5 Cool Things to Do in Madrid, New Mexico
Madrid, New Mexico is part-ghost town, part artist community, and part stopping place for the restless, nomadic, and wandering. Located 45 minutes from Santa Fe, Jeremiah and I recently visited and were immediately mesmerized by the quirky beauty and warmth of Madrid’s small and artful community. In Madrid, New Mexico, you’ll find inspiration around every corner: from its historic buildings and streets, to its unique and local art & live music, there’s something for everyone in this tiny, nutty-crunchy town. The colors and quaintness of the town revitalized me and reminded me of how travel often helps us to reconnect with the things that bring us joy. (Like art!) Have I convinced you to visit yet? If so, below you’ll find 5 cool things to do in Madrid, New Mexico.
But first…
Is Madrid, New Mexico Really a Cool Place to Visit?
You may be asking yourself, “Why should I visit Madrid, New Mexico in the first place?” Well, it’s a tiny town with deep roots, an eerie history, eclectic people, and an artsy-fartsy feeling. But Madrid wasn’t always a town filled with art. Originally, Madrid began as a coal mining community (1800s). When mining operations eventually ceased, Madrid cleared out and became an abandoned ghost town (early 1900s). Finally, in the 1970s and ‘80s, the town was revived into an artist community and funky tourist attraction. Today, the town has about 200 permanent residents, with over 10 million visitors and tourists stopping by each year. Whether it’s for the art, the community, the history, or a combination of all three, you’ll definitely want to visit to see what Madrid is all about. Continue reading to learn what 5 cool things to do in Madrid!
1. Take Photos in Connie’s Photo Park (and hope to meet Connie herself!)
When you first arrive in Madrid, New Mexico, you’ll immediately stumble upon Connie’s Photo Park, a small outdoor area with a dozen hand-painted photo-board cutouts. With a $2 donation, you can explore the park, take photos, and have a good laugh. Jeremiah and I offered to take another couple’s photo and I could barely stop laughing long enough to take it! There’s something too good about seeing adults poke their heads into a face-in-the-hole board and smile earnestly.
And if you’re lucky, Connie herself might even be there! When Jeremiah and I visited, Ms. Connie was in & working on a new project: a recreation of the iconic Led Zeppelin in front of the Starship (1973). She was so kind and warm-hearted and shared all about her process of making the cut-outs; it was such a cool conversation! All that is to say that Connie’s Photo Park is a childlike, light-hearted, and hilarious introduction to the town; so of course it had to make the list of cool things to do in Madrid, New Mexico.
2. Explore Cowgirl Red & Buy a Pair of Vintage Boots
Have I ever told y’all that I wear a women's size 12 shoe? Because, oof, I do. It basically means that I’ll rarely, if ever, find my shoe size in a brick-and-mortar store. I’ve learned this the hard way — falling in love with many-a-pair of shoes before learning, crushingly, that they only went up to size 10. Now when I go into stores, I put on my “shoe blinders” and don’t give shoes a second glance. If I can’t have them, I don’t want to look at them! #dramatic
Let’s just say that at Cowgirl Red, I threw my “rules” to the wind and offered up my fragile heart with both hands. There were so. many. pairs. of BEAUTIFUL, vintage boots. And while I knew good and damn well that they wouldn’t fit my feet, I still ogled them just the same. “Break my heart,” I whispered to a clearly-size-8 brown mahogany pair. As we eventually left, I added Cowgirl Red to my list of cool things to do in Madrid; it’s the type of place you return to again and again.
3. Check Out Gypsy Plaza
One of the best parts of Madrid is the shopping. You’ll find local art, jewelry, vintage clothing and shoes, and tons of one-of-a-kind treasures. No matter if you’re looking for authentic silver and turquoise jewelry or an alien abduction t-shirt (guilty!), Gypsy Plaza is the place to explore. There are 12 shops in total, organized in a cute little cul-de-sac, which makes exploring pretty darn easy. Our favorite shops were Weasel and Fitz, which is filled with up-cycled and found object art, Maggie’s Diner from the movie Wild Hogs, and of course, Shugarman’s Little Chocolate Shop, which has a ton of unique flavor-combinations, such as their dark chocolate with green chile cashews, Thai lemongrass, lime and margarita salt. If you don’t have a lot of time and are just passing through, make sure you at least enjoy one cool thing to do in Madrid, New Mexico by swinging by Gypsy Plaza!
4. Play I-Spy with Madrid’s Unique Outdoor Art
After our visit, I was going through my camera and realized that the majority of the photos I took were of the random outdoor art that we passed as we walked through town. From sculpture gardens to carved benches to secluded nooks overflowing with water fountains and art, there’s so much to see! If you’re on a tight budget or just want to get present and soak up all that Madrid has to offer, I highly recommend playing “I Spy” with the unique art. Challenge yourself to see how many weird, funky, or mesmerizing art pieces you can find (and take pictures of) within a certain amount of time. I promise you’ll be out of breath, laughing, and art-full in no time…which is why this child’s game has made the list of cool things to do in Madrid, New Mexico!
5. Learn about Madrid, New Mexico’s Spooky & Ghost-Filled History
Did you know that Madrid has a spooky and haunted history? Madrid started as a coal-miners town and many people believe its streets are still roamed by ghosts from those mining years. In fact, The Mine Shaft Tavern & Cantina is considered the most haunted place in Madrid, New Mexico! Folks have seen doors open and close by themselves, blue orbs floating above the bar, and heard orphaned miner children playing close-by. Throughout the years, many ghost hunters have visited the town to study its paranormal activity. You can watch That’s Some Scary Sh!t‘s episode about Madrid here. Honestly, learning about ghosts and listening to haunted stories might be THE #1 cool thing to do in Madrid, New Mexico.
What do you think? Is Madrid, New Mexico a place you would visit? Or would you keep driving past along the Turquoise trail? If you were to visit, what’s the first thing you’d do from this list? Leave a comment below!
