Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

This museum, located next to the International Folk Art Museum, features Native American art and culture. While I found a more impressive exhibit downtown Santa Fe, this museum didn’t quite meet my expectations. Considering the price, the downtown experience was superior. However, the surrounding area of the museum was pleasant and enjoyable.

Enjoying to see a collection of Native American art. Especially the clay artistry to catch one's eye. The history of pottery is fascinating. Native American pottery pottery has been used to express cultural identity, religious beliefs, and social status. The museum has an unique collection of beautiful, well-preserved, and rare items that really display Native American arts and culture.

Amazing exhibits, though 2 were closed (which they didn't mention when I bought admission). I should also add that the lady running the gift shop was very rude @ 4:50 pm on Friday, June 6th. She told me the store was closing @ 5 til, giving a loud and unprompted explanation...then 1 minute later told me her till was closed (which was her and passive aggressive announcement for me to leave). No idea why she had to be so unwelcoming. Definitely not spending my money there!

Absolutely fantastic! In the exhibit Here, Now and Forever, I learned so much in two hours and could have stayed for two days. What a rare opportunity to have such beautiful wisdom imparted. Enjoy

Really beautiful space with a lot more in both museums than I thought! Next to the botanical gardens, make sure to add it to your day trip! Vets are free! But affordable regardless!

This museum was an excellent primer on the art and culture of native people. Veterans and their families are admitted with no charge. In addition to the many items on display, there are testimonials and interviews of some regional artists on video. Surprisingly, the artists talk about their art as a reclamation of their power, or as a political statement. Definitely recommend a visit!

Small museum, but the displays and information were fascinating.

Beautiful museum, and very informative! I loved seeing all the artwork, and the museum store was so cool.

We came to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture on Tuesday morning. We had our culture passes (which I recommend for everyone) and got to see many beautiful artifacts. The pottery room and the textile exhibits were my favorites, but every exhibit had so much thought and care put into them. They also have a lovely gift shop worth checking out.

Beautiful museum. Lots of artwork and rich history. All of the artwork, pottery, clothing and everything had a story to it.

So much beautiful art and artifacts. Comprehensive education on the walls explains the artworks. I was able to appreciate them so much better. The cases aren't overcrowded, so very easy to examine. My docent tour was informative beyond the wall cards - very valuable at a museum with this broad scope of culture, history, and spirituality. Highly recommended!!!

I was looking forward to check out this Indian Arts & Culture on Museum Hill. Unfortunately, they have big parts of it closed, so the day I visited it was free admission, which I was glad for, otherwise, it wouldn't have been fair to pay a ticket to enter. They had just 2 small exhibits on view, one "Collecting Jewelry" dedicated to older, nice pieces on display and another one "Native Visions in Glass" with some nice Dale Chihuly pieces on display. About half and hour visit, I wish I could have seen more inside. I don't know why they weren't prepared for tourists since things reopened a tad. We enjoyed the sculpture garden. Check out their exhibits before you go!

We got in free with our North American Reciprocal Museum pass, at $50 a year for seniors 65+, the same pass we used in New York City. Came here the last week of September 2018. One of several museums together with a great cafeteria restaurant on Museum Hill, a few miles outside of Santa Fe. Free shuttle from the old city center to Museum Hill. Most of the pictures you will see of this museum are from the outside, including several of the sculpture of bigger than life native Indian figures. Go inside, and you see a timeline of the history of native Indians through artifacts, pottery, jewelry, rugs, tapestries, tools, and costumes. Did not see many paintings, which you can see at the New Mexico capitol building a few miles away. Very few pictures, as this is one of the few museums that do not allow photography. The Louvre In Paris and the Smithsonian in Washington DC allow pictures, but not the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. I spent the entire time with my cell phone in my pocket, taking it out when the security people were not looking, and discretely taking a shot here and there. We were set to go again to Santa Fe the last week of September 2020, but cancelled due to the pandemic. The museums were only open a month or two before closing again. Good thing, as the virus spiked a few weeks later in New Mexico. Me, a male 65+, with underlying conditions, and 20 pounds overweight, would have been a prime candidate for a coronavirus obituary!

First of all its an extremely well designed space, lots of interesting rooms to see very well put together exhibitions and I have been in more than my share of museums. It's located across the plaza from the Folk Art museum and its an easy find. Free parking and great staff. Free admission with your North American Reciprocal Museum pass.

