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Highest-rated free things to do in New Mexico by visitors

·Stacker

Tint Media // Shutterstock
Tint Media // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in New Mexico.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in New Mexico using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

You may also like: Highest-rated scenic drives in New Mexico by visitors

#29. Sandia Resort & Casino

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. Sandia Resort & Casino

- Rating: 3.9/5 (445 reviews)
- City: Albuquerque New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Russell's Truck and Travel Center

Tripadvisor

3 / 30

#28. Russell's Truck and Travel Center

- Rating: 4.7/5 (250 reviews)
- City: Glenrio New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society

- Rating: 4.9/5 (207 reviews)
- City: Albuquerque New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. White Rock Overlook Park

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. White Rock Overlook Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (324 reviews)
- City: Los Alamos New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Shiprock Rock Formation

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Shiprock Rock Formation

- Rating: 4.4/5 (184 reviews)
- City: Shiprock New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Bat Flight Program in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Bat Flight Program in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (603 reviews)
- City: Carlsbad Caverns National Pa
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church

- Rating: 4.5/5 (823 reviews)
- City: Ranchos De Taos Taos Taos County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness

- Rating: 4.6/5 (319 reviews)
- City: Bloomfield New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Bradbury Science Museum

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Bradbury Science Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (931 reviews)
- City: Los Alamos New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Nedra Matteucci Galleries

Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. Nedra Matteucci Galleries

- Rating: 4.8/5 (369 reviews)
- City: Santa Fe New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Enchanted Circle Drive

Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. Enchanted Circle Drive

- Rating: 4.5/5 (629 reviews)
- City: Taos Taos County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Santa Fe Farmers Market

Tripadvisor

22 / 30

#9. Santa Fe Farmers Market

- Rating: 4.4/5 (378 reviews)
- City: Santa Fe New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. High Road to Taos

Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. High Road to Taos

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,309 reviews)
- City: Taos Taos County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Petroglyph National Monument

Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. Petroglyph National Monument

- Rating: 4.3/5 (2,022 reviews)
- City: Albuquerque New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Albuquerque Old Town

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Albuquerque Old Town

- Rating: 4.2/5 (5,407 reviews)
- City: Albuquerque New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Tripadvisor

29 / 30

#2. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,021 reviews)
- City: Santa Fe New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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