What to do with kids in Albuquerque over Christmas break, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. We read the holiday hours posted by six museums, zoos and play places: none of them opens on Christmas Day. Plus three dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.
Dec 24 · Dec 25 · Jan 1
Holiday hours from each place’s own page, side by side. Many are standing rules (“closed Christmas Day”) that hold year to year, but a quick check that morning is worth it.
“Not posted” means the place’s own page doesn’t say. Call or check the morning of.
Day by day
Pick a day to see what’s on. Many places close early on Dec 24 and Dec 31, so check each card’s times.
Coronado Center · 6600 Menaul Blvd NE., Albuquerque, NM 87110
Good to know: Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Pet photo nights on 8 evenings (Nov 23, Nov 24, Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 7, Dec 8…).
Cottonwood Mall (NM) · 10000 Coors Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114
Good to know: Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Pet photo nights on 2 evenings (Dec 7, Dec 14).
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden · Old Town area
Good to know: Closed Dec. 24 and 25.
Nothing posted for Dec 26–30 yet. Light displays and rinks post their late-December nights in December.
Nothing posted for New Year’s Eve yet. Noon Year’s Eve events usually post in late November.
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden · Old Town area
Good to know: Closed Dec. 24 and 25.
Rainy-day backup
These don’t post holiday hours yet, so check before you go. More on our indoor play page.
Keep planning
November: things to do in ABQEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in ABQEvery dated listing for the month, by week
Free things to do in ABQFree days, free events and places that never chargeIndoor play in ABQIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with prices
Library storytimes in ABQBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Ice skating in ABQHoliday and indoor rinks, skate aids and prices
Thanksgiving weekend in ABQParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Christmas parades in ABQParades and tree lightings with dates and start times
The Nutcracker in ABQBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flagged
Christmas markets in ABQChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hours
This week in ABQDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every Thursday
Good questions
Of the six places we checked, none posts Christmas Day hours as open; Petroglyph National Monument, Explora, ABQ BioPark Zoo and ABQ BioPark Aquarium & Botanic Garden are closed. A park or a drive past the lights is the easy plan.
Open with posted hours: Explora (Closes at 2 p.m.). On the calendar: Santa Photos at Coronado Center, Santa Photos at Cottonwood Mall (NM) and River of Lights.
None of the places that post New Year’s Day hours says it’s open.
On the calendar for Jan 1: River of Lights. Check each one’s own page before you go, since holiday hours can change.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 21, 2026, and we recheck them in early December and again the week before Christmas. How we choose and check.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in ABQ, through the holidays.