This is a first rate Indian arts museum. It is a beautiful facility both inside and out. We saw amazingly beautiful art from local native American artists. Some clay and glass art works with some silver and turquoise jewelry as well. A couple of the main exhibits were not open when we were there; however, for the reduced nine dollar entry fee it was still very well worth the time that we spent there.

Went there 2 weeks ago & was very disappointed. I was really looking forward to it, but found only 2 exhibits..1st was very old pottery which was cool, but the focus was on the art & no mention of their functions or how they were made.. The 2nd exhibit was beautiful, but felt like being in a high end gallery. No basket weaving, instruments, music, clothing, food or really anything about the rich culture. I believe there are more exhibits that were just closed or not ready to be shown, but would have appreciated being given the heads up that only 2 rooms were open before paying. The Folk Museum was way more interesting & filled with native & global pieces, music, clothing, tons of stuff to see. Also the NM Museum of Art was wonderful too.

The museum was smaller than I anticipated and the collection was modest. Video on the pottery making was exceptional but the tv screen was small and only 1 bench for two. Museum shop was stocked well with books and other items. What was unexpectedly worth noting was the attached cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The vegetarian quesadilla was flavorful and the sweet potato fries were oh so good. Plus the pricing was fair, unlike other museums where the markups can be excessive.

OH! How we loved this place. The staff were fun and engaging. The Docent asked if she could take us through the exhibit about foot wear from ancient times and actually chuckled when I said, "Oooh! Cute shoes!" And that exhibit was amazing. Original sandals, discovered in dry caves; constructed of yucca and hemp strands, some even embellished with mineral paints. There were examples of various hides, treated using different methods, before being fashioned into footwear. Another exhibit displayed archeological finds from the area: beaded strands discovered in sealed caves, displayed in the exact same configuration as they were originally found; netting made from hair discovered in hunting areas; arrowheads; pottery vessels; replicas of hogans; ceremonial costumes. All of these were essentially prehistoric. This entire museum is excellently done and fascinating. We could have spent the entire day there

Great museum! Very informative. They were in the middle of renovating their "Here, Now, Forever" exhibition which highlights the ancient and modern traditions and lifestyle of Native Americans in New Mexico. I really loved their small, but wonderful collection of contemporary Native American art as well as their room dedicated to pottery. The exhibition really highlights the differences between the pottery of various tribes as well as showing older pottery vs contemporary pottery. This museum is definitely worth the trip to Museum Hill!

This museum was extremely interesting. Can be good for kids in certain parts. There is a lot of reading and artifacts which may be boring to kids but they do have exhibits for children and plenty for them to look at. There is food, gift shops & coffee. We took a free transit bus from the downtown tourist area. You can pay for a guided tour but we elected to go on our own so we could go at our own pace. The cost was $17 per person. We took plenty of pictures then heard someone tell a couple There was no inside photography which no one told us so I'm not sure of a story behind that. When we were ready to leave we just got a city bus it only cost $.50 and gave us a ride it in from different areas to see other parts of the community which revealed some great extra stopping places for us. I would recommend you put this on the list doesn't need to be a priority but it's definitely something worth spending a little time if American Indian history is your thing. See you down the road...

We took a morning trip to this museum, which is located a few miles out of town on Museum Hill. It was magnificent. Once you arrive, the sculptures are breathtaking outside the museum and it is worth it to spend time looking around. Inside, I will say the person working at the front desk was not helpful or friendly, however, the museum is laid out very well so we found our way around. Their new exhibit is to the left and it starts with a walk through a watery-like path that draws you in further. Next, I would definitely recommend sitting down and watching the intro video they have playing to get the full story. The rest you will have to visit to see for yourself! I will write that every last detail seemed to be taken into careful consideration. Everyone should visit this museum.

Only the a small exhibit of glass work was open. They did not inform of this before taking our money. Although the glass work was impressive, it was totally not worth $9 per person.

There are three aspects of this world-class museum I really enjoy: there are five different galleries of different types of Native American artifacts to explore; exhibits frequently change so there is always something new to see; and they have helpful docents that offer free guided tours. This museum really helps to jumpstart your understanding of Native culture and the fascinating history of the southwest. The gift shop, too, is an outstanding collection of quality art and books at very good prices.

