 505/426-8638; www.tapetesdelana.com) and is open Monday through Friday 7am to 6:30pm, Saturday 8am to 6:30pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Prices are uncommonly reasonable. You may also visit Tapetes de Lana in Mora, open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.

Other Attractions near Town

Las Vegas has two colleges. New Mexico Highlands University (tel. 505/425-7511; www.nmhu.edu), a 4-year liberal arts school of almost 3,000 students, was established in 1893. The Armand Hammer United World College, 5 miles west of Las Vegas via NM 65 (tel. 505/454-4200; www.uwc.org), is an international school with students from more than 70 countries. It is housed in the former Montezuma Hotel, a luxury resort built by the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1880s and now a historic landmark. Three U.S. presidents, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Japan's Meiji Emperor Mutsuhito stayed in the multistoried, turreted, 270-room "Montezuma Castle," as it came to be known. One-hour tours of the Castle are offered on select Saturdays at 1pm. Call tel. 505/454-4221 for a schedule.