Last updated: May 14, 2024
Place
Santa Fe Plaza
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Bounded by Palace Ave and the Palace of the Governors on the north, San Francisco St. on the south, Washington Ave. on the east, and Lincoln Ave. on the west.
Significance:
The spatial, economic, and social center of New Mexico's capital city
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places 1966; National Historic Landmark 1960
MANAGED BY:
The Santa Fe Plaza has long been the spatial, economic, and social center of New Mexico’s capital city. Accordingly, it is the location of various historic buildings and events throughout New Mexico’s history. Now half its original size, the Plaza is landscaped with flagstone, walks, benches, and trees. It includes storefronts, a Civil War memorial, a Santa Fe Trail marker, and a monument commemorating the annexation of New Mexico. The Plaza was founded by the Spanish in 1609 as a strategic location for defense. It later served as the endpoint marker of the Santa Fe Trail after Mexico gained its independence. During the Spanish occupation, the Plaza was unpaved. When Anglo-Americans arrived in about 1850, they brought the Plaza to its current size—about one city block—and enclosed it with buildings facing the Palace of the Governors.
Site Information
Location (Bounded by Palace Ave and the Palace of the Governors on the north, San Francisco St. on the south, Washington Ave. on the east, and Lincoln Ave. on the west.)
More Site Information
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Old Spanish Trail, Santa Fe Trail: Santa Fe, New Mexico Itinerary
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US, founded in 1610, and the highest in elevation at 7,000 ft. The city is the historic hub of the southwest, connecting three national historic trails: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Old Spanish Trail. This tour leads your from the busy plaza and other major tourist locations to lesser known sites along quiet, old Santa Fe streets.
(Location Image courtesy of the Library of Congress)