In the past few years, I've become fascinated by Indian pottery. I had visited the Pueblo Indian museum in Albuquerque. They had a basement full of different examples, but it is now closed. Where to get my fix? The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture came to my rescue. Beautiful facility. There was an exhibit downstairs that was under renovation, but the parts that we could see seemed to be nice. (Strangely enough, that section was the Eileen A. Wells wing. My mother is Aileen A. Wells. I joked with her that she should complain that they spelled her name wrong, to see if they would change it.) There is a large room devoted to the different pueblos and their pottery styles. I was in heaven. I took a ton of pictures. I liked that there descriptions about how the different styles are related and dissimilar. There were a few repeating videos about how pottery is made. (I had seen one of these, at the ABQ museum, a few years ago, but there was another, newer one, that I hadn't seen.) A temporary exhibit about a designer was right outside of the pottery room. Beautiful patterns on his clothing designs. We walked through a timeline of SW Indian artifacts. I liked that there were little alcoves and niches. Some weren't too well lit, though. (Made it hard to read the little information cards.) The layout goes from prehistoric to modern times. There are multiple examples of Indian arts and crafts, including traditional and modern living setups. Fascinating! I will return, as the exhibit downstairs looked pretty informative.

The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is a fun and educational overview of the native people groups living in New Mexico and the surrounding regions. The museum is medium-sized, with rooms and exhibitions on pottery, clothing, housing, society and cultural norms, cuisine, and more. The museum covers both the agrarian Pueblo peoples, as well as the nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes from the region. And the museum also covers the historical culture of these people groups, as well as how they exist in the present day. There is a resident volunteer docent who is happy to tell you more and take you on a small guided tour, if you'd like - I really enjoyed this, and it was a fun way to get grounded on the museum topics before wandering off on my own. Overall, it was a great way to learn more about the native peoples, and I definitely came away knowing - and appreciating - more about them. Pay the museum a visit yourself, if this sounds interesting to you!

I went there 2 days ago specifically to see the archeological/ traditional Native American exhibits. After paying the FULL entry fee I found that that wing was closed for renovations. I was less impressed by the modern glass art and the "educational " exhibit on Native Americans in the US armed forces. Maybe others will have different taste but I feel I should have been told before buying the ticket

This is pretty tough to review since I have many conflicting feelings about this place. One thing to note is that this museum is currently still being put together, although I think it's pretty close to finished. The museum has clearly had quite a lot of money put into making it look very nice and expensive-looking. One of the first things you see when you start looking is a audio display of two Native Americans who warn other NAs that they should maybe not look at this museum out of respect for their ancestors. I agree - you should maybe turn around and just leave. The best argument for NOT leaving is that this museum has a really impressive collection of very old artifacts, I've been to similar museums who have little to nothing of pieces as old as some in here. Ironically, this is the reason the NAs are telling other NAs not to look, apparently it is forbidden. Luckily for me, I am 0% Native American, so I guess I get to dodge any consequences. The room with a quick overview of a few different tribe's pottery style differences was also good. Some arguments for why you should not come. This is one of the most blatantly political museums I've visited. I should note that I am about as liberal as can be. However, this kind of heavy-handed PC purity police opinion-throwing and propaganda in a museum, presented as more like facts, is not something I approve of and it just made me feel really angry. I don't want to see this from the left or the right. I just stopped reading the text after awhile because it had little to nothing actually educational to offer. Some of you may disagree and that's okay. There was one small art section that was more explicitly political modern art and this is not the section that I am criticizing. What I would like to see more of, is better explanation of how the tribe cultures differed meaningfully from each other, how an individual tribe's culture changed pre-1900s, more about how the older pottery and other artifacts changed over time and what makes different pieces interesting (a lot of it is just vaguely dated and has no further details). Overall, the museum was more aimed for younger children, or if you had never been to any NA museum before. The part of the museum that my husband and I both enjoyed the most was a very small display of non-traditional modern pottery up near the lobby, I would have liked to see more. The lighting in the museum was so dark it was hard to see details on some things and it was making me sleepy, too. Maybe this is because the light would damage the items but this probably isn't needed in all sections, or could be handled differently. Many of the very expensive-looking text displays (like etched rock or printed on glass) were actually rough on the eyes to read compared to the usual sheet of paper. I did like the areas with some atmosphere generated with water noises and music playing, I think it would be interesting if more museums did that instead of you walking around in dead silence.

This branch of the MNM - Museum of New Mexico (just one of four branches) is located on Camino Lejo and is known as the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture / Laboratory of Anthropology. The Museum of International Folk Art (a second branch of the MNM) is also located on Camino Lejo - fondly known as Museum Hill. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture used to be just simply the Laboratory of Anthropology - primarily a research facility with a small exhibit space. (When it was just the "Lab" I worked there for several years - I know every sub-basement, nook & cranny & every black widow spider!) Since it's expansion and face lift it now has a major exhibit space, but the archeological and anthropological research still happens here. They have a marvelous research library, that many a movie company has used to research background for some of the block-buster westerns we all know and love. Much of the excavation, research & publication done on the state's public lands for highway development was initiated in this facility and satellite offices. If you want to know what's happening in archeology and anthropology around New Mexico this is the place to visit.

