New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs | New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
An exhibition hall in New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum with a red and black Farmall tractor, a colorful quilt, and a white and red windmill in the background. Indigenous statue against a blue and cloudy sky and adobe buildings. The arial view of the National Hispanic Cultural Center campus, including a plaza, a historic building, a performing arts center, and a pyramid-shaped visual arts building with the bosque and a sunset in the background. A chrome and stucco building facade against the sunset in a slightly cloudy sky. Eight images of buildings and landscapes at New Mexico Historic Sites, including the Bosque Redondo Memorial, the Lincoln County Courthouse, adobe ruins at Coronado, Jemez, and Fort Selden Historic Sites, the bosque of the Rio Grande River, officers quarters at Fort Stanton, and the Mesilla Plaza bandstand. The bright green entrance wall to the Multiple Visions permanent exhibition with pink and red figurines of a woman and a man. Dinosaur fossil skeleton with parent and two children pointing at its tail against a warm orange wall and a vibrant mural of ancient life. Burro in falling snow on street in front of the stucco and vigas of the Palace of the Governors. Gold glass building lit up by sunset against the mountains with rocket park. Stucco building with brown wooden doors and balcony with green trees against a blue and lightly cloudy sky.
Gold glass building lit up by sunset against the mountains with rocket park. Stucco building with brown wooden doors and balcony with green trees against a blue and lightly cloudy sky. Burro in falling snow on street in front of the stucco and vigas of the Palace of the Governors. Dinosaur fossil skeleton with parent and two children pointing at its tail against a warm orange wall and a vibrant mural of ancient life. The bright green entrance wall to the Multiple Visions permanent exhibition with pink and red figurines of a woman and a man. Eight images of buildings and landscapes at New Mexico Historic Sites, including the Bosque Redondo Memorial, the Lincoln County Courthouse, adobe ruins at Coronado, Jemez, and Fort Selden Historic Sites, the bosque of the Rio Grande River, officers quarters at Fort Stanton, and the Mesilla Plaza bandstand. The arial view of the National Hispanic Cultural Center campus, including a plaza, a historic building, a performing arts center, and a pyramid-shaped visual arts building with the bosque and a sunset in the background. Indigenous statue against a blue and cloudy sky and adobe buildings. A chrome and stucco building facade against the sunset in a slightly cloudy sky. An exhibition hall in New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum with a red and black Farmall tractor, a colorful quilt, and a white and red windmill in the background.
Plan your visit

Plan your visit

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs has museums, historic sites, an cultural institutions across the state. Encounter Culture with us!
Go to Plan your visit

New Mexico CulturePass

New Mexico CulturePass

New Mexico CulturePass opens the doors to the state's entire family of museums and historic sites. From Native artifacts to space exploration, world-class folk art to dinosaur discoveries, historic stories to farm and ranch heritage, the essence of New Mexico is celebrated every day at our divisions.
Go to New Mexico CulturePass

El Palacio

El Palacio

El Palacio is a quarterly magazine dedicated to telling stories about art, history, and culture of the Southwest. The magazine features the divisions of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. It is the oldest museum magazine of its kind, first published in 1913.
Go to El Palacio

Invite a DCA Educator

Invite a DCA Educator

Invite a DCA Educator to learn something new! School teachers, homeschool instructors, afterschool clubs, and community organizations are welcome to schedule a program visit with an expert DCA educator.
Go to Invite a DCA Educator

Economic and Social Impact Study

Economic and Social Impact Study

Published December 14, 2023, Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) is a comprehensive economic and social impact study of New Mexico's nonprofit arts and culture industry.
Go to Economic and Social Impact Study

Strategic Plan FY27 (PDF)

Strategic Plan FY27 (PDF)

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs fiscal year 2027 strategic plan documents the efforts of the department to bolster Governor Lujan Grisham’s statewide agenda through a cultural lens.
Go to Strategic Plan FY27 (PDF)

Public Meetings & Notices

  • 5/7/2026
    10:00 AM
    Board of the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
    Conference Room, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, 88011 (see meeting notice for details)
  • 5/14/2026
    1:00 PM
    Museum of New Mexico Board of Regents regular meeting
    Vernick Auditorium, Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (see meeting notice for details)
  • 6/11/2026
    9:30 AM
    New Mexico Arts Commission
    Albuquerque - TBD
  • 6/12/2026
    1:00 PM
    Cultural Properties Review Committee
    Historic Preservation Division Conference Room, Ste. 236, Bataan Memorial Building, 407 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (see meeting notice for details)
  • 7/14/2026
    1:00 PM
    New Mexico Music Commission Regular Meeting
    Conference Room 122, Education Building, National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (see meeting notice for details)
  • 8/6/2026
    10:00 AM
    Board of the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
    Conference Room, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, 88011
  • 8/14/2026
    1:00 PM
    Cultural Properties Review Committee
    Historic Preservation Division Conference Room, Ste. 236, Bataan Memorial Building, 407 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is building a more vibrant, resilient New Mexico by improving the quality of life, supporting a culturally rich education, strengthening the creative economy, fostering a diversity of expression, and preserving our cultural resources.

New Mexico CulturePass

Your ticket to New Mexico's exceptional Museums and Historic Sites.
From Indian treasures to space exploration, world-class folk art to awesome dinosaurs—our museums and monuments celebrate the essence of New Mexico every day.
More Info »

The wallet size version of the CulturePass showing the $30 price
An animated image of a cell phone showing various topics presented in the Encounter Culture podcast

Encounter Culture

Take a look inside the museums and historic sites of New Mexico without leaving home. Join host Emily Withnall, and a variety of guest curators, artists, and exhibitors in exploring the art and culture of the state in Encounter Culture, a new podcast from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Logo and Link to Apple Podcasts Logo and Link to Spotify Podcasts

Featured DCA Exhibitions

Film still of two men in  colorful bison clothing

Essential Elements: Art, Environment, and Indigenous Futures

Using the lens of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, this exhibtion explores the impact of climate change and
Learn more: Essential Elements: Art, Environment, and Indigenous Futures »

Apollo Launch Escape System

John P. Stapp Air & Space Park

Named after International Space Hall of Fame Inductee and aeromedical pioneer Dr. John P. Stapp, the Air and Space Park
Learn more: John P. Stapp Air & Space Park »

Silver necklace string of white, tear-drop opals.

Silver and Stones: Collaborations in Southwest Jewelry

Currently on display in the New Mexico History Museum’s Palace of the Governors, is an unusual jewelry collection
Learn more: Silver and Stones: Collaborations in Southwest Jewelry »

Tapestry: Embroidered animals, text, and designs

Appearances Deceive: Embroideries by Policarpio Valencia

Appearances Deceive: Embroideries by Policarpio Valencia Public opening on June 8, 2025 Appearances Deceive is the
Learn more: Appearances Deceive: Embroideries by Policarpio Valencia »