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    Felecia I.

    Want to see the Guinness World record holder for the largest recycled-plastic sculpture? Come to Santa Fe Community College and meet the giant 82-foot Ethyl the Whale. She is beautiful! Commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Ethyl was designed by artists Joel Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova, then built over a six-month span with aid from over 50 artists and volunteers. After being bought by the Meow Wolf art collective, the sculpture was disassembled and transported to her current home. Why a whale? Apparently Ethyl was based on the idea that every nine minutes, the weight of a blue whale of plastic goes into the ocean. Wow. Serious food for thought. Go see Ethyl. She'll put a smile on your face. She'll also get you thinking on how you can do your part to reduce your use of plastic.

    Ophelia M.

    Made from recycled sea waste, Ethyl, is a beautifully vibrant blue sculpture in the midst of the high desert landscape. Was vacationing in Santa Fe and sought out this piece of art. It's situated on a slight hill with a paved path that extends around the sculpture and nearby land. Perfect to come check out, go for a nice walk, and enjoy the view of Santa Fe from slightly above the city. Definitely worth the drop by if your in the area! Get to it!

    Ethyl The Whale
    Daniel D.

    This is my land whale I've been chasing for the better part of a year now ever since I found out about it! Made from recycled sea waste, Meow Wolf with the help of other sponsors and artists gave birth to Ethyl. At a distance she may not look like much, but up close her majestic grand beauty lures you in. She really knows how to steal the show! The pictures really don't do any justice with just her. To understand the full scale of her size I thought it's best to take a photo with her so you can see how amazingly huge she really is! Walking up to her you can see the recycled plastics and materials she is composed of. What even more mind blowing is this represents all the contaminants and waste we throw in the sea everyday. It's a neat little trip if you venture that way. Behind the Santa Fe Community College sits Ethyl with her majestic presence that is sure to win you over. She definitely won me over, took me awhile to find her but I'm glad I did! Can't wait to see you again Ethyl! Stay awesome!

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    10 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Went at night time so not the best time to go, you need daylight to enjoy Ethyl but so cool and random! What a fun thing to see while in NM.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very cool to see this random art piece. A bit of a chore to find it but I thought it was very cool!

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    5 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Ethyl The Whale

    Review Highlights - Ethyl The Whale

    Behind the Santa Fe Community College sits Ethyl with her majestic presence that is sure to win you over.

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    Santa Fe Plaza - Right down main street is the old church

    Santa Fe Plaza

    (158 reviews)

    I love the plaza and I love the events that Santa Fe hosts here. Especially the ones by the Kiwanis…read moreclub, which include the pancake breakfast on the Fourth of July, and day of the dead. I hope they get the obelisk situation sorted. It's a little embarrassing that that's still going on. But it's a essential place to visit if you come to Santa Fe.

    When I was done visiting the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, I walked over to the historical Santa Fe…read morePlaza, more specifically to Canyon Road Santa Fe where there so many galleries, boutiques and restaurants. I walked all over the place making the most of my time in Santa Fe. I saw some really beautiful churches, parks and art installations throughout the Plaza. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (a French Romanesque Revival cathedral built in 1869) was stunning on the outside as it was in the inside. I didn't take any pictures of the inside of the cathedral - I felt it would be disrespectful to the people who were there praying/wanting to be alone with their thoughts. The stained glass windows, the alter and the detail in the woodwork of the doors was really beautiful - I would have loved to attend a mass here. I grabbed an early dinner El Callejon Taqueria and Grill - it was delicious. Everything about Santa Fe was beautiful - the scenery, the history, the food, the art scene, the spiritual vibe, the friendliness of the locals and the small town feel made this portion of my trip so memorable. I would love to come back.

    De Vargas Street House

    De Vargas Street House

    (6 reviews)

    De Vargas Street House is a museum that claims to be the "oldest house in the U.S." While the…read moreaccuracy of this claim is uncertain, it's a charming little piece of American history. The entry fee is donation based, I contributed $10 since I visited alone, but the suggestion is $2 per person. Inside, there's a small gift shop with souvenirs. It's a quaint stop, I would say a bit of a tourist trap, but still an interesting place to visit just to say you've been there!

