Amazing place. My fiance and I spent six hours over two days exploring everything, and there was…read morestill so much left to discover!

Trippy! Bring your walking shoes and comfy clothes. Options to climb, crawl, duck. Fun, wild,…read moreweird! The gift shop is super cool. Drinks and snack avail A locket to store your stuff. Bathrooms with gender neutral BR option.

Albuquerque Academy puts on amazing stage productions, and Simms is a great performance space for a…read morehigh school. The stadium seating gives you a splendid view of the stage from any seat, even the wings, and some spots even give you a good view of the orchestra pit. It should come as no surprise that this school's resources are outstanding, and the attention they give their performance departments is enviable. The sound and stage lighting are awesome and the usable space is really top-notch for this type (highschool) of venue. AA kids are well instructed and spectacularly talented. We just went to a production of the Phantom of the Opera and I was moved to tears more than once. The stars of the show couldn't possibly have been highschoolers! They were very nearly as good as any act I've seen at Popejoy and their voices were simply stunning. I love Webber's Broadway score and was really pleased to find AA was putting on that same version of the legendary story. Although they didn't quite match up to the amazing vocalists' performances, the school's orchestra (+ certain wind instruments) did a not-too-shabby job for a highschool crew replicating one of the (IMHO) most powerfully moving scores ever written.

Superior acting. Excellent variety of shows. Courteous attention to guests. Love it!read more

I adore this place!! After my first time here I'm a believer…read more I grew up in the North Valley and have seen this place more times than I can count. As I entered my adult years I always told myself that I should catch a show here some time. I'm happy to say that I FINALLY made it in. A couple of my close friends and I caught a Leading Ladies performance. The place itself is so quaint and charming. It was a packed house for sure!! I recommend showing up earlier than 10 mins before showtime. The performance was amazing. I had tears streaming down my face the whole first half. The actors were genius. Really threw themselves into their roles and engaged the audience with every word and facial expression. It was so good that I'm going back to see the same show again and plan on going to a couple of other shows scheduled this year. It was a great experience and I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

Major admission prior to the review, here: my wife teaches at this school. She's finishing her…read morefirst year as a Special Educator. So there's that. And obviously the rating must be balanced by this admission. But the place deserves a solid review, and I'm approaching this on two fronts: 1) the reputation of the school at large and 2) my perceptions of the learning environment and kids therein. Albuquerque has a storied, especially difficult history with public school education. As one of the poorest states in the Union (we're always battling Mississippi for that crown), our educational system tends to take the brunt of this unfortunate reality. I'll leave it at that. If you're new to the city, be especially wary of the system you plan to enroll your child in. We have major issues. Charter schools aren't the perfect solution, by any means, but they're a great start. Most Charters, if not all, choose attendees via a lottery system since they receive far more applicants than they have room to receive. This is a sad truth, and definitely not what our Founding Fathers envisioned regarding universal public education. Our kid won out on the lottery. She attends another stellar Charter. But it isn't fair. In my personal view, the worth of any populace is best measured by the education of their citizenry. Last I checked the great U.S. of A. was ranked 13th, behind Cuba, if you can believe it. Locals call this place PAPA, rightly so. It's an endearing institution that mentors students in the arts and sciences with a critical eye toward the creative spirit. I've walked the "halls" and witnessed the collective talents of these kids, they're rather extraordinary. Dancers, science geeks and guitarists, singers and mathematicians, all of these kids manifest a fabulous energy that keeps them connected with education, which should be the goal in the first place. Great, amazing kids. So there's my second point. The first point, regarding the reputation, plays out in state-wide rankings. PAPA typically scores at the very top of the Charter school rankings on a yearly basis, as measured by test scores, attendance, and post-graduate success. It's one of the best. If not The Best. So enroll your kid in the lottery, take a tour, and let one of the students tell you why PAPA rocks. Charter schools aren't the ultimate solution; great public schools are. But while we work this stupidity out, schools like this make the grade. (One star off for the facility itself. At this time, it's all portable classrooms; I know they're searching for a new home, but for the moment the place is quirky, just like the kids that attend it.)

I fit in perfectly , and I am surrounded by creative and innovative people. The education I am…read morereceiving is amazing. The performing arts classes are really amazing, no other school I have ever seen or been to has such an amazing performing arts program! I love this school and never plan on leaving and would highly recommend this school to aspiring artists!

When the prices went up I found private lessons for half the price and instead of 30 minutes we get…read morean hour, when I asked to cancel I said we went with lessons elsewhere. Now I'm being charged fees for cancelling class when my child was ill. Other than the "late cancellation" charge of $50, and rising costs while being there less than a year, I have no complaints. Try at your own risk.

This place is pretty good, but pricey. There are no other options in Rio Rancho so they are the…read moreonly option though. My kids liked their teachers, but it seemed like a lot of money to see slow growth. Making up lessons was almost impossible due to the makeup times being when most kids are still in school (elementary schools in Rio get out at 4 but most of their makeups were at 4pm for example, so impossible to get to). And the one time we had a make up class on a Saturday they forgot about it so we waited but never got to do the makeup. When my oldest daughter started band at her school we decided to stop coming here. The place itself is cute and pretty. I would probably recommend to older children more than younger ones personally. Or maybe homeschooled children that don't have access to a band or orchestra program through a school.

Rumble Productions puts on a great performance! I hired Rumble to perform an April Fools Day prank…read moreon one of my co-workers. A very talented accordion player and song writer showed up in her Elvis wig to perform the Elvis song that I requested. She switched up the lyrics to the personalize it to the guy that we were pranking. The videographer captured every moment. From the initial inquiry, to discussing the logistics and the execution it went off without a hitch! I highly recommend Rumble. I can't wait to hire them again to put on another show. Thank you guys!!!

Don't believe in fairy tales? Rumble Productions will change your mind! The amazing artists at…read moreRumble create memories - special memories that last a lifetime because they make the recipient feel like the most important person in the world! I recently called Rumble to create a special birthday singing telegram for a Crossfit coach. It was extremely last minute but they jumped through hoops to make it happen. He was surprised, embarrassed.... And absolutely blown away by the gesture! I challenge him to ever forget that time he received birthday cupcakes at the box by singing telegram! Amazing performers, amazing customer service, and even more amazing memories! Thank you!!

Not sure what to do on a Friday/Saturday night? Have people visiting from out of town? Then I…read morehighly recommend considering The Box for a night out. Girls night, date night, family night - whatever you chose your poison to be - the Box should be included. It was a great experience and my face was hurting from laughing so much. The performers are very talented and quick on their feet. Definitely recommend this as an ABQ experience.

The Improv show was very funny and entertaining. A great weekend date spot and very affordable…read more Highly recommend supporting this local arts theatre!