Explore Las Vegas NM's unique architecture, film locations, culture and history.

WELCOME to Las Vegas, New Mexico, at one time the largest city on the Santa Fe Trail and the first major stop on the journey to the Wild West. Here, where the mountains meet the plains, a confluence of cultures, ethnicity and traditions emerged; and a mosaic of colorful people made their mark resulting in stories that stir the imagination.

Connect Las Vegas NM, provides an opportunity to explore Las Vegas' unique architecture, film site locations, history and culture. With over 900 Buildings on the Historic Registry, you will find self-guided virtual tours reflecting diverse architectural styles ranging from Romanesque, and Italianate to Pueblo Revival.

For over 100 years, Las Vegas, NM serves as a popular film production location, beginning in 1913 when Romaine Fielding started production of several silent films, followed by Tom Mix and his Cowboy Westerns. Recent productions include the TV series "Roswell, New Mexico", "Longmire" an American modern Western crime drama television series as well as classics such as "Easy Rider", "Red Dawn", and "No Country for old Men". Enjoy a self-guided tour of many of these film site locations!

The town of Las Vegas began as a Santa Fe Trail town in 1835. The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings, which could serve as fortifications in case of attack. The trail passed through the plaza and presumably many of the traders stayed here. It is thought that from the top of the flat-roofed adobe structure, between numbers 210 - 218 on the north side of the plaza, that Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny claimed the New Mexico Territory for the United States on August 15, 1846. Visit sites and stories associated with the Santa Fe Trail and the cultural and economic impact as you tour some of the culture and history of Las Vegas, New Mexico.