Student or not, anyone could spend an engaging day exploring the campus at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The architecture alone is something to marvel at, Pueblo Revival instilling a Southwestern atmosphere.
Coupled with the sculptures that are scattered around the sidewalks, there is always something interesting to look at.
One particular hidden gem, the college is home to one of the many acclaimed ‘center of the universes’.
Find the bunker like sculpture and take a walk through its 3D hallways known as X Y and Z.
Nature lovers will revel at the pond, an oasis within the city limits and a tribute to Mother Earth.
On a sunny day around this area you never know what you might see. A group of turtles catching rays on the rocks,
a shimmer of a koi fish coming to see what lies beyond the surface,
or a group of ruddy ducks drifting on the ripples from the fountain.
A lively little waterfall adds a splash of excitement into the scene,
and a gilded canid sculpture waits hungrily near the source.
Perhaps most intriguing of all are the many museums free and open to the public within the halls of the school.
+University of New Mexico Art Museum
With almost 30,000 works in the permanent, the largest collection of fine art in the state is quietly tucked away on campus.
Rotating exhibits are charming; on my visit I got to know Meridel Rubenstein – a photographer with a unique medium, archival pigment on aluminum.
Meteorite Museum and Collection
A single small room displays meteorites of varying shapes and sizes from New Mexico and around the world.
+Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
Follow the story of Southwestern people, the Pueblos, through artifacts and stories in this two story building.
Enter a cave of pre-columbian art work and find ceramics from the Mimbres area and Chaco Canyon.
Take advantage of the free visitors parking pass offered by the museum.