I've been to this museum twice. I really like the pottery exhibit and the Here, Now, & Always exhibit. I visited a little less than a year apart and noticed a handful of the exhibits were changed out. The variety was nice. My first time visiting I had a negative experience with a surly front desk worker. I was happy to see that wasn't the case the second time around. I do have a few complaints. I had high expectations for this museum due to its well known status. The first disappointment was that they don't have a student admission rate. They also don't allow photographs in the exhibits (not that this stopped me much). Very few museums do this anymore, they'll just ask that you don't use a flash. As someone doing research in the area, I found this extremely annoying. I also thought they leaned too far into the art museum aspect. Meaning, many items had little to no interpretation and sometimes were looked at for their beauty and not cultural significance. This has always been my gripe with art museums. As a museum that wants to collaborate with and represents native populations, I would have expected better. Note: I know there are plans to renovate their largest exhibit (Here, Now, & Always). I hope with the updates they will improve these issues. Lastly, with all these comments combined, I found the museum to cater to an elitist culture a little too much for my taste. I would certainly return again in a couple years in the hopes that things have changed.

Great museum, very comprehensive. Unfortunately Docent led tours cannot be counted on. The people at the front desk don't know if there will be tours that day, even if you call to confirm, as the website suggests. Apparently, it just depends on if the volunteer shows up or not. It's too bad, the museum is a richer experience with a docent.

BF wanted to visit military museum, and it was closed for construction. This was my choice. Nice little drive on 2 lane road to site. My Godmother had lived close to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, and had me hooked on knowledge seeking about the different tribes in the Southwest region. This is a very exquisite show piece, going into lifestyles of the various tribes in the New Mexico region. I especially enjoyed the pottery displays, sometimes dating back over 1000 years, and the last room discussing the different pottery styles of the various tribes that inhabit NM. The only complaint was missing items from the display, some of the display cases not having adequate lighting to read the explanations, and a closed area understand er construction. It was an overall enjoyable and educating experience

I was prepared to be blown away by this museum. Many exhibits were poorly lit, or missing, or generally sad. I'd never go back

12 dollars per person to see a small collection of artifacts, many of the lights not even working, too dim to see. Nah.

So much to learn and take in. Great history and artwork throughout this place and a wonderful restaurant to enjoy lunch or coffee. Great views and lots of fun. Don't miss this place!

Absolutely stunning art in the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. A must see if you find yourself in the Santa Fe Rocky Mountains.

I wrote the following to describe the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, DC, but it also applies to this museum: I can only describe the NMAI on the Mall by contrast to the American Indian museums in Santa Fe, New Mexico. NMAI shares with the two Santa Fe Indian museums the goal of showing art and culture from a contemporary Indian perspective. In the NMAI on the mall, this is done in a sketchy, impressionistic way. Artifacts seem to be piled together, and it's hard to find out who made them. There's also a lot of Political Correctness involved. In Santa Fe, the museums try to achieve these goals by involving many ordinary members of the local Indian communities; by displaying panels (and having recordings) of Indians' memories; by showing ancient Indian dwellings side by side with typical homes/apartments on the current Indian Reservation; by showing art expressing such things as how Indians feel about products that use Indians in their logos (like did you ever notice the logo on Land O'Lakes butter?) The ancient artifacts are shown with reverence, but also with historic context. Here's a major contrast: in one of the Santa Fe museums, a whole room shows tribe-by-tribe the pottery in historic context. Frank acknowledgement is given to the role of the tourist industry in re-invigorating the old pottery ways. The museum in DC is skittish about frankly talking about the relationship of the Indians to the outsiders and tourists, or by talking about one tribe at a time, while the history is much more head-on in Santa Fe. That said: NMAI is a fascinating museum, and its restaurant is by far the most interesting one on the mall. And that said, the museum in Santa Fe is one of the most effective presentations of another culture that I've ever encountered.

AKA the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Seriously a cool place with absolutely beautiful things. I went through a turquoise faze after coming here. Just beautiful things that are curated quite well. The cafe and gift shop were well staffed and very nice too.

