Come and discover the unique outdoors and centuries of world-changing history so you can find your next adventure!
Go to visitlosalamos.org to get started, then contact or stop by one of the two visitor centers, in downtown Los Alamos or in the village of White Rock to get expert advice on what to do, where to eat and shop, and how to get there. We can’t wait to meet you!
ADDRESS: Los Alamos Visitor Center
475 20th St. Suite A
Los Alamos NM
The first visit to Los Alamos; New Mexico. Located just 42 miles northwest of the city of Santa Fe, the incorporated city and county of Los Alamos extends from the village of White Rock (5,600 feet elevation) to downtown Los Alamos to the summit of Pajarito Mountain (10,440 feet elevation). The last stretch on New Mexico Highway 502 (NM502) takes you through canyons framed by golden cliffs until you reach the first decision point in your journey.
Bandelier National Monument
Split right toward White Rock and NM 4 will lead you to awe-inspiring adventures including Tsankawi (a sacred village of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso and part of Bandelier National Monument), Overlook Point for jaw-dropping views of the San Ildefonso’s sacred Black Mesa in the distance and the Rio Grande below, with trails that lead you to the water’s edge. Begin your adventure at the White Rock Visitor Center where you can catch the shuttle bus to Bandelier National Monument.
Split left toward Los Alamos and continue on NM502 up the “Main Hill Road” toward downtown Los Alamos. Don’t miss the pullout at Anderson Overlook, one of the town’s most scenic spots for selfies with canyons, mesas, and the Sangre de Cristos in the background. As you round the last curve, you will pop up on top of Los Alamos Mesa, surrounded by 360 degrees of spectacular scenery with Jemez Mountains to the west.
Los Alamos Overlook
Los Alamos County Golf Course
Los Alamos’ recreational offerings also include the Larry Walkup Aquatic Center with an Olympic-size pool and a new Leisure pool and water slide, the Los Alamos Golf Course, and the NHL-regulation-size Los Alamos Ice Rink that converts to a roller derby venue during the summer.
Learn about the real-life history of Los Alamos and Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer by unlocking the once-secret city of Los Alamos and sharing the stories of the Manhattan Project. Reserve your spot on one of the Los Alamos History Museum Guided Tours and learn about the people that inhabited the historic dwellings—from the Ancient Puebloans and Homesteaders to the Ranch School boys and Manhattan Project scientists who lived in Los Alamos. If you’re seeking a more independent exploration of the Los Alamos historic area, pick up a Los Alamos Historical Walking Tour brochure at the History Museum or Visitor Center. The map will guide you to points of interest across the historic downtown. Move at your own pace and enjoy the museums, shopping, and restaurants along the way.
Los Alamos Historical Walking Tour
Bradbury Science Museum
Stop by Bradbury Science Museum for an up-close view of replicas of the Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs, as well as interactive exhibits that walk you through the history of scientific discovery at Los Alamos National Laboratory—from the days of the Manhattan Project to the world-changing innovations that occur to this day. Admission to the museum is free of charge. Now through October 16, visitors can view the J. Robert Oppenheimer Exhibit at the Bradbury, featuring Manhattan Project artifacts like Oppenheimer’s handwritten notes on the wartime Lab, his McKibbin Card (an ID card for all Project Y employees, meticulously recorded by Oppenheimer’s secretary, Dorothy McKibbin), and his personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu text he turned to for poetic inspiration in the wake of the Trinity test. The exhibit is a collaborative production of the Bradbury and the National Security Research Center.
It's Elevated
At 7,400 feet elevation, the Los Alamos townsite community is perched on mesa top “fingers” separated by rugged canyons— part of the Pajarito Plateau formed by a neighboring supervolcano 1.6 million years ago. From downtown Los Alamos, you are a short walk or drive away from three national parks – Bandelier National Monument, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Pajarito Mountain Ski Area is just a 5.3-mile drive from downtown Los Alamos with lift service for skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and hiking and mountain biking the rest of the year. There are 200-plus miles of developed trails that wind through and around every mountain, mesa, and canyon. You can orient yourself to our unique environment, microclimates, dark skies, and critters at the Los Alamos Nature Center.
