City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center

In short: amazing!! In long:- Plenty of parking- Beautiful views, quiet, peaceful, relaxing (definitely great for meditation)- Theres a lot to see and experience, such as art installations, garden with signs identifying the plants, exhibits about the area's history/culture - Attracts a mix of wildlife especially birds- Inside and outside were clean and well-kept, including the restrooms- Friendly staff- A lot of seating available inside and outside - Easy access to trails and open space- Conveniently located within short driving distance to churches, shopping, fast food, etc.- COVID compliant by requiring masks, making hand sanitizer available, and limiting visitors to 5 at a time in the indoor spaces. However, water fountains were out of use because of COVID, so highly recommend bringing your own water/beverages.

What should we call this place? Ah, I dunno, how 'bout Open Space?Let's hear it for miles of nothin', shall we? I don't know the history behind this particular slice of preserved river valley, but it certainly serves its purpose, A) providing wild critters a safe spot to cohabitate and B) the rest of have a good glimpse at what that looks like, with trails weaving the interior and perimeter of the plot, there's plenty of room to wander, here, and if you look close, plenty to see. Just adjacent to the parking lot is a nice visitor center, with a few activities for the kiddos and knowledgeable ranger-types ready to give you the lay of the land. Open Space hosts the occasional summer festival/educational class, so make sure to check out the schedule. Like the Petroglyph national monument and the bosque bike trail running to Alameda, this little slice of calm offers a great getaway from the bustle of Albuquerque's west side, which is consistently expanding and growing, and rarely paying attention to the speed limit on Coors. Just sayin'. Duck in here, it's easy to find, just look for the skeletal, colorful public art sculpture.

Serene...What a beautiful place to go and enjoy nature. I brought my littles here for a celebration of the Sandhill Cranes. We are so glad we came. This place is beautiful. There are over 15 acres of natural reserve open and welcoming to many different types of birds. They enjoy space and time to rest while they migrate down here for the winter months. The program here is amazing. When we visited there were numerous amounts of volunteers around. The volunteers had binoculars to watch the birds and answered any questions you had about the place. We were able to watch a presentation about the sandhill cranes taught by a local wildlife biologist. When I first brought 3 tween girls to this place they were apprehensive to dive in but after walking around and enjoying the lecture, they didn't want to leave. This place is engaging, clean and very welcoming.

I live close by and make it a point to drop in regularly here . The exhibits inside are so awesome and the outdoor spaces are so inspiring. They also have great events like yoga weekly. Prepare to be inspired

What an excellent place and I think it's so wonderful the city has made this commitment to open space! Great spot for bird watching outside. Inside there are some displays, movies, activities, and a small gift shop with a variety of books and local and natural items. I go to the Visitor Center regularly now to learn about beekeeping.There's hiking and numerous other things to do; the nice ladies at the front desk can give you ideas!

Most beautiful day spent outside! Came here on a field trip with my daughter. What a nice day. Geese, Sand Cranes, hawks and many more wildlife you can hear and sometimes see. The property is just beautiful. We searched the grounds for old pottery- which you leave so others can also enjoy to see as well. I would come back here again and again.

I only discovered this place because the Weekly Alibi highlight the cranes stopping through here on their way farther south for the winter. Well thanks, cranes! I really appreciate you all promoting a nice local spot to escape the hustle and bustle.Seriously, this open space, which is right off of the chaos of Coors Boulevard, feels very much like a rural escape. I felt like I was back in Northern New Mexico playing in the field behind my childhood home. Such peace and beauty is not to be taken for granted and some bright Burquenos realized that so many years back when they took the initiative to preserve this space.What visitors will find is a small indoor, museum-like space, where movies are occasionally screened, art is on display, and their are activities for young and old. During our visit, we watched a short film on cranes, watched a 45-minute play on the eastern patio with the bosque as a backdrop, and got to view the cranes and Canadian geese through a telescope and from a viewing platform. Oh, and everything was free!Again, this is a great space offering a good activity for the family on any weekend. Check it out.

So, if on a Saturday you wanna spend sometime outdoors admiring the craines, I suggest you pass by and drop in around 1:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon to catch some funny and heart warming plays. ALL FOR Free! I must say, they give you history and entertainment all though a musical. I love the singing and the acting. It was awesome and I am def going back and you should come too. :)

This is a GREAT place! I went to a lovely out door star party here one night! It is very cool and close by. It is a nice spot down by the river!

This is a beautiful space and center.Lots of toys and really fun, creative activities for the kids in the kids section. Lots of puppets and things to encourage their imagination, which is awesome.Such beautiful art, and featured art and artifacts- at least the last time I went. I loved a 200 year old (I think, or somewhere near there) purple piece of glass I saw!As a glass artist that was really cool to see. A local piece. Great wood sculptures outside, I love looking at those. Nice garden. Beautiful spots and angles to sit. Maybe a few more places to sit would be good, but that hasn't been necessary yet and I enjoy the minimalist vibe. Awesome movies about environmentalism, preserving our environment, etc. Beautiful views, just incredible. This place is a haven in this busy, and often cold and manipulative city.It's nice to spend time in nature there. Never too busy, never loud. Excellent view of the cranes when they're around.The customer service at the front desk however has been awful...I'm not sure if customer service is the right word. But I'm not sure if it's because I'm young, a woman, who knows but this isn't the first place I've been completely ignored and treated as insignificant in this city. You're missing out- I'm a really kind person. But as a greeter, it's sort of your job to say hello and make people feel welcome...I have been many, many times over several years but have never once been greeted by the greeters. It comes off as cold and unkind, and definitely detracts from the otherwise beautiful and welcoming atmosphere. I also have little empathy for people who work with the public and can't seem to just do their work and be nice...I've gotten paid really low dollar amounts or volunteered and had no problem being kind to people and going out of my way to do a good job and provide good customer service.....since I was in high school. There's no excuse. Only taking away one star though cause the rest is that great and such a great part of our community