New Mexico factories to visit and tour
New Mexico has factories to visit and tour. Below, first are the active, working factories. The next section has historical operations which often have demonstrations or renactments. These incluse both large and small operations, from several person chocolate factories and cheesemakers to large manufacturers making paper towels, wood products, beverage cans and bottles, are open to the public with real tours, exhibitions and fun education.
In some cases, such as a manufacturing process that is no longer in use, the only way to see it and learn about it is a museum or living history center. So, we also provide information about engineering facilities and museums, dinosaur digs, even government facilities, like NASA, astronomy oberservatories and more that are open to the public on certain days and times. And if there is some place that is just plain fun to visit, we add that, too!
These are perfect for homeschooling, for STEM and for fun! Kids love visiting these places! They're learning and getting an education without even realizing it. And most of these are either free or under $10! What's better then fun, entertaining, good for children and families, educational and free?
Here are some of the top factory tours in New Mexico and contact information and tips about visiting them.
Factories, Engineering, Museums and other fun demonstrations and exhibits to visit in New Mexico
- Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
ABQ1: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 12945 Ladera Dr NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120.
BOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE. Each tour is approximately 60-90 minutes long. On the tour you may walk up and down at least one flight of stairs and walk approximately 1 mile. Amazon says "Ever wondered what happens when you shop on Amazon? Book a free walking tour of an Amazon warehouse and see how our people and technology deliver for customers." The also have the following recommendations and requirements:
Arrive Early - arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour.
Attire - All guests must wear flat, closed-toed, and closed-heeled shoes (no sandals, clogs or high heels). We recommend wearing comfortable shoes or sneakers. Additionally, long hair must be pulled at or above shoulder length. Loose fitting clothing (long-hanging jewelry, scarves, or ties) are not permitted. Headscarves worn for religious reasons are permitted but must be tucked in securely.
Identification - Upon your arrival, your tour leader will ask for a government issued photo ID. Please ensure that guest information submitted during sign-up matches the guest ID. -
Los Alamos - historic site birthplace of nuclear power and weapons
1350 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM. Phone: 505-709-7794. Email: info@losalamoshistory.org. Open: tours Monday - Friday at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m.
Guided Walking Tours - All tours are given by our extensively trained tour guides. You're welcome to call to make reservations or just show up 30 minutes before the tour's scheduled time.
History of the Secret City - in 2023 $25 per person.
Discover the secrets of Los Alamos, home to J. Robert Oppenheimer during the Manhattan Project. Learn why Oppenheimer and Groves chose Los Alamos as the Secret City for the Manhattan Project. Visit an Ancestral Pueblo site, step inside the homestead-era Romero Cabin, and hear about the Los Alamos Ranch School.
Tickets include museum admission and are available at the Los Alamos History Museum Shop. visitors 18 and younger are free with a ticketed adult. Our Secret City Tours run 1.5-2 hours and begin in the Los Alamos History Museum Shop. The Los Alamos History Museum presents stories from many eras: Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, the Manhattan Project, and the Cold War. Step inside historic buildings to explore artifacts, documents, photographs, audio and video recordings of personal stories from multiple perspective
New Mexico Historical Forts and Sites, Famous buildings, Active Federal facilities to tour, Geology: like fossils and volcanic areas
- Aztec Ruins National Monument,
Aztec ruins
Aztec, NM.
Pueblo people describe this site as part of their migration journey. Today you can follow their ancient passageways to a distant time. Explore a 900-year old ancestral Pueblo Great House of over 400 masonry rooms. Look up and see original timbers holding up the roof. Search for the fingerprints of ancient workers in the mortar. Listen for an echo of ritual drums in the reconstructed Great Kiva.
- Bandelier National Monument,
Los Alamos, NM.
Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.
- Capulin Volcano National Monument,
Volcano
Capulin, NM.
Part of the 8,000 square mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, Capulin Volcano showcases the volcanic geology of northeastern New Mexico. The views are spectacular day or night, with views of 4 different states from the volcanic rim and one of the darkest night skies in the country. Whether it's a quick stop or a day's trip, enjoy exploring the landscape of this unique volcano!
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park,
Famous caves
Carlsbad, NM.
High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus, and desert wildlife-treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves-formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes.
- Chaco Culture National Historic Park,
Historic buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people
Nageezi, NM.
Today the massive buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people still testify to the organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. For a deeper contact with the canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D., come and explore Chaco through guided tours, hiking and biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs.
- El Malpais National Monument,
lava flows, cinder cones, lava tube caves
Grants, NM.
The richly diverse volcanic landscape of El Malpais (el-mal-pie-EES) offers solitude, recreation, and adventure. Explore diverse geologic features such as lava flows, cinder cones, lava tube caves, and sandstone bluffs. While some may see a desolate environment, people have been adapting to and living in this extraordinary terrain for generations. Come discover the land of fire and ice!
- El Morro National Monument,
prehistoric signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs
Ramah, NM.
Imagine the refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years. Here, Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs. Make El Morro National Monument a stopping point on your travels.
- Fort Union National Monument,
Military Fort ruins
Watrous, NM.
Exposed to the wind, within a sweeping valley of short grass prairie, amid the swales of the Santa Fe Trail, lie the territorial-style adobe remnants of the largest 19th century military fort in the region. For forty years, 1851-1891, Fort Union functioned as an agent of political and cultural change, whether desired or not, in New Mexico and throughout the Southwest.
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument,
Prehistoric cliff dwellings
Silver City, NM.
For thousands of years, groups of nomadic people used the caves of the Gila River as temporary shelter. In the late 1200's, people of the Mogollon Culture decided it would be a good place to call home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for about twenty years. Then the Mogollon moved on, leaving the walls for us as a glimpse into the past.
- Manhattan Project National Historic Park,
Manhattan Project National Historical Park,
This site tells the story about the people, events, science, and engineering that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, which helped end World War II.
- Pecos National Historic Park,
the remains of Indian pueblo
Pecos, NM.
In the midst of piñon, juniper, and ponderosa pine woodlands of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains not far from Santa Fe, the remains of Indian pueblos stand as meaningful reminders of people who once prevailed. Pecos National Historical Park helps visitors explore the cultural exchange and geographic features that played such crucial roles in the rich history of the Pecos Valley.
- Petroglyph National Monument,
Albuquerque, NM.
Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers.
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument,
Mountainair, NM.
Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Its three distinct sites offer a glimpse into a unique time in history-a time entrenched with cultural borrowing, conflict and struggles. These sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different people.
- Valles Caldera National Preserve,
volcano
Jemez Springs, NM.
About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history.
New Mexico State historic sites and parks
These are state-run parks, museums and historic sites that present the history of some manufacturing process, industry, or living settlement
New Mexico Seasons, bugs, topography and climate
New Mexico has a mild, arid or semiarid, continental climate characterized by light precipitation totals, abundant sunshine, low relative humidity, and a relatively large annual and diurnal temperature range. The highest mountains have climate characteristics common to the Rocky Mountains.
Camping in New Mexico
If you're looking to save money on your trip, camping may be a fun alternative to hotels and motels, especially, if you already have the gear, or are looking to get some. BTW, this websites ( https://RoadTrippingAndCamping.com ) explains everything you need to know about camping gear and where to the best gear at the lowest prices.
Reservation for New Mexico state Parks campgrounds are made online.
There are both state parks and private campgrounds in New Mexico.
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