6 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Albuquerque

Families looking at Albuquerque homes for sale often wonder what family life is like in New Mexico. Albuquerque offers plenty of family-friendly activities and takes particular pride in the ABQ BioPark. The BioPark includes the Zoo, Aquarium, Tingley Beach, and botanical gardens, all connected by an open-air train. The Zoo and Botanical Gardens also host outdoor concerts on amphitheater stages.

With great outdoor activities such as spending time at the duck pond or exploring the beautiful Sandia Mountains, this vibrant city is host to activities that everyone in the family will enjoy, from baseball games to museum visits and amusement parks.

At the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, adults can learn about the history of atomic energy and its significance to the local area, while kids can enjoy the warm welcome by friendly staff (usually veterans) and the opportunity to see actual war aircraft. To explore the Museum with a child, use the Family Guide found on the museum's website.

Albuquerque residents have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Sandia mountain range located close to their homes. Explore nature with children and experience a thrilling adventure in the summer and fall months by taking the chair lift at Sandia Peak Ski Area. The ride offers stunning views of the scenery and tall pine trees. At the top, families can walk along the ridge and enjoy the panoramic view of Albuquerque and its surroundings to the west.

Visitors to Sandia Peak Ski Area can enjoy hiking and biking trails of various difficulty levels in the mountains. Families can bring their own picnic and end the day with a scenic chairlift ride down the mountain.

The Rio Grande Nature Center State Park is a great place to explore the natural environment and animal life of the Rio Grande River. Families can enjoy hands-on exhibits, interact with friendly staff, and register their children for a nature class.

The Center's front door is quite a distance from the parking lot and requires a nature hike through tall cottonwood trees and a large steel culvert pipe that serves as a tunnel. Once inside, children will enjoy the fascinating exhibits that teach about the Rio Grande's water and can have fun using the hand-held water pump.

The facility offers interactive activities like creating animal tracks in the sand. There is also a quiet room to one side that boasts a large picture window overlooking the Rio Grande with speakers that pipe in the sounds of the wildlife outside.

At Hinkle Family Fun Center, there's more to do than just play arcade games. Ride on the Bumper Boats, play a round of Miniature Golf on one of the two beautifully landscaped 18-hole courses with a large waterfall, play Laser Tag, or give Paintball a shot. There are even Bumper Cars and a Go Kart track for the more adventurous. With birthday parties and large event options, a day at Hinkle will keep everyone occupied.

Taking kids to a baseball game is a great family bonding experience. Isotopes Park in Albuquerque is a beautiful stadium and the Albuquerque Isotopes games are enjoyable for everyone, particularly kids, who will love the activities in between innings. These activities include a race where Orbit, the mascot, races children around the bases. Additionally, the crowd can catch t-shirts and there are select souvenirs given away to the first several thousand people who arrive on certain nights. There are usually fireworks following weekend baseball games, as well. For families who stay until after the game is over, kids are allowed to run around the bases.

The ABQ BioPark includes four fantastic attractions: an aquarium, zoo, botanical gardens, and Tingley Beach.

The Zoo in Albuquerque has been around since 1927 and covers 64 acres and many interesting exhibits, including the Gorillas, Cat Walk, Sea Lion Pool, Polar Bears, and Reptile House. Visitors can also participate in daily feeding times and watch the World Animals Encounter Show. In the summer, the Zoo Concert series takes place at the Amphitheatre, which has a beautiful fish-filled lake around it and a large lawn with trees that provide ample shade- perfect for a family picnic.

The Aquarium and Botanic Gardens became part of the ABQ BioPark in 1996, located across the Rio Grande. Tingley Beach, which was initially a popular swimming spot in the 1930s, was reopened in 2005. Visitors can enjoy various facilities such as paddle boats, a children's fishing lake, a cafe, and a gift shop.

The Aquarium has a large ocean tank with a capacity of 285,000 gallons. It houses different saltwater species including sharks and sea turtles. The Shark Reef Cafe is a great place to have lunch while enjoying the view of the sea life swimming by.

The Botanic Gardens are located on the same property, with walking paths leading visitors from the Aquarium through the resplendent gardens and up to a glass conservatory on the property that is 10,000 square feet in size. One side of the conservatory has plants from the Southwest, while the other side showcases Mediterranean plants.

The Butterfly Pavilion and Children's Fantasy Garden both offer entertainment for children with the wonder of butterflies and huge play structures of pots, vegetables, and watering cans. During the Christmas season, the River of Lights show is another awe-inspiring family event. The BioPark has so much to offer that it may be difficult to see everything in just one day, but it is a wonderful place to visit multiple times throughout the year.

Anyone considering visiting or moving to Albuquerque with their family may be concerned that there won't be enough to keep their children's minds active and entertained. That couldn't be less true- this list was just the tip of the iceberg.

If you're considering moving to Albuquerque, contact Anita Mora today to learn more about Albuquerque homes for sale and to get tips on staging your home for sale.

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