Freemasons built this Alhambra-inspired, highly Instagrammable landmark in 1912, and it contains a spectacular 300-seat theater with original hand-painted scenic backdrops. These days, the society’s numbers have dwindled to around 700 members in the Santa Fe area, so to keep up with maintenance costs, the building—which has appeared in TV shows like Longmire and Waco—is offered up for weddings and private events. Hot tip: You can rent the Grand Ballroom for $2,300 per day.

The Santa Fe Opera House’s season only runs for eight weeks in July and August, but during that time, the stark modern theater, which sits high on a ridge seven miles north of Santa Fe Plaza, hosts five different productions. This summer marks the worldwide premiere of The Thirteenth Child, a new work by Danish composer Poul Ruders. Nature, of course, is part of the show: The theater is open on three sides, making sunsets, twinkling stars, and the occasional lightning storm visible to the audience.

It’s worth spending an afternoon walking around Santa Fe’s gritty Railyard District but, come evening, you’ll want to end up at the Violet Crown Cinema. Fronted by a dramatic steel cube, the 11-screen theater, which shows indie films and documentaries, blends in with the warehouses in the surrounding neighborhood. Inside, there’s a restaurant and a bar with New Mexican beer on tap.

Though it’s modest in size, Site Santa Fe, a contemporary art space with a sleek, arrow-like facade, packs a punch. Thought-provoking exhibits—like Nina Elder’s new geology-focused installation, What Endures—rotate frequently, so it’s worth stopping in even if you’ve recently visited Santa Fe. Admission is free on Fridays and Saturday mornings.

If neither traditional nor contemporary art do it for you, try the psychedelic neon tree tunnels and inter-dimensional portals at this interactive “art playhouse.” After drawing 400,000 visitors in its first year, Meow Wolf quickly established itself as one of the top recreational spots in wider Santa Fe (new locations are set to open in Vegas and Denver in 2020), surely making its main benefactor, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, happy with his investment.

Get a glimpse of Santa Fe’s colonial past at this 17th-century structure, which is generally considered one of the nation’s oldest government buildings. Of particular interest is the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, named after a Franciscan Friar priest who in 1954 published a comprehensive genealogy tracing the roots of Hispano (descended from Spanish settlers) families in northern New Mexico.  

There’s no shortage of drop-dead gorgeous churches in northern New Mexico, but this Romanesque Revival basilica, built of yellow limestone and flanked by two immense bell towers, takes the cake. The dazzling rose window in front, as well as the twelve apostles rendered in stained glass, are all imported from Clermont-Ferrand, France—a quaint reminder that Santa Fe’s trans-Atlantic roots run deep.

While you’re still in a pious mood, be sure to check out the compact but charming San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the continental U.S. Encompassed by the historic district of Barrio de Analco, just a few blocks from the Santa Fe Plaza, this chapel makes a wonderful excuse to stroll around the neighborhood admiring traditional adobe family homes, many of which were destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680.

Opposite the San Miguel Chapel, you’ll find what many believe is the oldest house in America, hence its name. Don’t be put off by the ground-level souvenir shop: The adobe walls and traditional wooden ceiling beams (also known as vigas) help set the scene for what must have been a very cozy crib back in the 18th century.

The elegant displays at this second-floor shop overlooking Santa Fe Plaza are a cut above the usual art gallery bric-a-brac. Sure, there are the usual Navajo rugs and colorful jewelry, but proprietor Jed Foutz, a fifth-generation trading post owner, has an eye for the best kinds of souvenirs. Take your time wandering through the shop’s five rooms, all of which retain their original 19th-century vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors.

If you can, be sure to time your visit to this three-day folk art festival, which takes over Museum Hill, a 10-minute drive from the Plaza. No other folk art festival in the world is as large, or as rewarding—90 percent of the earnings go back to the artists, who hail from over 60 countries. All manner of hand-made objects are on display, from toys to jewelry to traditional clothing to dishware. As one writer put it, “Every stall brings a story.”

Visiting Santa Fe without spending an hour or two honoring the woman who immortalized New Mexico’s stark, arid landscapes is like vacationing in the Caribbean and avoiding the beach. Sure, you could. But why? There are nine galleries inside this iconic museum, divided into different phases of O’Keeffe’s life, like “Abstract Nature,” “My New Yorks”, and “O’Keeffe’s New Mexico.” There’s a shop too, hawking calendars, Taschen coffee table books, and pewter cow skull paperweights.

Volcanic explosions in this region millions of years ago resulted in a porous rock that allowed Native Americans to build remarkable cliff dwellings, for which the site is still famous. In all, you’ll want to budget five hours to get out here and spend time exploring the painted caves and ancestral pueblo homes—all of which had a significant influence over the Santa Fe architecture we know and love today.

This Spanish pueblo-style home, built by a Santa Fe Trail merchant in the center of Canyon Road, is a wonderful example of how Santa Fe’s unique historical architecture can be put to recreational use in the 21st century. The building has private apartments, but its Victorian gardens around the back (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) that will stop you in your tracks. Criss-crossed with neat dirt paths and enshrouded in poppies, roses, irises, and phloxes, it’s a heavenly place to stop and be seduced by the city.