The Secret Garden in New Mexico You’re Guaranteed To Love

Santa Fe is full of surprises, but few are as quietly wonderful as the garden hiding behind the Nedra Matteucci Galleries. If you've ever fantasized about stumbling onto a hidden oasis like the one in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this is about as close as it gets. I think it's one of the prettiest gardens in New Mexico, and a sanctuary worth finding for yourself.

Nedra Matteucci Galleries has been a Santa Fe institution since 1972, specializing in 19th and 20th-century American art, with works from the Taos Society of Artists, American Impressionists, and leading contemporary sculptors, all housed within a sprawling adobe building. It's worth taking your time inside before you head out back to discover what's hiding behind the walls.

And when you do step outside, you'll find that landscaping itself becomes a form of art. Sculptures are woven into the natural setting in a thoughtful, sometimes playful way, including the powerful bears of wildlife sculptor Don Ostermiller, who learned to capture the essence of animals from his father, a taxidermist.

From there, gently curving paths lead you to a tranquil pond where ducks glide across still water and an elephant stands poised along the banks. For high desert, the whole space feels surprisingly lush and rich with foliage, which makes it that much more of a treat to stumble onto.

Part of what makes this garden so special is how easy it is to miss. You could walk past these walls for years without ever knowing what was behind them, and that's part of the charm. Once inside, it feels entirely like its own world, right in the middle of Santa Fe.

Since it's part of a gallery, there's no fee to enter the sculpture garden, which is open during normal business hours every day except Sunday. The Nedra Matteucci Galleries are located at 1075 Paseo De Peralta, just a short walk from Canyon Road, where many of the city’s other galleries are clustered. Check the official website of Nedra Matteucci Galleries for current hours and additional visitor information before you go.

To round out your visit, Kakawa Chocolate House is just nearby and worth stopping into for a cup of drinking chocolate. If you're still in the mood to explore, a Santa Fe art and history bike tour is a great way to see more of the city's culture in one go.

New Mexico is full of hidden gems just like this one, and we want to hear about the ones you've found. If you know of a secret garden in New Mexico that deserves a closer look, submit it through our nomination form and help us shine a light on more of what makes this state so worth exploring. And if you're ready to plan your next adventure, the Only In Your State itinerary planner can help you map out more stops along the way.