If you have never visited Ruidoso, you are missing out because there are many things to see and do. You may want to start planning your trip by visiting the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce. Ruidoso is a beautiful mountain community in south-central New Mexico with a wide variety of activities throughout the year.
You can enjoy Ruidoso and its outdoor spaces any time of year. The primary draw in the summertime is the cool weather and the horse races, while in the wintertime people come to ski and snowboard at Ski Apache.
Local Things to Take In
For those who enjoy gambling, we have the Inn of the Mountain Gods which offers a full casino with sportsbook betting, and the Billy the Kid Casino which offers slot machines and simulcast horse racing. If gambling isn’t your thing, we have museums and art galleries galore and lots of great shopping. Ruidoso is the home of the Spencer Theater where they have a special music series every summer and shows year-round. Make sure you take in the shops in Mid-Town when you’re exploring the area. There are also a few indoor flea markets around town that are well worth exploring. You can check out Lotz of Stuff on your way out here to go fishing.
You might want to plan your visit around one of our many weekend festivals. For instance, we have car shows and motorcycle rallies. If that’s not your thing maybe one of our beer or wine festivals might be more to your liking. There are also, art and music festivals to enjoy; or you might want to take in one of our gun shows. You can find more information on these and a full listing of our local events and their dates by visiting the event page on Ruidosonow.com. There is something for everyone here in Ruidoso.
The Wibit at Grindstone. One of the many things to do in Ruidoso.
Maybe you want to spend some time relaxing in the great outdoors. Whether summer or winter, the scenery here is always gorgeous with lots of hiking and mountain biking trails to take. If you enjoy golfing check one of our renowned golf courses. On a warm day visit the water playground at Grindstone Lake.
There are so many things to do and see without ever leaving Ruidoso.
Things to Do on Short Daytrips
Ruidoso is centrally located for some really, great day trips. These include Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, the Alamogordo Space Hall of Fame, and Omnimax Theater. You might also want to explore Roswell’s UFO Museum and the UFO Crash Site, Historic Lincoln County (Home of Billy the Kid), and Capitan (Home of Smokey the Bear). There is also a winery, a brewery, and a distillery you can tour, ghost and mining towns, and a whole lot more which are easily within driving distance.
With all the stuff to do up here don’t forget to take the family fishing at the only place in town where you are guaranteed to catch fish. Ensure you stay long enough to explore everything you can see and do in the area.