Palace of the Governors (New Mexico History Museum), Santa Fe (must see)

The Palace of the Governors, once the seat of government in Santa Fe, is the oldest continuously occupied building in the United States constructed by European settlers. Built in 1610, this unassuming yet historically significant structure has witnessed several pivotal events in the city’s history. In 1693, the Spanish governor of New Mexico Diego de Vargas fought Pueblo rebels within its walls while reclaiming the city. In 1837, the ill-fated Mexican governor Albino Pérez was killed and beheaded during a revolt. Later, in the 1870s, Governor Lew Wallace worked on Ben-Hur, often described as one of the most influential Christian novels of the 19th century, while serving here.

Inside, visitors can see some of the finest objects in the state’s collection, including 19th-century artifacts and photographic prints. Among the highlights are the remarkable 18th-century Segesser hide paintings-two large panels made from buffalo hide that depict rare scenes of Spanish colonial battles. These works are displayed in a room decorated with murals dating from 1909 and are well worth the price of admission. In two restored and furnished rooms, visitors can compare the living conditions of Mexican officials around 1845 with the relative comfort enjoyed by the American governor in 1893.

The Palace forms part of the larger New Mexico History Museum campus. The modern building immediately behind it, beyond the Palace courtyard, is the Pete V. Domenici Building, which opened in 2009. The Palace, the modern museum, and the 1907 Fray Angélico Chávez Library are linked by an interior lobby, a covered passage, and the courtyard.

The 96,000-square-foot Domenici Building contains permanent and changing exhibition galleries, educational and administrative spaces, an auditorium, a museum shop, and climate-controlled storage for the collections. Its displays broaden the story beyond Santa Fe, tracing more than 500 years of New Mexico history through Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and American experiences.