Explore Madrid, New Mexico
I first explored Madrid in 2016! And it was so great to return with my daughter Zoë! She loves art and has the soul of a gypsy so I knew this tiny little town outside of Santa Fe would very much appeal to her!!! Plus she was on a mission to find some turquoise jewelry!
First things first - Madrid…. (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: MAD-rid, not Ma-DRID) is an artist community of some 400 people located on State Highway 14 between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in the mineral rich Ortiz Mountains and is in the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico. There is evidence of primitive mining in the Madrid area as early as the mid-1850's. I adore this unique and picturesque little town. It is a haven for day trippers and travelers along the historic Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway. So many cute local shops, cafes, and bed & breakfast inns. This little village is eccentric and made up of musicians, painters, writers, actors, builders, craftsmen, nurses, vagabonds and more. The day we were visiting a musician was making a music video!
Here are a few of my favorite places there currently ! Highly recommend you visit!
Mine Shaft Tavern- Home to New Mexico's longest bar, this watering hole also has a mining museum and a haunted history. IN A TOWN OF ABOUT 204 RESIDENTS, you might not expect to find the longest bar in New Mexico, but that’s just one of many unexpected features of Madrid. The Mine Shaft Tavern, originally opened in 1897 and rebuilt following a fire in 1947, features a 40-foot pine bar built for the miners to spread out across the space after a long day in the mines. The town’s watering hole features a tunnel leading to the front door, a rail train parked outside, and a mining museum on the property featuring a collection of historic artifacts.
Both the bar and the town are rumored to host a few ghosts. Some say that it was Madrid’s role in providing the coal that helped fuel the secret home of the Manhattan Project that led to its haunting. Mine Shaft employees are generous with their firsthand accounts of ghost stories, and ghost-hunters frequent the location.
Decorating the space are colorful vignettes painted by Tinkertown folk artist Ross Ward, as well as hand-decorated dollar bills lining the walls. It’s a custom for visitors to decorate a dollar bill while they’re enjoying a margarita or the award-winning MadChile burger, and then gift it to the bar to display. It’s estimated that there are thousands of dollars in decorated bills on the walls.
Today, the Mine Shaft Tavern is a lively space that hosts bands on weekends, theater performances in its Engine House Theater, and an annual Christmas parade!
The Hollar- Founded by executive chef, Josh Novak in November of 2008, the Hollar specializes in fusing southern cuisine with the freshest local ingredients. The result is comfort food done right! A native of Florida, chef Novak attended Auburn University and is a graduate of the culinary institute Le Cordon Bleu, managing to bring a taste of the south with him to Madrid, New Mexico, he has surprised both locals and tourists alike with a unique menu featuring a myriad of delicious flavor combinations. They serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and a special brunch menu on Sunday mornings. Hopefully you time it where you can see some live music too!!
Jezebel Soda Fountain and Cafe- This gem is one of the oldest soda fountains in the state dating back to 1926. Jezebel Gallery and Soda Fountain is a great place to come enjoy a burger and a classic shake or an Italian cream soda!!! Truly so nostalgic. I love their old candies too that you can purchase for gifts!
Connie's Photo Park- CONNIE MAYHEW GREW UP IN Key West, with tourist photo opportunities abound. So when she moved to New Mexico, she took her playful sensibilities with her. The end result is Connie’s Photo Park, a joyful roadside attraction along the famous Turquoise Highway. The park features dozens of life-size face-in-a-hole signs, all painted by Connie herself using materials donated by friends. Check the signatures at the bottom to find out which year each one was made. Here, you can pose as an alien, an Easy Rider or a set of hippies or stage a photo in front of a old Western saloon / bathhouse.
Range West Gallery- Josh & Kathleen produce the bulk of the work in the gallery. Josh makes the stone fountains, wooden & copper furniture, sculpture & charcuterie boards. Kathleen makes the micaceous pottery, black & white paintings & jewelry. They do show other works by their friends, who by and large make art in the little Madrid village. I am so in love with Kathleen’s pottery. I have my eyes on a few things that I really want to purchase before heading home in September!
Alchemy Studio- Alchemy Studio is a space for women artists working in the various elements. In alchemical terms, Earth = physical sensation and movement Fire = transformation and "rising energy", aspiring to reach the divine above and within us Water = intuition and flow Air = connection to holy spirit and life-giving forces
Trading Bird Gallery + Gypsy Gem- This family business was established in 1988 in the old mining town of Madrid! The shops feature owner mined Cerrillos Turquoise, Santo Domingo Pueblo jewelry, pottery, and fetishes. They specialize in natural Cerrillos turquoise mined by hand from their turquoise mines in the nearby Cerrillos Hills!
Do you have a favorite place in Madrid?!!
