Santa Fe: Walking through Time, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is nicknamed The City Different. City officials chose this nickname to differentiate this Southwestern town from the “City Beautiful” movement inaugurated after the World’s Fair in 1893.

The fair’s neoclassical “White City” showcased an idealized urban environment that many saw as a stark contrast to the industrial cities of the time.

But Santa Fe blends native American, colonial Spanish, and Anglo cultures. This is reflected in its distinctive Pueblo and Spanish Territorial architecture. City officials chose to preserve and codify its historical architecture rather than modernize it. This led to ordinances mandating the adobe-style buildings, which set Santa Fe apart from other American cities.

Santa Fe is a city that invites slow wandering-clay-colored walls, crooked streets, a scent of piñon on the breeze. On a recent trip, I joined the New Mexico Friends of History for their two-hour walking tour of Santa Fe. An adult ticket costs $30. A youth ticket (age 8-17) costs $20. Children under age 7 are free.

The walking tour is a compact journey, but each stop opens a door into a different century. The guides are volunteers, but don’t let that fool you-they are experts who love this city fiercely. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).