At the beginning of June, we had some family from the Mid-West that was going to be in the Santa Fe area of New Mexico. We were in New Mexico, so, of course, we hopped in Ebony and decided to meet up with them. Santa Fe is not a huge city, however it is not small either. So, picking a place for all of us to meet that was easy to find and centrally located was of importance. With a little research we landed on the Santa Fe Railyard Park.
The Santa Fe Railyard Park is located near Downtown Santa Fe. However, when you look up directions to get there, what we found was not the easiest to understand. So, I will do my best to guide you there. Whether you are coming from the north side or south side these should work for you. Jump onto State Highway 285 and make your way to Paseo De Peralta and head East (left if you are coming from the north and right if coming from the south). You will come to railroad tracks. This is the critical point or you will have to circle the block. Immediately after you cross the tracks, make a right on Callejon. It will look like you are going behind a warehouse to park in no man’s land. But, it will lead you to the parking lot.
The parking has an associated cost. Honestly I do not recall the exact amount. But it is not super expensive. I believe it is around $4 for 2 or 3 hours. In order to pay, look for the parking kiosk. It is in the middle of the small parking area. And it does not accept cash, so bring plastic with you. Once you pay, it is fairly standard fare. Put the ticket on your dash and enjoy.
The Santa Fe Railyard Park does have regular bathrooms. This is a big question we are commonly asked – are they port-a-potty style or do they flush? These are flushable bathrooms and quite clean. The park also has water fountains as well.
The park itself has quite a bit of green space for a downtown type park area. Near the bathrooms is a big field of open grass. We took time to throw a Frisbee on it as well as throw and kick a football. Plenty of room to run, jump and play.
Adjacent to the bathrooms, parking lot and open field is a large area with parkscapes for kids to play on and run through as well as concrete walking paths to stroll through the park on. And, there are tables and benches scattered throughout the park.
Also, if you will walk down Callejon, back to Paseo De Peralta, there are two other places worthy of checking out. Just across the railroad tracks (yes…the other side of the tracks), you will find Warehouse 21. It is an art and entertainment place. It seems to be kid (young to adolescent) focused. Around the whole building and surrounding area is adorned with paintings and murals of all manner of focus. There is even a TV you can sit in to take pictures with.
Across Paseo De Peralta is the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market. This area houses the farmer’s market, some shops and a few restaurants. It is built like an older style depot with a big water tower at the edge. It is neat to walk around and take in the architecture of the place, do a little shopping or grab a bite to eat.
Our choice for the Santa Fe Railyard Park turned out to be a good one. I say “our choice.” All credit goes to Mama Nomad for this one. We were able to accommodate enjoyment for 10 to 15 people with ages of toddler to adult and everyone had fun. So, if you need a place to stretch your legs or meet up with some family who is traveling through, you may want to check out the Santa Fe Railyard Park. Safe Travels.