The museum was a bit disorganized and didn't have a lot of meaningful explanations of the artifacts. Majority of the art was woven baskets and pots with a mid size exhibit downstairs about Indian life. Only worthwhile exhibit was the modern art Margaret Bagshire paintings which were colorful and fun to look at. We found out that she has a gallery downtown that you can just go in for free. Bottom line, don't waste your money, there are better museums out there.

This is a great place to learn about the native cultures of New Mexico. It is very well detailed with many exhibits.

So much to see, so little time! It's an extraordinary museum, giving one the feel and insight into the native culture. Well worth the stop on Museum hill.

Admission to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture costs $6 for New Mexico residents and $9 for non-residents A 4-day pass for unlimited admission to the four museums in the Museum of New Mexico system can be purchased for $18 for New Mexico residents/$20 for non-residents. A one day pass for two museums - a combination of either the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts or the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Palace of the Governors can be purchased for $12 for New Mexico residents/$15 for non-residents. Museum members and children 16 and under are always admitted FREE. Sundays are FREE for New Mexico residents with ID. Wednesdays are FREE for New Mexico resident seniors with ID.

Excellent museum! They have different rooms where they delve into great detail behind a certain craft- pottery, jewelry, leatherwork- with great explanations behind the cultures the items come from, and the significance of motifs used. In these rooms they also have short videos explaining how the crafts were made. Additionally there are well curated and well explained exhibits on specific Southwest and Great Plains peoples, showing items from all aspects of life (hunting, food making, horse accessories, clothings, toys, instruments, etc.) This museum is highly informative and respectful, I'm already looking forward to my next visit. Be sure to ask about the NM Culture Pass - $30 for access to 15 sites, including this one.

Rotating exhibits keep things fresh at this museum. I was lucky to attend when they featured women artists & also the Turquoise Water-Sky exhibit. I wished for scattered seating throughout the exhibit rooms - lots to see & we'd been doing a lot of sight-seeing the past week. Well worth the aching feet! Beautifully laid out - friendly guys checked us in. Pristine interior - so happy we came.

A very interesting museum that shows the past and present with several stories told by videos. The display of pottery, baskets, and jewelery, old and new was very impressive. We didn't all done, but they were almost as Goidelic as the Herd in Phoenix.

Cannot recommend this special place highly enough. At first I wondered, why go to a museum when I am in Indian Country and can experience the cultures directly? But the exhibits are rich, deep, thoughtfukl, and crafted with a Native sensibility. You will enjoy your hours here, and they will put your time in the Southwest into a meaningful context.

A wonderful museum with excellent and ever-changing exhibits. We were so lucky to have a demonstration by Taos potter Angie Yazzie as part of our day spent at the museum. She was generous with her knowledge and expertise, and showed us methods of working micaceous clay. It was inspiring -- I hope the museum knows how important this living history is to the benefit of all their exhibitions.

Fabulous collection but the lighting was so poor in many areas that we debated leaving and asking for a refund. Loved the clothing, weapons, pottery, baskets, etc. But could barely see many exhibits behind glass and couldn't read the descriptions. I complained when we left and the woman said that the lighting has been a problem for 3 years and nothing is ever done. I wouldn't return.

One of the highlights of my art venturing in Santa Fe, this museum packs a powerful punch. The coolest thing to me about it is (I don't know if it's the case all the time) that it displays both contemporary and traditional art. The vintage art that I saw there was amazing, but what really blew me away was the contemporary art. The Museum certainly provides the viewer with a new perspective. I will definitely check out what's happening here next time I am in town!

GREAT exhibits! Not only was the pottery exhibit worthwhile, but the Turquoise exhibit was absolutely breathtaking. The staff was super friendly and helpful as well. Impressive and educational.

Attended a film industry event at the Museum so my experience wasn't the typical museum attending experience. We had dinner there but the chefs were all brought in for the event so our meal wasn't an ordinary one. The place was in great shape and in a convenient location off of I-40 with free parking.

Chris is part native american so I chose to visit this museum to humor him. As it turns out it was a fascinating way to spend a couple hours in Santa Fe. It also creates the allusion of me being a thoughtful and loving girlfriend, which I am so not.

The art was superb-- as strong as the other amazing museums in Santa Fe. We love the Folk art museum too, and this one was a close second! The pottery exhibit was especially impressive because they identified the style from each tribe and there was a fantastic video of Maria Martinez making pottery-- not to be missed! It made us appreciate this pottery so much more. The culture exhibit was also strong though the art section was even better. Somewhat pricey but worth it. Be sure to check out the far less expensive gift shop at the Folk art museum for good values and excellent gifts to take home. (Out of staters pay more at all museums on Museum hill). Check it out!