City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (505) 897-8831

Address: 6500 Coors Boulevard NW

Description: As a central hub for the Open Space program, the visitor center has exhibits and information about all Open Space lands, including the habitats, ecosystems, and wildlife and the cultural and historical significance of these areas. The building is a renovated residence from the 1970s (the center’s main room used to be the garage!), and the streamlined modern architecture sits pleasingly in this serene green spot just west of the Rio Grande. The center is popular with bird and wildlife photographers and with families. There are excellent views of the Sandias, the bosque, and also of the visitor center’s 24 acres of agricultural fields, where sorghum, corn, millet, and alfalfa are grown. These fields draw diverse wildlife, and you can borrow a pair of binoculars to watch from the observation deck. They also serve as wintering grounds for migratory birds including sandhill cranes. Mid-November is the peak time to watch the flocks of sandhill cranes on their dramatic fly-outs to the river in the evening. The center’s Traditions Garden demonstrates a variety of agricultural techniques used through the area’s history by Native American and Spanish farmers, including a terraced arroyo garden, native plants, and waffle-grid gardens. Access to bosque trails is right on the doorstep of the visitor center. You can take the 1-mile round-trip River Loop trail, or the 2-mile round-trip Canopy Loop. The center opened in 2006 and also houses an art gallery presenting work related to open space. Education and arts programs and entertainment take place here through the year. The entry to the Open Space Visitor Center is off Coors, at the end of Bosque Meadows Road, between Montaño and Paseo del Norte. There is no admission fee. Closed Monday.