    The Oldest House Museum, also known as the De Vargas Street House, is a historic site located on De…read moreVargas St. in Santa Fe. It's a two-room adobe building with a collection of historical artifacts not related to the home. The "oldest house" claim isn't accurate; a study of the wooden ceiling beams in the house reportedly showed they were cut between 1740 and 1767 - a century after the Braman-Nothnagle Log House which was built between 1638 and 1643 in Gibbstown, New Jersey. There also isn't a firm date for when the De Vargas House was constructed and different scientists and historians have posited different date ranges. Despite this, the museum not only makes the claim it's the oldest home, but has posted a condescending list of claims of why people shouldn't question them, writing "think about it." The museum isn't manned with any personnel or docent, and there isn't a check-in of any kind or reception area. You enter into the gift shop, take a left, read the condescending signs in the first room and then step down into a second room with unrelated items along the walls. To call this former house a "museum" is generous. It's a gift shop that happens to have two rooms attached with an undetermined history and will take about 10 minutes to walk through if you include the gift shop. It is not a member of the New Mexico Association of Museums. Don't waste your time here - there's much better sites to visit in Santa Fe.

    Santa Fe Historic District - NPS

    Santa Fe Historic District - NPS

    (11 reviews)

    I always wanted to visit Santa Fe and it didn't dissappoint! The historic district is so charming,…read moregreat to stroll its streets and discover it by foot. The Plaza is beautiful, full of charm, there are many historic buidlings around like the Palace of the Governrrs, many museums with architecture alike a pueblo, cathedrals in Spanish Revival sytle, great shops, art galleries, restaurants. This is the kind of place with so much personality that is hard to describe. They have events here often, market, the place is lively with lots of cultural activities to discovere, Georgia O'Keefe Museum is a must, but there are so many other great museums and small galleries that you can pop in any time. Santa Fe might remind you of a cute town in Mexico but it has its own original features, it is such an unique place!

    The entire downtown area of Santa Fe is listed in the National Register of Historic Places…read more Do you know any other cities that qualify As National Historic Sites on such a grand scale? One or two buildings maybe, but this is the entire district. All historic, all the buildings. Historic and they mean to keep it that way. A number of years ago there was a resident in this historic area who replaced their roof with one that didn't meet the Historic Styles Committee's standards - they were politely asked to replace their new roof with one that fit the time and history of this area. This committee is serious. The roof was replaced. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US. Founded in 1610. But folks were living here LONG before 1610. Spain. Mexico. Pueblo Indians. This beautiful city, pushed up against the end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, has always been a good place to live. And it is a great place to visit. Visit www.santafe.org/events to see a calendar of events happening in the Historic District. Or expand your circle. Ski just 20 minutes from downtown, visit Indian Market in August - 1200 artists from 100 tribes; sit under the stars at the International Opera House; lift your troubles away at the burning of Zozobra; relax at Ten Thousand Waves Spa on the side of the mountain; sample Hispanic culture, food, entertainment & art at the Spanish Market; walk up Canyon Road; visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum; and endless more. Tickle the senses - step outside early on a winter morning and smell the pinyon wood fireplaces, chomp down on a big green chile cheeseburger, dance to a marriachi band, stroll the small lanes that were built for horse & buggies, visit Indian Pueblos that have been occupied for centuries, drink your evening away with sangria & margaritas . . . . life just doesn't get any better. Visit the extensive Southwest bookstore in the Palace of the Governor's Museum and take a walking tour of the Historic District. A small city, but with a big heart and lots & lots of history. This is a National Historic Site that you will never forget.

    Santuario De Guadalupe

    Santuario De Guadalupe

    (5 reviews)

    Santa Fe is a cool town but I was only excited for a few things there before visiting. When coming…read moreacross this place, I suddenly found myself in some type of wonder world. Walk around Santa Fe and you never know what could be around the next corner. This place isn't exactly a tourist destination. While I took pictures and walked around the place, I'm still not entirely sure of its purpose. It's my understanding that this church is named after a virgin from Mexico. Forgive my ignorance on the subject. You would think that a virgin church in the middle of many other churches(ONE OF THEM HAS TO BE HAS TO LIKE HER, RIGHT? RIGHT??)... virginity is rare so it has that going for it. Hook up with one of those other churches already! The place was locked as it was a mid-week weekday. We also weren't chased off by any type of security guard so we were able to snap pictures and view the outside. I wish it would've been opened so I could've checked it out.

    Beautiful church away from the touristy Plaza. The grounds are covered with the most beautiful…read moreblooming rose bushes. The statue of Guadalupe catches your eye, but immediately in front of Guadalupe is a life size Rosary shown as pavers on the ground for the Rosary beads. Definitely a working church, as there were parishioners lining up for weekend mass while Hubby and I were visiting. We did not visit the sanctuary because of mass, but thought the grounds were beautiful.

    Ethyl The Whale - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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