Best Things to Do in Silver City

Silver City is one of New Mexico’s best small towns.

Started as a mining town, Silver City now has an interesting mix of historic buildings, art galleries, and museums. It is also the best base for exploring the Gila National Forest, making it a must-visit destination in southwestern New Mexico.

Don’t Miss

Historic Downtown

Downtown Silver City is compact, colorful, and easy to explore on foot. Bullard Street and the surrounding blocks are filled with historic buildings, murals, galleries, shops, restaurants, and coffee houses.

Silver City’s original Main Street was destroyed by repeated flooding, eventually creating a deep channel through the center of town. Today, the “Big Ditch” is a tree-lined park and walking trail running beside the downtown area.

Western New Mexico University Museum

The WNMU Museum is one of the best small museums in New Mexico. It has an incredible collection of Mimbres pottery and archaeological material from southwestern New Mexico. If you’re interested in the ancient cultures of the region (or funny little animal drawings), don’t skip it.

The surrounding campus is also quaint and worth a stroll, with historic buildings and green spaces that complement the museum experience.

Silver City Museum

The Silver City Museum is a small local-history museum covering the town’s mining roots, frontier past, and changing communities. Housed in a historic Victorian home, it’s a good stop for understanding how Silver City became the place it is today.

Food & Drink

Downtown Silver City has lots of local restaurants, cafes, breweries, bakeries, and coffee shops within a few blocks of each other. I enjoyed Little Toad Creek Brewery and I’m looking forward to trying more of the local spots on my next visit!

Events

Silver City hosts many small events throughout the year:

• Silver City Blues Festival – Free outdoor music festival held around Memorial Day weekend.
• Tour of the Gila – Major multi-day cycling race held each spring.
• CLAY Festival – Celebrates pottery, ceramics, and the region’s long clay traditions.
• Gila River Festival – Events, talks, hikes, and activities centered around the Gila River and surrounding landscape.

Outdoors & Around Town

Silver City is a great base for exploring southwestern New Mexico. The biggest nearby attractions include:

• Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
• Gila National Forest
• City of Rocks State Park
• Catwalk Recreation Area

Other nearby attractions include:

• Exploring the Dragonfly Trail
• Visiting nearby Fort Bayard
• A Benedictine monastery (that also sells coffee!)
• Boston Hill is also a popular spot for hiking and mountain biking and is a few minutes from downtown Silver City

Where to Stay

Most visitors stay near downtown, where you can walk to restaurants, galleries, museums, and shops. Silver City also has motels, vacation rentals, and more conventional hotels along Highway 180. Some unique options include:

• Murray Hotel - 1938 Art Deco hotel in the heart of downtown
• Historic Palace Hotel - Hotel dating to 1890, with original, old mining town charm
• Bear Mountain Lodge - Lodge located in the mountains, offering a rustic and scenic retreat

How Long Should You Stay?

One day is enough to explore Silver City itself.

But if you’re coming to Silver City, make time for the Gila National Forest and surrounding wilderness. Silver City is worth the trip on its own, but it really shines as the gateway to the wildest corner of New Mexico. For Silver City and the Gila region together, plan on at least 2–3 days to account for long drives, hikes, and exploring.